Military Families from Within Interlacing of the Child’s Adjustment, Family Dynamics, and Military Demands during Deployment

Abstract

This article analyzes the results of a survey among deployed Slovenian service members and their spouses. The purpose of the study was to observe the correlation between the adjustment of children, family dynamics, and military demands during a deployment. Qualitative and quantitative methods were triangulated with an aim to (1) observe how military children adjust and (2) test whether parents’ ability to achieve a work–family balance, the level of parental stress, their attachment style, and the characteristics of the deployment itself are related to the child’s adjustment. Findings indicate that the perception of how well children have adjusted to deployment varies between parents. Family dynamics during and after the deployment are also an important indicator of a child’s adjustment. Finally, while military families receive help from cross-generational family networks, no systematic policy measures exist to support spouses and children during periods of deployment. As a result, this study calls for greater awareness of military demands on family units.