Yet relatively little is known about the effects of deployment on the emotional well-being of military families.

However, evidence suggests that military families have also been affected, particularly by the strain of multiple and prolonged deployments. servicemembers deployed for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have been well documented (see, for example, Invisible Wounds of War. The mental and emotional challenges facing U.S.

Poorer caregiver emotional well-being and family communication quality were associated with poorer emotional well-being and greater difficulties for youth during and after deployment.

Challenges during parental deployment and reintegration were greater for older teens, girls, and Reserve Component spouses.

Difficulties reported by study youth during parental deployment and subsequent reintegration were greater if their parents had accumulated more months of deployment.

Youth applicants to Operation Purple®, a free summer camp for military youth, reported higher levels of anxiety symptoms and emotional difficulties than youth in other studies.

'I felt awesome and lucky,” said Sean Parker. Or maybe it's best said by their young son Sean. I didn't think that something that I did when I was a kid, you know by enlisting, would impact so many people. The family kicked off their year of free groceries stocking up for a tailgating party, but Desmond Parker sees their good fortune as part of a larger life investment. While the free groceries are a big boost financially, Desmond Parker’s wife Lisa says it goes deeper than that: 'To see my husband being honored for his military service, it's really touching that other people notice his sacrifice.' Operation Homefront, a nonprofit helping to build strong and stable military families, is behind the campaign, along with partners Eckrich and HEB. They’ll receive a year's worth of free groceries that totals more than $13,000. AUSTIN, Texas - When the Parker family arrived at a central Austin supermarket Friday morning, they thought they were being honored for dad Desmond's military service with a quick shopping spree and free football tickets, then they’d be on their way.īut it turned out the family would be getting a big surprise.

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