Just as with civilians who are single parents, you will find that single parents in the military are also presented with the same stressors and hardships. Many people think that just because the parent is in the military, the military will take care of them and their families, however it should be remembered that these soldiers chose this career with the purpose of serving their country, not with the attitude that the military will take care of them. They must function as any other single-parent family, which is a difficult task indeed!
Also, the military single parent has to meet a great many expectations. One of the greatest expectations they face is that they must at all times conduct themselves in a manner befitting a United States soldier; duty, courage, and honor is their motto and must be maintained at all times.
One Person, Many Roles
Many couples meet while they are enlisted and at some point decide on marriage and to have children while in the military. Unfortunately, there are also many times that couples and marriages fall apart. This leaves one parent with the responsibility of raising their child or children. Whether it be the father or the mother, this is a daunting task. The one parent must take on many roles, such as being both father and mother, housekeeper, cook, and the most difficult of all which is being the sole financial provider. Another role that single military parents must take on (the same as civilian parents) is that of the disciplinarian. Except for the military parent, their children’s behavior must represent the basic core of decorum as is expected of all military personnel.
A Single Parent in the Military
Active duty service members must make sure that they have an effective, well thought out family care plan. This involves having educational plans for your children, and preplanning where they would live and who would have custody if you were deployed. This could involve giving custody of their children to someone else. Having an effective and workable care plan makes all the difference, and offers a sense of security for family members while the service member is on deployment. Also, by having a family care plan in place, the soldier does not feel as stressed out even if they are not deployed. If the child or children are old enough to discuss the family care plan, it also gives them a sense of security in knowing where they would go and what events would fall into place. This is vitally important to children!
The policies regarding single parenthood in the military varies from service to service. There are often situations where service members on long-term active duty can have their children with them, and either base housing or military supplied off-base housing. This would be ideal of course, but not necessarily a sure thing. Another plus for single parent’s service members is that there may be some form of a support group available where they are stationed.
Disclaimer: The content in this article is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of US Patriot Tactical.
