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A gendered perspective on military deployment
Patricia J Kelly1, Johanna Nilsson, Laverne Berkel
1a School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City , Kansas City , Missouri , USA.
Women & Health
|November 28, 2013
Summary
Female National Guard soldiers face unique deployment stressors. Understanding these gendered experiences is crucial for improving mental health support and resilience training.
Area of Science:
- Military Psychology
- Sociology of the Military
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Military deployment, particularly in combat zones, significantly impacts mental health.
- Stigma surrounding mental health issues in the military can exacerbate these effects.
- Female National Guard soldiers experience unique challenges due to their transition from civilian life to dangerous deployments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the day-to-day, gendered experiences of deployment for women in the U.S. National Guard.
- To gather data for developing targeted training and support systems.
- To address the limited existing documentation on this demographic's deployment experiences.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of individual, semi-structured interviews.
- Study sample comprised 42 women from 7 U.S. National Guard units deployed in combat areas.
- Qualitative data analysis to identify emerging themes.
Main Results:
- Four major themes emerged: general stress environment, diverse job duties, the "home comes with you" phenomenon, and gendered stress.
- Deployment environments presented significant stressors for these soldiers.
- Gender-specific challenges were identified as a key component of their deployment experience.
Conclusions:
- Military organizations must address gender-specific issues faced by deployed female National Guard soldiers.
- Developing tailored resilience training is essential for optimizing mental health outcomes.
- Further research and support are needed to mitigate the negative mental health impacts of deployment on this population.
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