Finding Our New Normal: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study with U.S. Army Veterans and Their Spouses

Relationship maintenance among military couples

“…For example, military service can require total allegiance to the mission, dangerous working conditions, long periods of separation, frequent relocations, diminished employment for civilian spouses, significant stress, and extensive uncertainty (e.g., Knobloch & Wehrman, 2014; Lara-Cinisomo et al, 2019; Lundquist & Xu, 2014; Manser, 2020; Meadows, Tanielian, & Karney, 2016) that can contribute to relationship problems. On the other hand, military service can provide opportunities for education, career skills acquisition for the service member, economic gain, domestic and international travel, and personal growth (e.g., Burland & Lundquist, 2013; Mullet et al, 2021) that can bolster relationship quality. Both the military and the family vie for people’s time and compel them to balance competing demands (Ledberg & Ruffa, 2020).…”