Leisure Experiences of Military Couples Postdeployment

• Date: 01 December 2018
• Author: Jeremy Moeller,B. Derrick Taff,John Dattilo,Kelly D. Chandler
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12321
• Published date: 01 December 2018

K D. C Oregon State University

J D, B. D T,  J M The Pennsylvania State University

Leisure Experiences of Military Couples

Postdeployment

Objective: This qualitative study was designed

to explore how leisureis experienced by military

couples postdeployment and the extent to which

couples use leisure to cope with deployment or

promote reintegration.

Background: To date, many studies have inves-

tigated how deployment affects relationship

quality and stability. There is a dearth of lit-

erature on the leisure experiences of combat

veterans and their spouses. Studying couples’

leisure experiences may illuminate underlying

processes that can explain couple relationship

quality postdeployment.

Method: Ten combat veterans of Operation

Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Free-

dom (OIF/OEF) and their spouses/partners

participated in separate in-depth, face-to-face

interviews about their perceptions of leisure and

relationship experiences postdeployment.

Results: Four themes emerged: (a) deploy-

ment changes veterans and couples’ leisure,

(b) spouses support leisure and reintegration

postdeployment, (c) leisure provides insight

into military and deployment experiences,

and (d) deployment helps couples cultivate

appreciation.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence

that everyday couple leisure experiences (e.g.,

School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences, Oregon

State University, 410 Waldo Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331

(kelly.chandler@oregonstate.edu).

Key Words: couple relationship quality, leisure, military

families.

watching movies, doing home projects) may be

integral in fostering reintegration postdeploy-

ment.

Implications: Practitioners are encouraged to

educate military couples about the potential

of free or inexpensive leisure experiences to

promote reintegration by providing daily oppor-

tunities for positive interactions and creating

contexts to share enjoyable moments.

More than 2 million U.S. military veterans have

been deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom

and Operation Iraqi Freedom (U.S. Depart-

ment of Defense, 2014), which are among

the longest military operations in the history

of the United States. Extended and multiple

deployments increase veterans’ risk for physical

injuries and mental health disorders, such as

posttraumatic stress (PTS), when they return

home (Walker, 2010). Effects of deployment

can also extend beyond the veterans them-

selves to their immediate family members.

More than 1 million husbands and wives of

military veterans have experienced the deploy-

ment of a spouse (U.S. Department of Defense,

2014). Although most military families are

resilient (Meadows, Tanielian,& Karney, 2016),

numerous studies have documented strain on

marital relationships associated with a spouse’s

deployment (e.g., Allen, Rhoades, Stanley,

& Markman, 2010; Andres, 2014; Riviere,

Merrill, Thomas, Wilk, & Bliese, 2012). Thus,

research is needed to uncover the processes

that promote resilience and strong relationships

630 Family Relations 67 (December 2018): 630–643

DOI:10.1111/fare.12321