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Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
The Military Family Living in Europe with a High OPTEMPO
Environment: Report I
Walter Reed Army Institute of ResearchWashington, DC
2Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Outline• Summary of key findings• Introduction
– Study Objectives– OPTEMPO Family Research Model
• Study Design• Demographics• Measures
– Personal Characteristics (e.g., Health and Well-being)– Family Characteristics (e.g., Children)– Impact of Army Life (e.g., Geographic Mobility)
• Results– Geographic Mobility– Living Overseas– Fear of Soldier Injury or Death– Deployments – Separations
• Discussion Points
3Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Summary of Key Findings (1 of 3)
• Findings are based on surveys (n= 78) and interviews (n= 50) with U.S. Army spouses living in Europe.
• The findings indicate that spouses are generally in good health.• The focus of this brief is on the four unique demands of Army life described by
Segal in 1988. These include: geographic mobility, residence in a foreign country, fear of soldier injury or death, and deployments and separations.
Geographic Mobility• On average, the spouses reported living in Europe for 21 months.• Sixty-four percent of spouses reported that the sponsorship program in Europe
does not function well.• Spouses who moved more reported better health, greater satisfaction with the
Army, and wanted their soldier to remain in the Army. However, most spouses reported moving only two or fewer times.
• Those spouses who had a better perception of moving had better physical and psychological health and greater satisfaction with the Army.
• Having a worse perception of moving was associated with the spouses being more likely to want the soldier to leave the Army than to remain.
4Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Summary of Key Findings (2 of 3)
Residence in a Foreign Country (Living Overseas)• Most spouses liked living in Europe but many reported that they were
anxious to go back to the States.• Spouses with a better perception of living in Europe had better
psychological health and greater satisfaction with the Army.Fear of Soldier Injury or Death• While eighty-four percent of spouses felt that their soldier was well
trained to handle the dangers of deployment, seventy-eight percent worried about their soldier being injured on a deployment and fifty-six percent worried about their soldier being killed.
• Increased fears regarding injury and death were associated with poorer health, less satisfaction with the Army and wanting the soldier to leave the Army.
• Despite these fears, the majority were not prepared in terms of having wills or powers of attorney.
5Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Summary of Key Findings (3 of 3)
Deployments
• Those spouses who were better able to handle deployments had less depression, better well-being, and greater satisfaction with the Army.
• However, the spouses’ ability to handle deployments was not related to their retention preferences.
Separations
• Spouses who felt less independence and more negative emotions during and following separations reported more psychological and physical symptoms as well as less satisfaction with the Army.
• Spouses who felt less independence were more likely to want their soldier to leave the Army than to remain. However, emotions were not significantly related to retention preference.
6Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
• Determine how OPTEMPO impacts the health and well-being of the family as well as soldier retention and readiness.
• Determine the social and psychological factors that promote family health and well-being when living outside the United States in a high OPTEMPO environment.
• Standardize and validate unique assessment tools that measure family health and well-being, to include the following scales:
Soldier Commitment MovingLiving in Europe Quality of Life in EuropeDeployments SeparationsFear of Injury or Death Army Support
Study Objectives
7Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
OPTEMPO Family Research Model
Predictors Moderators/Mediators
Outcomes
Demographics
Geographic Mobility
Residence in a Foreign Country
Fear of Soldier Injury/Death
Deployments/Separations
Employment Status
Social Support
Soldier Commitment to Family
Work/Family and Family/Work Conflict
Health and Well-being
Satisfaction with Army
Spouses’ Retention Preference
8Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
• Sample - Spouses from the 10 companies (4 Division, 2 Corps, 4 Echelon above Corps) in the USAMRU-E USAREUR OPTEMPO soldier study.
• Study Design
Year 1:
– Pre-tested the survey
– Administered the survey
– Interviewed persons across enlisted, non-commissioned officer, and officer ranks from the following categories: 1) civilian spouses, 2) military spouses, 3) spouses with Exceptional Family Member Program, and 4) single parents.
Year 2:– Survey spouses who participated in year 1 as well as spousesnewly arrived in-country– Interview spouses interviewed in year 1 as well as spouses newly arrived in-country
Research Design
9Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Location of Families The 10 units in this study are located throughout USAREUR.
B / 5-7 ADA Hanau C / 1-4 CAV
Schweinfurt
C / 201st FSB
Vilseck
B / 6-6 AVN Illesheim
Heidelberg
512th Maint Co
51st Maint BnMannheim
HQ, 1st TMCAKaiserslautern
C / 2-6 INFBaumholder
D / 501 MIDexheim
13th MP, 22nd ASGA / 1-508th ABCT
Vicenza
Stuttgart
10Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Survey Sample
January 2001- 361 surveys sent out to spouses in 10 companies - 57 surveys undelivered, incomplete _____
304 surveys delivered 78 surveys completed (26% response rate)
Interview Sample: Analysis in Progress
April-June 2001- 50 interviews conducted12 EFMP
6 Single Parents 7 Dual Military
25 Civilian Spouses
Sample: Survey and Interviews
11Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Demographics
• On average, spouses in this sample were older and more educated than the
Army average.
Gender: Female 97% (n= 76) Average age: 29 years Male- 3% (n= 2) Average number of years married: 6 (n= 78)
Ethnicity/race: White-76% (n= 56)Hispanic-10% (n= 7)
African-American 8%(n= 6)Asian-5% (n= 4)Other 1% (n= 1)
Education: 5% less than high school (n= 4) 16% GED or high school graduate (n= 12) 68% college or technical training or college graduate (n= 51) 11% graduate training or graduate degree (n= 8)
Military Brat: 20% (n= 15) Percent with children: 72% (n = 56)
12Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Personal Characteristics
Employment
Social Support
Health-related Behaviors
Psychological Health and Well-being*
Physical Health Symptoms*
Family Characteristics
Marital Satisfaction
ChildrenFinancesSoldier Commitment to Family
Work/family;Family/work conflict
Categories of Survey Measures
Characteristics of Army Life
Geographic Mobility*
Residence in a Foreign Country*
Separations/deployments*
Risk of injury/death of Soldier*
Spouse Satisfaction with the Army*
Retention Preferences*
*Indicates measures that will be the focus of the presentation
13Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Well-being and Depression
General Health Questionnaire Sample Scale Items
•Been able to concentrate•Been able to enjoy your day to day activities•Been able to face up to your problems•Felt that you are playing a useful part in things• Felt capable of making decisions
•Scale: 1(not at all)-4(much more than usual)•Mean= 32.2;Median=32.5 •Score range: 12-48 (high is good)
Centers for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Sample Scale Items
•Had trouble getting to or staying asleep•Felt sad•Felt lonely•Felt you couldn’t get going•Felt everything was an effort
•Scale: 0-7 days•Mean= 10.8; Median= 8.0 •Score range: 0-49 (low is good)
• Spouses did not experiencea great deal of depression.
• Spouses were in general good health.
14Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Psychological and Physical Health
Brief Symptom Inventory 18 Sample Scale Items
• Feeling tense or keyed up• Feeling lonely• Feeling blue• Feeling no interest in things• Nervousness or shakiness
• Scale: 1= (none)-5 (extreme)
• Mean= 27.4; Median= 25.0
• Score range: 18-90 (low is good)
• Spouses reported minimal general distress.
• Spouses reported few physical symptoms.
Physical Symptom ChecklistSample Scale Items
•Headaches•Back problems•Weight loss/gain•Cough•Muscle aches or cramps
•Scale 1-5 where 1 = no symptoms experienced at all during the past month and 5 = symptoms that were experienced very often•Mean = 41.3; Median = 39.5•Score range: 22-110 (low is good)
15Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Satisfaction with the Army
• Most spouses reported that they would be satisfied if their soldier made the Army a career.• However, most spouses were not satisfied with the respect and concern that the Army shows for them.
31
35
38
43
57
0 20 40 60
Percent Satisfied/Very Satisfied
How would you feel if your spouse were to make the Army a career
The kind of family life you can have in the Army
The respect the Army shows spouses
The concern your spouse’s unit has for families
The Army as a way of life
16Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Retention Preference
16%
8%
15%
5%
36%
20%
• Almost two-thirds (61%) of spouses want their soldiers to remain in the Army at least beyond their present obligation.• Only 24% of spouses wanted their soldier to leave the Army.
Definitely leave upon Current obligation
Probably leave uponCurrent obligation
Undecided
Definitely stay in until retirement
Probably stay in until retirement
Definitely stay in beyondpresent obligation, but not necessarilyuntil retirement
17Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Geographic Mobility
25 27
10
38
0
10
20
30
40
50
1 year orless
2 years orless
3 years orless
More than3 years
Per
cen
t• On average spouses have lived in Europe for 21 months which approximates the average length of time spouses have lived in one place (22 months).
• Spouses have moved an average of three times since their soldier has been in the Army, and the average number of moves to overseas locations has been two times.
• Graph indicates the percent of spouses who have lived in one location per number of years.
18Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Geographic Mobility
11
22
31
34
43
49
59
0 20 40 60
Percent Agree/Strongly Agree
Moving has made it difficult to find a good job
One of the benefits of being a military spouse is getting to move
Moving is difficult on our children
Our arrival in Europe was a pleasant experience
We move more frequently than I would like
Moving has had a positive impact on my family
The sponsorship program in Europe functions well
• The majority of spouses did not feel like their move to Europe was a positive experience and cite general difficulties with the moving process.• Although moving is viewed as a benefit to being in the military, almost one third report they move more than they prefer to.
19Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Number of Moves: Health and Army Satisfaction
8
14
25
29
16
13
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Low Number ofMoves (1-2)
High Number ofMoves (3 or more)
Depression
Psychological Well-Being
Army Satisfaction
Mea
n S
core
s• In general, spouses with three or more moves reported higher psychological well-being, higher satisfaction with the Army and fewer depression symptoms (Median splits: (t’s >2.08 , df < 76, p’s <.05).
• However, spouses with three or more moves were more likely to be older and their spouse to have been in the Army longer.
20Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Number of Moves: Retention
45
78
34
14
21
8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Low Number of Moves (0-2) High Number of Moves ( 3 ormore)
Stay
Leave
Undecided
Per
cen
t
• Overall, spouses with more moves were more likely to want their soldier to remain in the Army than those with fewer moves. (X2 = (2, n=
75)=8.95, p = .01). However, those with more moves will generally have been in service longer.
21Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Geographic Mobility: Health and Army Satisfaction
7
14
24
30
38
44
17
13
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Negative perception of moving(17-37)
Positive perception of moving(38-59)
Depression
Psychological Well-Being
Physical Symptoms
Army Satisfaction
Mea
n S
core
s
• Spouses perceptions towards moving is related to their health and Army satisfaction.• Spouses with positive perceptions of moving reported less depression symptoms, better psychological well-being, fewer physical health symptoms and higher Army satisfaction Median splits: (t’s >2.48 , df < 76, p’s < .02 ).
22Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Geographic Mobility: Retention
48
77
32
14
20
9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Negative perception ofmoving (17-37)
Positive perception of moving(38-59)
Stay
Leave
Undecided
Per
cen
t• Spouses perception of moving was related to their attitudes toward their soldier remaining in the military.• Spouses with positive perceptions of moving were more likely to want their soldier to remain in the Army than those with negative perceptions of the Army. (X2 = (2, n= 75)=6.92, p = .03)
23Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Living Overseas
26
34
42
45
68
83
62
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent Agree/StronglyAgree
Feel isolated since living here
Feel comfortable using language
People in country are friendly to soldiers and families
Hardly wait to get back to states
Being away from friends and relatives is hard for me
I like living in Europe
I like shopping on the economy
• A high majority of spouses liked living in Europe; however, they missed friends and relatives and were anxious to get back to the states.
24Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Living Overseas: Health and Army Satisfaction
8
14
24
30
37
45
1613
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Negative perception of overseasliving (14-36)
Positive perception of overseasliving (37-50)
Depression
PsychologicalWell-Being
PhysicalSymptoms
Army Satisfaction
Mea
n S
core
s
• Spouses with positive perceptions of living overseas reported fewer depression symptoms, fewer psychological and physical health symptoms, and were more satisfied with the Army (Median splits: (t’s >2.38 ,
df <75, p’s <.02 ).
25Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Living Overseas: Retention
56
70
32
121218
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Negative perception ofoverseas living (14-36)
Positive perception ofoverseas living (37-50)
Stay
Leave
Undecided
Per
cen
t• Spouses with positive perceptions of living overseas were no more likely to want their soldier to remain in the Army than those with negative perceptions of living overseas. (X2 = (2, n= 74)=4.04, p = .13)
26Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Fear of Soldier Injury or Death
• Although the majority of spouses felt that their soldiers were well trained to handle the dangers of deployment, many still feared that their soldier might be injured or killed on a deployment. • Less than half of the spouses had confidence that the leadership would take care of their soldier’s safety while on deployment.
48
53
56
61
78
84
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent Agree/Strongly Agree
I worry about my spouse being killed on a deployment
I worry about my spouse being injured while on deployment
I feel that my spouse is well trained to handle the dangers of deployment
I’m confident the leadership will take care of my spouse’s safety while on deployment
There is a strong possibility that my spouse will be in combat during a deployment
Given my spouse’s job, there is a higher risk for injury or death
27Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Fear of Soldier Injury/Death: Health and Army Satisfaction
15
7
31
25
47
38
12
16
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Low fear (14-26) High fear (27-36)
Depression
Psychological Well-Being
Physical Symptoms
Army Satisfaction
Mea
n S
core
s
• Spouses with higher fear levels were more depressed, had more psychiatric symptoms, had more physical symptoms and were less satisfied with the Army (Median splits:(t’s >3.23 , df <69, p’s < .002).
28Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Fear of Soldier Injury/Death: Retention
77
45
1520
8
35
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Low fear (14-26) High fear (27-36)
Stay
Leave
Undecided
Per
cen
t
• Spouses with lower fear levels were more likely to want their soldier to remain in the Army than those with higher fear levels (X2 =(2, n=68)= 7.41, p= .025).
29Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Fear of Soldier Injury or Death Readiness
• Most spouses and soldiers did not have the legal documents needed in case of injury or death.• Only 40% of spouses reported that they have a general power of attorney. • However, approximately two-thirds (64%) of the spouses reported that their soldier had a will.
Both my spouse and I
have (%)
I have (%) My spouse
has (%)
Neither my spouse nor
I have (%)
General Power of Attorney 19 21 46 14
Medical Power of Attorney 12 4 4 80
Will 30 2 34 34
Living Will
(Advanced Directive)
14 4 4 78
30Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Training and Deployments
32
6
62
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
3 months or less 4-6 months More than 6 months
• On average, spouses reported that in the last year their soldier had been gone for almost 3 months for either training or on deployment.• Although 63% of spouses agreed that they received sufficient notice when their soldier was going on a training or field exercise only 42% agreed that they received sufficient notice when the soldier was leaving for a deployment and even fewer (31%) reported that they knew when the soldier would return from a deployment or training.
Per
cen
t
• Graph indicates the percent of soldiers who have gone for training or field exercises in the last year by months.
31Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Deployments
26
37
38
63
70
74
0 20 40 60 80
Percent Agree/Strongly Agree
I want my spouse to get out of the Army because there are too many deployments
The frequency of deployments is too intense
The number of deployments has put a strain on our family
The deployments are too long
• Spouses feel that the separations from their soldier are stressful on the family, particularly the children. • Spouses also report that deployments are too long, over a quarter (26%) report that this is a reason for them to leave the military.
The separations from my spouse are stressful
I worry about the effects of my spouse’s deploying on our children
32Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Deployments: Health and Army Satisfaction
6
17
33
29
17
13
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Negative perception (8-20)
Positive perception (21-35)
• Spouses with positive perceptions of deployments and who reported more positive impacts of the deployments reported fewer depression symptoms, had higher psychological well-being and were more satisfied with the Army (Median splits; (t’s > 2.42, df <42, p’s < .02).
*Note: Higher scores on the Well-being scale mean better well-being.
5
13
34
30
18
14
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Negative impact (4-11) Positive impact (12-16)
Depression
General Well-beingArmy Satisfaction
Mea
n S
core
s
33Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Deployments: Retention
12
0
18
6
70
94
59
90
23
5
18
5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Negativeperception (8-20)
Positiveperception (21-35)
Negative Impact(4-11)
Positive Impact(12-16)
Stay
Leave
Undecided
Per
cen
t• Spouses who had positive perceptions of deployments and felt less impact were no more likely to want their soldier to stay in the Army compared to those spouses who reported negative perceptions and negative impacts (X2’s =(2, n<43) < 5.57, p < .17).
34Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Separations
15
31
44
73
79
89
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent Agree/Strongly Agree
During the separation, I felt lonely
There were greater feelings of closeness when my spouse returned
During the separation, I became more independent
During the separation, I realized how much I depended on my spouse
Upon his/her return I participated more in decision making
During the separation there was suspicion and mistrust between my spouse and me
• Although many spouses felt lonely during separations due to training exercises and military deployments, many became more independent and experienced greater closeness after the separations.
35Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Separations: Health and Army Satisfaction
7
14
2629
4144
18
11
05
10
1520253035
404550
High independenceproblems (12-17)
Low independenceproblems (4-11)
Mea
n Sc
ores
• Overall, spouses with fewer independence problems and higher positive emotions regarding military separations due to training and deployments reported fewer psychological and physical health symptoms and higher satisfaction with the Army (Median splits;(t’s > 2.02, df <
63, p’s < .05).
129
3126
4541
13 15
05
10
1520253035
404550
Negative Emotions(9-17)
Positive Emotions(4-8)
Depression
Psychological Well-BeingPhysical Symptoms
Army Satisfaction
36Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Separations: Retention
6862
21
11
45
79
18
38
6
201715
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
HighIndependence
Problems (12-17)
Low IndependenceProblems (4-11)
NegativeEmotions (9-17)
Positive Emotions(4-8)
Stay
Leave
Undecided
Per
cen
t
• Those spouses who felt more independence due to separations were more likely to want their soldier to stay in the Army than those who felt less independence. (X2 = (2, n= 63)=10.80, p = .005).
• Spouses with negative emotions were not significantly different from those with positive emotions with regard to retention preference.
37Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Discussion
The findings presented here show that:• The unique constellation of military family life style variables, moving,
living overseas, military separations, and fears regarding soldier harm, are significantly associated with the spouses’ health, satisfaction with the military, and their desire for their soldiers to remain in the military.
Future research will:• Link spouse data to soldier data from the USAREUR OPTEMPO study
to assess the role of the spouse in maintaining soldier readiness. • Determine if family types (dual military, EFMP, single parents, or
civilian spouse) differ in their influence on readiness.• Assess the impact of spouse employment on family readiness. • Include National Guard and Reserve family members.• Seek to increase the sample size.End State:• Provide scientifically validated recommendations to the Army for
improving family readiness in both CONUS and OCONUS environments for both active duty and reserves.
38Division of Neuropsychiatry and U.S. Army Medical Research Unit-Europe; Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Points of Contact
Doris Briley Durand, Ph.D.WRAIRWashington, DC 20307-5100
Phone: DSN 285-9148 Commercial (301)319-9148Fax: DSN 285-9484 Commercial (301) 319-9484Email: [email protected]
LTC Carl A. Castro, Ph.D.WRAIRWashington, DC 20307-5100
Phone: DSN 285-9174 Commercial (301) 319-9174Fax: DSN: 285-9484 Commercial (301) 319-9484Email: [email protected]
Authors of Report: CPT Lolita Burrell, LTC Carl Castro and Dr. Doris Durand
USAMRUE-Staff: Ms. Valerie Frey and Dr. Kathleen Wright
WRAIR Staff: Dr. Gary Adams and Ms. Wanda Cook