233773 Military Families and Experiences with Deployment

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 4:30 PM - 4:45 PM

Armin Brott, MBA , Men's Health Network, Author, Syndicated Columnist, Talk Show Host, Oakland, CA
Unfortunately, there are very few resources for military men and women, who are looking for guidance on how to be in close touch with their families back home.

Basic statistics around military families today: +/- 200,000 active military are deployed +/- 200,000 civilian contractors +/- 50,000 civilian government employees

The pre-volunteer military experience was very different for families and servicemen and women. Today, there are two million children under 18 with a deployed parent in the United States.

Given the statistics and factors above military men and women experience several critical health and well-being challenges and issues around pre-deployment, during deployment, and post deployment. These critical health and well-being challenges are often related to the mental, emotional, and physical toll that military service has on our men and women.

We need further research into how families back home affect servicemen and women overseas as well as how deployment affects families back home. It is important to note that we currently have one of the most battle-weary military in our nation's history currently.

Development of extensive pre-deployment checklists and detailed tips aimed at preparing the family for separation and long-distance communication is critical. Further research and efforts should focus on tips on how to stay involved and connected when you're far away, and specific strategies and activities designed to families remain close across time and distance.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Communication and informatics
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1.Explain Pre-deployment stresses and experiences. 2.Identify challenges for families during deployment. 3.Evaluate how deployment affects family back home. 4.Assess Post-deployment destress opportunities and experiences.

Keywords: Stress, Public Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: • Author of The Military Father: A Hands-on Guide for Deployed Dads (Abbeville, 2009) Lead author of Your Head: An Owner’s Manual (Men’s Health Network, 2008) • Lead author of Blueprint for Men’s Health (Men’s Health Network, 2006) Writer of “Ask Mr. Dad,” a weekly column distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (formerly Knight-Ridder), which appears in over 40 newspapers throughout the U.S. • Authored hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including fatherhood, health, business, education, and family relationships for such publications as, The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, The Washington Post, Reader's Digest, Good Housekeeping, Men’s Health, Redbook, Playboy, Family Circle, Child, Parenting, Family Life, American Baby, The Saturday Evening Post. Radio, Television, and other Media • Host of “Positive Parenting,” a weekly talk show for parents, which airs on top stations in San Francisco and several other markets. • Host of “DaddyCast,” a daily podcast for and about dads and those who love them. • Guest on hundreds of national and regional TV and radio shows, including The Today Show (NBC), The Early Show (CBS), The O’Reilly Factor (Fox), In the Money (CNN), BBC, Discovery Health, and many more. • Expert source quoted in hundreds of national and regional print and Internet publications, including The New York Times, The Wall St. Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Post, Glamour, Parents, Child, The Boston Globe, and many more. Honors and Awards • Winner of two 2008 gold medal awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association for Fathering Your School-Age Child. • Winner of two 2005 Adding Wisdom awards from Parent-to-Parent, for The Expectant Father and The New Father: A Dad’s Guide to the First Year. • Excellence in Journalism (three separate awards). “Bone Marrow Report: The Real Medical Miracle.” Family Circle, October 6, 1998 • Best Parenting Book. The New Father. Child Magazine, 1997 • National Magazine Award nomination. “The Lace Curtain: Gender Bias in the Media.” Nieman Reports, Winter, 1994 Other Affiliations • Board of Advisors, Men’s Health Network • Board of Advisors, Pampers Parenting Network
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4370.0: Military Men, Women, and Their Families: Need for Off-Base Reacclimational Services and Resources