Change is constant for many families but even more so for military families. Military families regularly adapt to new surroundings due to experiencing relocations and adjusting to new routines when a family member is deployed.
Just as service members can build mission readiness, families can also take steps to boost their resilience. Family readiness is a military family’s ability to use physical, psychological, social, and spiritual resources to prepare for, adapt to, and grow from military lifestyle demands. By helping family members feel more secure and connected in daily life, families can build their capacity to adapt to the stressors and changes associated with military life. This not only helps keep relationships strong, but can help protect the psychological health of children who may struggle with change, fears, or missing a parent. Also, the more adaptable military families are, the better able they are to support their service member.
The Department of Defense offers service-specific resources to help military families boost their readiness. Programs may vary by branch and location, and may include referrals to local community resources, outreach programs for families new to the military, classes in parenting or stress management, or help for families undergoing a permanent change of station.
Family Readiness Tips
During all stages of military life, whether a service member is home or away, families can successfully navigate change by using family readiness tools. Try the following suggestions and examples to strengthen family readiness:
- Physical. Exercise can relieve stress and help you and your family stay healthy. Exercising as a family can also help bolster family connections.
- Psychological. Have regular family dinners to talk about the day and strengthen bonds. Talk with a family therapist about fears or concerns. The Psychological Health Resource Center can connect you with a confidentially trained health resource consultant by calling 866-966-1020 or clicking their 24/7 live chat.
- Social. Get involved in activities through a local military family support group to stay informed and strengthen your social network. The National Resource Directory and Military OneSource can help you find support groups in your community.
- Spiritual. If spirituality or religion is a source of strength for your family, stay with it. Whether it's personal practices or support groups, spiritual connection can provide a strong sense of community, and chaplains can support you with your spiritual life.
Service members and families can also build readiness by using internal and external tools. Internal tools, like family traditions, dinners, or game nights, are important for strengthening bonds. External tools like Family Readiness Groups can be helpful during all stages of military life. FRGs offer families a supportive forum for sharing experiences, tips, and resources. FRGs also provide social activities to help people stay connected and provide opportunities for moral support during deployments.
Visit these service-specific resources to find a Family Readiness Group near you:
What Line Leaders Can Do
Line leaders also have concern for their families, as they can impact mission readiness for military leaders. Line leaders may experience stressors in home life and these disruptions can cause stress for their unit members. It's important for leaders to encourage unit members to use the family resources that are available, as well as using the resources themselves. Family centers offered by the military can help families stay strong during, in between, and after deployments. This, in turn, helps strengthen the health of the whole force.
Additional Resources:
Sources:
- Goodell, E. M. A., Homish, D. L., & Homish, G. G. (2019). Characteristics of U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard couples who use family readiness programs. Military behavioral health, 7(2), 185–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2018.1515131
- Griffith J. (2020). Family Readiness Groups: Helping deployed Army National Guard soldiers and their families. Journal of community psychology, 48(3), 804–817. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22294
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; Board on Children, Youth, and Families; Committee on the Well-Being of Military Families, Le Menestrel, S., & Kizer, K. W. (Eds.). (2019). Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society. National Academies Press (US).
- Rossiter, A. G., & Ling, C. G. (2022). Building resilience in US military families: why it matters. BMJ military health, 168(1), 91–94. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjmilitary-2020-001735
- Skomorovsky, A., & Dursun, S. (2022). Introduction: Resilience in Military Families. Military Behavioral Health, 10(2), 71–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2022.2098886
Updated January 2025