1. Military Family Health
Jennifer Moreau
5/21/2016
HSC 210
Julia Pearl

2. Learn about the military lifestyle and how it views health and illness
Objectives
Learn about the different health issues that military members and their families face
Learn about the type of healthcare/resources available to military members and their families
Learn about the military lifestyle and how it views health and illness

3. Hypothetical Character
Clint Berger
Technical Sergeant in the United States Air Force
Mental Health Flight Chief
Military Police for 4 ½ years before cross-training into Mental Health
Married with 3 children
All girls ages 9,6, and 3
Going on his 14th year active duty

4. History of the military
The U.S Military has spent over a decade in the longest and one of the most challenging sets of conflicts in our nations history-the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (2001-present)
These conflicts have placed extensive stress and strain on military members from all service branches and on their families, including spouses, children, parents, and siblings.
Even though Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) has officially concluded and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) is winding down, many of the substance abuse, physical health, and mental health concerns that emerged during the height of and intensity of these conflicts are continuing issues for the military
The dynamics of training, deploying, combat, supporting others, and reintegration after returning home is a complex process for service members and their families to navigate.

5. Military Definition of Health and illness
Pressures and stresses associated with military service and deployment in unfamiliar and often dangerous environments may result in and be exacerbated by substance abuse, poor physical health or health-related challenges, and pre- existing or recently developed mental health problems.
These problems in turn affect the productivity of military personnel and the physical and mental readiness of the force to perform its mission.
Productivity = Healthy; Not in terms of production of goods but in terms of workforce productivity and the readiness of military personnel to perform their military mission.
Readiness or fitness of the force has traditionally focused on physical fitness and encompassed such components as strength, endurance, flexibility, and mobility (Roy, Springer, Mcnulty, & Butler, 2010).
More recently, due in large measure to the unprecedented demands from the sustained conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the concept of health and fitness has been broadened to recognize the complexity of human behavior.
The thrust has been toward a broader, more holistic concept of fitness referred to as Total Force Fitness (Casey, 2011).

6. Health Statistics
A review of epidemiological studies of troops returning from deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq found that the rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were between 5 and 15% and the rates of depression were between 2 and 10% (Ramchaud, Karney, Osilla, Burns, & Calderone, 2008).
More recent population data indicate that overall PTSD rates across all active duty personnel increased from about 7% in 2005 to around 11% in 2008 and that depression rates were relatively stable during this time (22% in 2005, 21% in 2008) (Bray et al., 2010)
The physical and mental readiness of each individual service member becomes increasingly important as plans for reset and reductions in the size of the military force proceed (Department of Defense, 2012a; U.S. Department of the Army, 2012).

7. Population Statistics
As of September 2011, there were 1.4 million active duty military personnel in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
Military personnel are stationed on bases and afloat in locations across the world. In 2011, of the total 1.4 million active duty military personnel, the vast majority-about 1.2 million-were stationed State-side.
About 81,000 were stationed in Europe and 56,000 were stationed in East Asia and the Pacific
Among the Reserve and National Guard personnel, 92,000 were stationed in Iraq as part of OIF and 109,000 were stationed in Afghanistan as part of OEF in 2011 (Department of Defense, 2011a).

8. Family Advocacy-All Branches/families
Health Resources
Although numerous programs exist within the DoD and the Department of Veterans Affairs for Service members returning home from combat with substance abuse, health problems, or mental health problems, over the past several decades the military has implemented a number of additional efforts to improve the overall health and well-being of the military and their families.
Family Advocacy-All Branches/families
(ADAPT)-The Air Force Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment
(COSC) Operational Stress Control-Marine
(CSF) Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Army
Tri-Care Standard/Prime
OPNAVINST D-Navy (Military Health System, 2009).

9. Influences on Military Health/Productivity
Substance Abuse
Health Status/Health Behaviors
Mental Health Problems
Deployment/Combat Experience
Stress During Separations
Injury
Problems in Reintegration

10. Military Culture Issues/Barriers
Tight Circles
Job loss/demotion
Tri-Care Standard vs. Prime
Personal History

11. Tricare Prime Vs. Standard

12. Health Care Barriers/ Culturally Competent Care
Background Characteristics
Sociodemographic Characteristics: gender, age, race, education, family status, and the presence of children living with service members
Psychosocial Characteristics: risk, taking, history of physical or sexual abuse, avoidance and active coping, and spirituality
Military Conditions: Pay Grade, branch of service, region (Cherpitel, 1999)

13. References
Roy, T.C., Springer, B.A., McNulty, V., & Butler, N.L. (2010). Physical fitness. Military Medicine, 175 (8), Casey, G. W., Jr. (2011). Comprehensive Soldier Fitness: A vision for psychological resilience in the U.S. Army. American Psychologist, 66, 1-3. Ramchaud, R., Karney, B. R., Osilla, K.C. Burns, R.M., & Calderone, L. B. Invisible Wounds of War. [Online] Available (2008) Bray, R. M., Pemberton, M., Lane, M. E., Hourani, L. L., Mattiko, M., & Babeu, L. A. (2010). Substance use and mental health trends among U.S. military active duty personnel: Key findings from the 2008 DoD Health Behavior Survey. Military Medicine, 175 (6), Health.Mil. About the Military Health System. [Online] Available (2009) Department of Defense. Military One Source Demographics. [Online] Available download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/.../2012_Demographics_Report.pdf, (2012) Department of Defense. Health Related Behaviors Survey of Active Duty Military Personnel. [Online] Available (2011) Cherpitel. Substance use, injury, and risk taking dispositions in the general population. [Online] Available (1999)