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All deployments, even those that do not involve combat, are significant events in service members' lives and can affect not only those who deploy, but also their families. Throughout the deployment cycle (pre-deployment to reintegration), a range of stressors contribute to combat and operational stress. Common stressors occur during combat and non-combat-related deployments and they can be different for everyone. Common stressors experienced by service members across the deployment cycle include the following:
| Pre-deployment Phase
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Deployment Phase
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Post-deployment/Reintegration Phase
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Getting affairs in order
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Difficult living conditions
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Reintegrating into family
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Preparing family for deployment
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Witnessing the death of others
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Renegotiating routines
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Denial and anticipation of loss
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Loss of a unit member or friend
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Loss of independence
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Killing someone
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Injury
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Military families also experience a variety of stressors related to the deployment cycle. These can include stressors that arise from the changing role of a spouse when the service member is deployed or, for a child, the lack of regular communication with a deployed parent.
This downloadable infographic provides an overview of the deployment stressors experienced by service members, their spouses, and their children. Download PDF
Deployment Cycle Resources
The resources below provide information providers can use to help service members and their families navigate deployment cycle stressors.
- Preparing for Deployment — This website provides information and tips from Military OneSource to help service members prepare for deployment, such as updating essential legal documents, organizing finances, creating a family care plan and designing a contingency plan.
- Sesame Street for Military Families — This website offers resources for providers to learn about the steps that military families go through during challenging transitions and handouts to share with their patients.
- Helping Children Cope during Deployment — This fact sheet from the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress provides information to help children cope during a parent's deployment.
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Publication
May 19, 2021
.PDF |
149.24 KB
This infographic depicts the emotional effects on families being separated due to deployment
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Last Updated: August 21, 2023