Transcript No Slide Title

Reorientation and Reintegration
The deployment cycle continues
Presented by Connie Moore,
DCANG Family Program
Why are you here?
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Make homecoming a joyful occasion
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Identify common homecoming concerns
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Recognize changes in personal and interpersonal
relationships
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Identify and address potential challenges

Help differentiate expectations from realities
What is Reintegration?
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The PROCESS is the returning of personnel back
into a stable and “normal” environment
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PREPARE families for the changes to their home
life when the deployed members return.
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Remember upon your return you will achieve a
NEW normal

Reintegration is a SLOW process
Practical Issues
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In-Processing
– Unit Deployment Manager
– Commander’s Support Staff
– Personnel Department

Medical
– Life Skills Support Center
– Family Practice/Flight Medicine
– Family Advocacy

Legal
– Terminate powers of attorney
– Claims
■ Dental Clinic
■ Public Health
Practical Issues

Financial Matters
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File travel voucher/change entitlements
Gov Travel Card
Family or personal budget
Utilities (phone, gas, water, electric)
AAFES (layaway, Military STAR Card)
Vehicles
– Registration and maintenance
– Insurance
– Driver’s license
Expectations of Change
Crisis or
threat
Avoidance
Denial
Blaming
others
Fear
Hidden opportunity
Acknowledgement
Action
Personal responsibility
Face it – it’s constant
Reintegration
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Possible thoughts and feelings …
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Proud of accomplishment
Want to reestablish living situation
Financial concerns
Social life / significant other
Work reunion
– Singles are often overlooked !
Singles and Reintegration
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Practical tips:
– Put your house back in order
• New roommate
• New residence
– Recognize changes in yourself and in others
• Different living environment
• Social circle
– Assess relationships
• Friends
• Family
Singles and Reintegration
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Reaction to deployment by family and friends
Loneliness
– Family and significant others
– Involvement in community
– Develop/renew outside interest
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Limit your use of alcohol
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Focus on the present and the future
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Be patient with yourself and with others
Marriage and Reintegration
 Anticipation
 Changes
at home
 Trust / Fidelity
 Communication
 The “Who had it worse” game
Intimate Relationships
Intimacy and sexual relationships
may be a major adjustment
 Re-establish this relationship slowly
and naturally
 Talk about how you feel or think
 Be sensitive to how your partner
feels or thinks about intimacy and
your sexual relationship
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Stress and Reintegration
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From the desert to the front porch
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Redeployment / reintegration…sounds
easy, natural, normal
 NORMAL
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may be quite stressful!
Help is available: chapel, unit, friends,
life skills, medical personnel, family
support center, etc.
Signs of Reintegration Stress
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Physical
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Behavioral
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Cognitive (Thinking)
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Emotional
Physical Signs
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Upset stomach, nausea
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Diarrhea, constipation
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Heart pounding, dizzy or lightheaded, out of
breath, cold sweat, dry mouth, or pale skin
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Headaches, migraines
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Vague aches and pains
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Impotence
Behavioral Signs
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Changes in eating habits
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Changes in sleeping patterns
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Fatigue, lack of energy
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Jumpiness
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Frustrated, irritable, angry
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Bad personal hygiene
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Crying spells
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Avoidance of others
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Increase in alcohol use
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Disregard for rules, regulations, social norms
Cognitive Signs
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Poor concentration
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Difficulty making decisions
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Flashbacks
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Unwanted thoughts
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Nightmares
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“Spaced out” or trouble focusing
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Memory problems
Emotional Signs
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Loss of motivation
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Loss of “purpose” or direction
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Loss of trust/confidence in leaders
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Quick to anger, impatience
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Depression, sadness
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Frustration, irritability
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Worried, anxious, keyed up
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Guilt, shame
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Numb (don’t feel anything)
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Thoughts of hurting self or others
Significant Signs of Distress
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Post Traumatic Stress
– Definition
– Signs
– Recent study
Bizarre or unusual behavior
 Domestic violence
 Abuse of alcohol
 Thinking about suicide
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Solutions
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Take care of yourself!
– Mentally
– Physically
– Emotionally
Communicate, don’t clam up
 Develop or renew outside interests
 Allow for space and time
 Establish realistic expectations
 Think positive thoughts
 Seek help
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Resources
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Chain of Command /
Supervisors
Family Support Center
Medical Group
– Life Skills
– Health and Wellness
Center (HAWC)
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MILITARY One Source
 Chaplains
 Legal
 Red
Cross
 Family and friends
 “Outside” or offbase agencies
Children and Reintegration
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Normal Developmental Reactions
– Infant
(Birth to 1 year)
– Toddlers
(1 – 3 years)
– Pre-School
(3 – 5 years)
– School Age
(5 – 12 years)
– Teenagers
(13 – 18 years)
Children and Reintegration
Birth to One Year
Infants:
• Their world is very small
• Eat, sleep, cry, and eliminate – often!
• Depend on parents for everything
• Grow rapidly
• Senses develop quickly
Reactions to parent’s return:
• Cry or fuss
• Pull away from parent
• Have problems with elimination
• Change their schedule (eating and sleeping)
Children and Reintegration
One – Three Years
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1 - 3 Years
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Excitement
Very active
Independent
Self Centered
Repeats words and phrases
Reactions to parent’s return:
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Shy
Avoid returning parent
Cry, pull away
Temper Tantrums
Children and Reintegration
Three – Five Years
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3 - 5 Years
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Very active
Imitates adults
Active imagination
Asks lots of questions
Reactions to parent’s return:
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Anger
Need proof you are real
Compete for attention
Act out
Still need warm-up time
Children and Reintegration
Five - Twelve Years
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5 - 12 Years
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Appetite and growth have increased
High energy level
Daydream
Very sensitive to criticism and evaluation
Reactions to parent’s return:
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Joy, excitement
Anxiety of changing roles
Child compete with parent(s)
Desire recognition
Attention seeking
Attempt to split parents
Children and Reintegration
Thirteen - Eighteen Years
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13 - 18 Years
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Responsible one minute & irresponsible the next
Moody
Experienced rapid changes
Independent, but still need guidance
Reactions to parent’s return:
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Relief
Excited
Guilty
Concerned about rules and responsibilities
Suggestions for
Returning Parents
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Go slow
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Don’t give into demands because of guilt
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Observe
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Be flexible
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Be realistic
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Seek information on child development
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Communicate
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Make special time with your loved one
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Be giving of your time and energy
Single Parents and Reintegration
Custodial parent
 Non-custodial parent
 Strategies
 Communication
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– Caregiver
– Child
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Bottom Line: Go Slow
It’s all about change
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Changes in work environment
– Change of work pace
– Mission/duty changes
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Resentment from co-workers
– Added work load due to TDY
– Deployment war stories
– Not part of “real” mission
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Staff turnover
Deployments are a way of life
in the military
a Stumbling Block or a Building Block
The strength of our force and our families depends on you
making the right choice