Information and social support networks of United States Army Reserve spouses during deployment

The most recent conflict in Iraq (after September 11, 2001) has brought renewed interest in understanding the phenomena of war. Generally, when one thinks about war, soldiers are what come to mind, but what about the spouses of soldiers? What happens with them during war and deployment? While there has been limited research on the effects of war and deployment on soldiers, there has been virtually none on the spouses of soldiers. Existing research on the military family focuses almost entirely on active duty spouses. There is no research that addresses what the deployment experience is like for spouses of United States Army Reservists. This study addresses the void in literature from a perspective that seeks to understand war and deployment from the perspective of Army Reserve spouses who have had their husbands deployed in support of military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan or Kuwait after September 11, 2001. Special attention is paid to how these Army Reserve spouses gather information and form support networks during deployment. This study uses in depth interviews to understand the logic and processes used by Army Reserve spouses to overcome challenges and cope with the war and deployment experience.