Challenges and Opportunities for Intervening with Couples in the Aftermath of the Global War on Terrorism

The unique culture of the military family in the early part of the twenty-first century will be examined, including the high
operational tempo, frequent geographic moves, high rates of service among women, and the unique constellation of deployed
troops from Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve components. Challenges faced by these couples are described, followed
by key issues for clinicians to assess. Several developing couple-based interventions will be described, followed by a vignette
which will highlight the issues and opportunities for these couples. In addition to reviewing common difficulties among military
families, the authors will highlight strengths inherent to the military culture that clinicians can utilize in helping families
develop resiliency.