Abstract
An examination of how members of military marriages were affected by and adapted to OIF/OEF deployment found three themes: communicating to stay connected, emotional and marital intimacy, and managing change. The findings demonstrate the nuanced and subtle nature of deployment-related challenges. While open and frequent communication was important in the adaptation process, communication was not synonymous with transparency. Unshared stories created a void that prevented couples from confiding in and supporting their partners. Although wives maintained their marriages by restraining sexual desires and over-extending their responsibilities post-deployment, these behaviors had a negative effect on marital quality. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
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Support for this research was provided by funding from a Kansas State University Small Research Grant and the Kansas State University College of Human Ecology SRO Grant.
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Joyce A. Baptist, Yvonne Amanor-Boadu, Kevin Garrett: equal contribution as first authors.
Briana S. Nelson Goff: second author.
Jonathan Collum, Paulicia Gamble, Holly Gurss, Erin Sanders-Hahs, Lizette Strader: equal contribution as third authors.
Stephanie Wick: fourth author.
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Baptist, J.A., Amanor-Boadu, Y., Garrett, K. et al. Military Marriages: The Aftermath of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Deployments. Contemp Fam Ther 33, 199–214 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-011-9162-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-011-9162-6