Waiting Wives: Separation and Reunion among Army Wives

Abstract

This ethnographic study explores army wives' adjustment to separation and reunion. The women were married to soldiers who were deployed for six months to the Sinai as part of the Multinational Force & Observers. Thirty-five women completed lengthy interviews before and during the separation, just before reunion, and six to eight weeks after the reunion. The women's behaviors, attitudes and perceptions at each of the four stages were noted, and researchers evaluated subjectively the degree to which subjects had adjusted to the separation and reunion. Junior enlisted families had more difficulty than others in coping with extended deployment. While reunion could be stressful as families integrated returning soldiers into family systems, experiences were not always negative. Being employed, having a social support network of friends and family, and participating in family support group activities were important to women who successfully adjusted.