Burke, Benjamin

I recently had the privilege of teaching a group of undergraduate students about military family experiences and got to show a heartwarming video of Service members reuniting with their family members. The video was filled with shouts of joy, hugs, and happy tears as loved ones embraced each other after months of separation. Indeed, family reunions after deployments are joyous occasions, and afterwards the family goes through a process called reintegration (i.e., when family members are reunited following deployment). Although many families feel that their relationships improve during reintegration, it can also be a time of great challenges as romantic partners, parents, and children figure out how to navigate life together again. During this time, challenges can become magnified and couples may experience more ups and downs than usual. This is called _relational turbulence._ Relational turbulence is influenced by relationship uncertainty and interference. _Uncertainty_ refers to doubts about the relationship, concerns about partner roles and expectations, and/or questions about how long the relationship may last. _Interference_ is when someone feels like their goals (i.e., or something that they want) are being obstructed by their partner. For example, a newly returning Service member prematurely adopting a role, such as disciplinarian, that the at-home partner has been conducting during the deployment. These experiences can ramp up a short time after reintegration and can cause challenges in the relationships between the couple and parents and children. Couples may experience declines in emotional or sexual intimacy, feel a lack of support from their partners, and have poor communication. Children may experience more difficulties reintegrating their parent into daily life and routines. The difficulties that military families experience may also be exacerbated when a Service member or an at-home parent is dealing with mental health symptoms like anxiety, depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder. #### So, what can couples and families do to better manage the challenges of reintegration? 1. First, realize that it is normal for families to stumble during the reintegration phase and become frustrated with reorganizing family routines. Interpreting these challenges as signals of doom for the relationship may contribute to more doubt about the future, which may further complicate the reintegration process. 2. Second, communicate openly and have clear expectations during reintegration. This can include covering topics like which roles will be resumed by the Service member and when those changes will occur, areas of doubt or concerns about the relationship that the couple would like to address, how much about the deployment the Service member wants to share with their family, and any plans to seek support or services. It may be helpful for the Service member to take time to reconnect with their children before adopting or re-adopting authoritative parental roles. 3. Third, recognize that mental health challenges are normal, and seek resources to build a stronger base for the family. Depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder are related to more relational turbulence and reintegration challenges. These challenges are treatable and manageable, especially if addressed with support early in the reintegration period. Consider going to see a counselor as a couple or family to navigate mental health and relational challenges at the same time. Reintegration is a normal part of the military deployment cycle, and it is normal for families to experience emotional highs and lows during this time. Read more about this experience in our [library](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/reachlibrary.jsp) and be sure to seek out any desired resources to successfully manage challenges that arise. ##### References [Knobloch, L. K., Knobloch-Fedders, L. M., & Yorgason, J. B. (2019). Mental health symptoms and the reintegration difficulty of military couples following deployment: A longitudinal application of the relational turbulence model. _Journal of Clinical Psychology, 75(4)_, 742-765.](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DetailResult?resourceid=523d5c82-faa7-4369-bdcf-142ec9f6be7c&resType=resSum) [Link to Source](https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22734) [Knobloch, L. K., Basinger, E D., & Theiss, J. A. (2018). Relational turbulence and perceptions of partner support during reintegration after military deployment. _Journal of Applied Communication Research, 46(1)_, 52-73.](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DetailResult?resourceid=f5eee9ad-f883-4091-964c-24e3ce32bd32&resType=resSum) [Link to Source](https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2017.1409906) [Knobloch, L. K., Knobloch-Fedders, L. M., Yorgason, J. B., Ebata, A. T., & McGlaughlin, P. C (2017). Military children’s difficulty with reintegration after deployment: A relational turbulence model perspective. _Journal of Family Psychology, 31(5)_, 542-552. doi:10.1037/fam0000299](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DetailResult?resourceid=bf8dbe25-9f5b-4836-960f-305163fc1adb&resType=resSum) [Link to Source](https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000299) [Knobloch, L. K., & Theiss, J. A. (2012). Experiences of U.S. military couples during the post-deployment transition: Applying the relational turbulence model. _Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 29(4)_, 423–450. doi:10.1177/0265407511431186](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DetailResult?resourceid=66fee875-8576-4859-a21a-0cf51211e3fc&resType=resSum) [Link to Source](https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407511431186) [Knobloch, L. K., Ebata, A. T., McGlaughlin, P. C., & Theiss, J. A. (2013). Generalized anxiety and relational uncertainty as predictors of topic avoidance during reintegration following military deployment. _Communication Monographs, 80(4)_, 452-477. doi:10.1080/03637751.2013.828159](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DetailResult?resourceid=d1328c8d-c224-40ce-a8a5-f0276b4dcb9b&resType=resSum) [Link to Source](https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2013.828159) [Knobloch, L. K., Pusateri, K. B., Ebata, A. T., & McGlaughlin, P. C. (2014). Communicative experiences of military youth during a parent’s return home from deployment. _Journal of Family Communication, 14(4)_, 291-309. doi:10.1080/15267431.2014.945701](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DetailResult?resourceid=8ba22319-d611-444c-a871-09600b7d0b08&resType=resSum) [Link to Source](https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2014.945701) [Knobloch, L. K., Basinger, E. D., Wehrman, E. C., Ebata, A. T., & McGlaughlin, P. C. (2016). Communication of military couples during deployment and reunion: Changes, challenges, benefits, and advice. _Journal of Family Communication, 16_ (2), 160-179. doi:10.1080/15267431.2016.1146723](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DetailResult?resourceid=f243dc85-646b-4223-b988-5ea52600b265&resType=resSum) [Link to Source](https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2016.1146723) [Knobloch, L. K., McAninch, K. G., Abendschein, B., Ebata, A. T., & McGlaughlin, P. C. (2016). Relational turbulence among military couples after reunion following deployment. _Personal Relationships, 23_(4), 742-758. doi:10.1111/pere.12148](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DetailResult?resourceid=ad1d97bb-8680-4690-a062-dbe824b026f8&resType=resSum) [Link to Source](https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12148) [Theiss, J. A., & Knobloch, L. K. (2013). A relational turbulence model of military service members' relational communication during reintegration. _Journal of Communication, 63_(6), 1109–1129. doi:10.1111/jcom.12059]( https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DetailResult?resourceid=3a82b4fc-2d27-4052-a962-1c6c6299d6ff&resType=resSum) [Link to Source](https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12059) [Knobloch-Fedders, L. M., Knobloch, L. K., Scott, S., & Fiore, H. (2020). Relationship changes of military couples during reintegration: A longitudinal analysis. _Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 37_(7), 2145-2165.](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DetailResult?resourceid=b442f35b-998c-4cb7-87e3-ad629f8e8805&resType=resSum) [Link to Source](https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407520917461)

Family Story

https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/ffTheRealtiyOfReintegration.jsp

https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-KF2020

Knobloch-Fedders, L. M., Knobloch, L. K., Scott, S., & Fiore, H. (2020). Relationship changes of military couples during reintegration: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 37(7), 2145-2165. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407520917461

Guided by the emotional cycle of the deployment model, which divides the deployment cycle into distinct stages and identifies issues that may occur at each stage, this longitudinal study examined the post-deployment transition experiences of military couples (i.e., returning Service members and their athome partners). Data from 555 military couples were collected monthly for seven months after the return of the Service member from deployment. Military couples completed questionnaires regarding demographics (e.g., age, race) and marital satisfaction. They also responded to open-ended questions about how their relationship had changed over the past month. Content analysis was used to code open-ended responses and capture the type and frequency of relationship changes as well as the valence of the changes (i.e., positive, negative, or neutral) over time. Findings suggest that the relationship between Service members and their at-home partners changes in a variety of ways during reintegration.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407520917461

Couples
Deployment

Air Force
Army
Coast Guard
Marine Corps
Navy
Multiple branches

Active Duty
Guard

Active duty service member
Guard/Reserve member
Military families
Spouse of service member or veteran
Civilian

Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)

Longitudinal Study
Quantitative Study

Knobloch-Fedders, Lynne M., Knobloch, Leanne K., Scott, Samantha, Fiore, Hannah

This study drew on the emotional cycle of deployment model to track the content, valence, and sequence of relationship changes experienced by returning service members and at-home partners during the transition from deployment to reintegration. In a longitudinal study, 555 military couples (1,100 individuals) wrote 7,387 comments describing changes that had occurred in their relationship during the past month. A content analysis identified 10 substantive categories: emotional intimacy, sexual intimacy, spending time together, appraisals of the relationship, life changes, readjustment to daily life, conflict, family changes, commitment, and reports of no change. The frequency of changes reported in emotional intimacy, sexual intimacy, readjustment to daily life, and conflict declined across the transition. In contrast, reports of life changes, and comments stating that no change had occurred, increased over time. Independent coders judged each change as positive (42.1%), negative (32.4%), or neutral (25.5%) in valence. Participants described fewer positive changes as the transition progressed, although this tendency slowed over time. In contrast, the frequency of negative changes remained stable across the transition, and the frequency of neutral changes increased. The findings are used to advance theory, research, policy, and intervention designed to help military couples negotiate relationship changes across the post-deployment transition.

SAGE Journals

Article
REACH Publication

Marquette University, LMKF
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, LKK
University of Denver, SS
University of Pittsburgh, HF