THE CHANGING AMERICAN MILITARY FAMILY - OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL-WORK

Changes in the American military have made new demands on social work and social services. The military is no longer dominated by active military personnel and their families. The reserve components, with a militia tradition and history predating the regular military establishment by more than 150 years, are now a full partner in the total force, with recent combat experience in Grenada, Panama, Somalia, and the Persian Gulf. The challenges and problems of military life are well documented among active-duty personnel, especially the effects of separations. Today, reservists and their families experience increasing stresses associated with separations and deployments. The military establishment has not systematically addressed the effects of separation for either group. This article identifies the shared stresses and support needs of affected families and introduces a program, Operation READY, designed to teach active and reserve component families to cope with the stress of military life, especially separations.