This article and any supplementary material should be cited as follows: Hinojosa R, Hinojosa MS. Using military friendships to optimize postdeployment reintegration for male Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2011;48(10):1145–58. DOI: /JRRD Slideshow Project DOI: /JRRD JSP Using military friendships to optimize postdeployment reintegration for male Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans Ramon Hinojosa, PhD; Melanie Sberna Hinojosa, PhD
This article and any supplementary material should be cited as follows: Hinojosa R, Hinojosa MS. Using military friendships to optimize postdeployment reintegration for male Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2011;48(10):1145–58. DOI: /JRRD Slideshow Project DOI: /JRRD JSP Study Aim – Interview male Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans to demonstrate that members of a military unit should be considered a resource that helps, not impedes, the “family” reintegration process. Relevance – Role of social relationships in health outcomes is area of growing research. – Postdeployment literature typically cites former military unit members as obstacles to family reintegration.
This article and any supplementary material should be cited as follows: Hinojosa R, Hinojosa MS. Using military friendships to optimize postdeployment reintegration for male Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2011;48(10):1145–58. DOI: /JRRD Slideshow Project DOI: /JRRD JSP Methods Conducted structured interviews with 20 OIF/OEF Reserve component and Army National Guard men about their deployment and reintegration experiences. Used Grounded Theory Method to organize and code experiences collected from interviews, allowing identification and analysis of commonalities and variations in personal experiences.
This article and any supplementary material should be cited as follows: Hinojosa R, Hinojosa MS. Using military friendships to optimize postdeployment reintegration for male Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2011;48(10):1145–58. DOI: /JRRD Slideshow Project DOI: /JRRD JSP Results/Conclusion Importance of military friendships in dealing with deployment was evident in how the men talked about their experiences. – Military friendships helped veterans deal with the emotional strains of family separation during deployment. Military friendships may be important during postdeployment reintegration and an important clinical resource for clinicians helping veterans transition into civilian society. – Military friendships helped veterans deal with the emotional strains of the early family reintegration period.