How often do soldiers get to come home?

Typical cycles are six, nine or even 12-month deployments depending upon the needs of the military and branch of service. However, coming back home to train or prepare for the next deployment typically allows for the active duty member to be home or training in the United States for at least a year or 18 months.

How long are you away from your family in the Army?

Deployments are Difficult For military spouses, deployments mean 6-18 months away from their husband or wife, who can sometimes be in an unknown or unsafe location.

How often does the average military family move?

Sign up for Smiles for Soldiers. Military families relocate 10 times more often than civilian families — on average, every 2 or 3 years.

Does the military take care of your family?

Medical benefits TRICARE, the Department of Defense’s health care program, is one of your most valuable military benefits that extends to your family. Family members must be enrolled in the DEERS system by the military member or “sponsor” to receive care.

What is family separation pay?

A servicemember with dependents who serves an unaccompanied tour of duty may be entitled to a family separation allowance (FSA) of $250 per month.

How common are military families?

Members of the public are more likely than veterans to say they have a grandparent who served in the military (51\% vs. 37\%). Overall, roughly eight-in-ten veterans (79\%) have an immediate family member who served in the military. This compares with 61\% among the general public.

What is it like to be part of a military family?

Being a part of a military family is always a balancing act. Sometimes, “the job” must come first, and other times family is the top priority. But at the end of the day, when a service member joins the military, their family joins with them.

An inevitable part of military life is moving often. Most military families move every 2 to 3 years, and some even more frequently. For a military child, it’s possible to have moved 10 times by the time they’re 12, and to change schools 6 to 9 times between kindergarten and high school graduation – it’s just what happens in the military.

Is deployment difficult for military families?

However, deployments are also incredibly challenging for service members, their spouses and their children. Just because the deployment of a service member is “normal” for military families doesn’t make it any easier.

What does it mean when a military family member returns?

For the entire military family, it means adjusting to a new normal of single-parenting, missed baby deliveries, countdown calendars and an empty chair at the dinner table. When the service member finally returns, even that can take some adjustment and time to get settled in again.