Deployment and Reintegration

Out of the hundreds of thousands of military personnel that were or are currently deployed overseas, at least half of them have families back home. Many of those families have children and pets. Although deployments are a fact of life for those who choose to serve in the military, deployments result in the separation of families for extended periods of time.

Deployments are single or repeated events that put an increasing amount pressure and stress on family structure and cohesion. Although deployments are hard on the military personnel who are sent to other areas of the world, the consequences are far-reaching and very unsettling on military families as well.

Effects of Deployment

There are various social and military support programs that are designed to help minimize the effects of deployment on military personnel and their families. As these programs continue to evolve to become more intuitive and effective, many program providers, therapists, and other affiliated professionals are starting to become more interested in learning more about the reintegration step in the deployment process. The reintegration stage of deployment is vitally important to understand because there is an increasing number of troops being called back home.

Reintegration After Deployment

Reintegration is a vet’s ability to reenter back into his or her life as it was prior to deployment. Since vets are not the same people as they were before deployment, many of them face challenges when they try to function in the capacities that they were accustomed to prior to leaving to serve their country. Although it has been widely speculated that the reintegration process only lasts for several months, new research is showing that the process can take much longer than that. Complete reintegration after deployment can take years to achieve, depending on one’s military experiences, home life, family members and whether or not they are actively seeking professional help.

There are some military personnel that are able to overcome the challenges of reintegration in a relatively short amount of time. Although a vet may have successfully adapted to life at home, some family members may experience great difficulty in adjusting to that vet’s presence during what should be a smooth and seamless transition for both parties.

Reintegration Challenges

Other vets may experience trouble fitting in at home because of changes in personality and household routine. This is much more likely to be the case when the family of a vet expects for them to act the same as they did prior to deployment. These challenges can have a significant and negative impact on the normal dynamics of a military family who is struggling to move on with their lives during reintegration.

There are factors to consider when gauging one’s ability to transition back into life after deployment.

These factors include:

• Number of deployments
• Length of deployments
• Emotional and physical health
• Resiliency
• Context of home life
• Support of family and loved ones
• Support from peers

Stress also plays a role in how well a vet and his or her family adjusts to life after deployment. Although stress is not always unavoidable, families need to understand that it takes time for vets to become content with civilian life.

Any military personnel and their families who are struggling with reintegration issues stemming from deployment should seek out professional help from the Veterans Administration, local vet groups, and professional therapy services.

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