The U.S. military has been continuously engaged in foreign conflicts for over two decades. The strains that these deployments, the associated increases in operational tempo, and the general challenges of military life affect not only service members but also the people who depend on them and who support them as they support the nation — their families. Family members provide support to service members while they serve or when they have difficulties; family problems can interfere with the ability of service members to deploy or remain in theater; and family members are central influences on whether members continue to serve. In addition, rising family diversity and complexity will likely increase the difficulty of creating military policies, programs and practices that adequately support families in the performance of military duties. Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society examines the challenges and opportunities facing military families and what is known about effective strategies for supporting and protecting military children and families, as well as lessons to be learned from these experiences. This report offers recommendations regarding what is needed to strengthen the support system for military families.

Contents

• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• COMMITTEE ON THE WELL-BEING OF MILITARY FAMILIES
• BOARD ON CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES
• Acknowledgments
• Summary
  • DOD ACTIONS TO IMPROVE LIVES OF MILITARY MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
  • STUDY CHARGE
  • WHO ARE MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES?
  • WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF MILITARY LIFE?
  • HOW DO STRESSORS IMPACT MILITARY FAMILIES AND CHILDREN?
  • CHILDREN'S RESILIENCE
  • EVIDENCE-BASED AND EVIDENCE-INFORMED INTERVENTIONS
  • HOW CAN DOD IMPROVE THE SYSTEMS THAT ALREADY EXIST?
  • HOW CAN A LEARNING SYSTEM BE DEVELOPED AND SUSTAINED?
  • REFERENCES
• 1. Introduction
  • CONTEXT FOR THE STUDY
  • STUDY CHARGE
  • STUDY APPROACH
  • GUIDING PRINCIPLES
  • ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
  • REFERENCES
• 2. Family Well-Being, Readiness, and Resilience
  • LINKAGES BETWEEN FAMILY ISSUES AND MILITARY READINESS
  • DEFINING FAMILY
  • DEFINING FAMILY WELL-BEING
  • MILITARY-FOCUSED DEFINITIONS OF WELL-BEING
  • TRENDS IN FAMILY LIFE
  • IMPLICATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
  • ECOLOGICAL AND LIFE COURSE MODELS OF MILITARY FAMILY WELL-BEING
  • RESILIENCE AND READINESS
  • RESILIENCE IN THE MILITARY CONTEXT
  • MEASURING FAMILY READINESS AND RESILIENCE
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 3. Demographic and Military Service Characteristics of Military Families
  • INFORMATION SOURCES: WITHIN DOD
  • INFORMATION SOURCES: EXTERNAL TO DOD
  • ORGANIZATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS
  • CHARACTERISTICS THAT CHANGE OVER TIME
  • ATTENTION TO INTERSECTIONALITY
  • VETERAN POPULATION
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 4. Military Life Opportunities and Challenges
  • OPPORTUNITIES OR CHALLENGES?
  • THE CONTEXT OF MILITARY FAMILY LIFE: YESTERDAY VERSUS TODAY
  • TRANSITION INTO THE MILITARY
  • PAY AND BENEFITS
  • GEOGRAPHIC ASSIGNMENT AND RELOCATION
  • TRAINING, SEA DUTY, AND DEPLOYMENTS
  • NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE SERVICE
  • DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
  • TRANSITION OUT OF MILITARY SERVICE
  • SUMMARY
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 5. Stress, Risk, and Resilience in Military Children
  • THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
  • HOW PARENTING AFFECTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRESS REGULATORY CAPACITIES
  • RESILIENCE IN CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 6. High-Stress Events, Family Resilience Processes, and Military Family Well-Being
  • STRESS AND FAMILY RESILIENCE PROCESSES
  • THE EFFECTS OF HIGH-STRESS EVENTS ON MILITARY FAMILIES: DUTY-RELATED ILLNESS, INJURY, AND DEATH, MILITARY FAMILY VIOLENCE, AND CHILD MALTREATMENT
  • OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOLSTERING RESILIENCE BY ADDRESSING RISK PATHWAYS
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 7. The Military Family Readiness System: Present and Future
  • THE STRUCTURE OF THE MILITARY'S SERVICE MEMBER AND FAMILY WELL-BEING SUPPORT SYSTEM
  • A POPULATION-LEVEL SYSTEM PROMOTING WELL-BEING
  • EVIDENCE-BASED AND EVIDENCE-INFORMED POLICIES, PROGRAMS, SERVICES, RESOURCES, AND PRACTICES
  • ACCOUNTABILITY AND MEASUREMENT
  • COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATORY PARTNERSHIPS
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 8. Developing and Sustaining a Learning System to Support Military Family Readiness and Well-Being
  • BACKGROUND ON FAMILY-BASED PROMOTION AND PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS
  • BARRIERS TO TRANSLATING EVIDENCE INTO PRACTICE
  • REMEDIATING THE BRIDGE FROM EVIDENCE TO PRACTICE
  • ONGOING ADAPTATION FRAMEWORK FOR A COMPLEX MILITARY FAMILY READINESS SYSTEM
  • ADAPTATION AND CONTINUOUS QUALITY MONITORING USING A LEARNING SYSTEM FRAMEWORK
  • SUMMARY
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • REFERENCES
• 9. Committee Recommendations
  • ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING OF TODAY'S SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
  • IMPROVE MILITARY COMMUNITY AND FAMILY POLICY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
  • STRENGTHEN THE BROADER MILITARY FAMILY READINESS SYSTEM
  • REFERENCES
• Appendix A. Biosketches of Committee Members and Project Staff
• Appendix B. Agenda for Public Information-Gathering Session
• Appendix C. Authors of Memos Submitted to the Committee
• Appendix D. Acronyms and Glossary of Terms

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2019). Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25380.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019947790

Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25380

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