As wars lengthen, toll on military families mounts

[babylonsister]

Jul 19, 1:43 PM EDT

As wars lengthen, toll on military families mounts

By DAVID CRARY
AP National Writer


FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) -- Far from the combat zones, the strains and separations of no-end-in-sight wars are taking an ever-growing toll on military families despite the armed services' earnest efforts to help.

Divorce lawyers see it in the breakup of youthful marriages as long, multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan fuel alienation and mistrust. Domestic violence experts see it in the scuffles that often precede a soldier's departure or sour a briefly joyous homecoming.

Teresa Moss, a counselor at Fort Campbell's Lincoln Elementary School, hears it in the voices of deployed soldiers' children as they meet in groups to share accounts of nightmares, bedwetting and heartache.

"They listen to each other. They hear that they aren't the only ones not able to sleep, having their teachers yell at them," Moss said.

Even for Army spouses with solid marriages, the repeated separations are an ordeal.

"Three deployments in, I still have days when I want to hide under the bed and cry," said Jessica Leonard, who is raising two small children and teaching a "family team building" class to other wives at Fort Campbell. Her husband, Capt. Lance Leonard, is in Iraq.

more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MILITARY_SCARRED_FAMILIES?SITE=DCSAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. This sucks, but the outcome will be a generation far less willing to go to war!

Especially for lies.

[Smith_3]

2. War and family doesn't mix. Either you are a warrior, or a family person.

Its been that way for ages.

[babylonsister]

3. Oh please. Married to the Marines or else? I don't agree, but whatever.

It's be a lot easier to swallow if these people weren't stop-lossed and had to do 3, 4, 5 tours in a row. It'd be even better if this conflict was righteous instead of illegal for all the wrong reasons.