If you need immediate help, please call 911 or the Military Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 and press 1
Family and relationships can be a great source of joy and support. Leaning on those you trust is a good way to cope with hard situations.
At times, however, families and relationships can also be a source of stress. Fortunately the Real Warriors Campaign can help you strengthen your relationships and keep your family healthy even while facing challenges. Use the following resources to learn more about how to develop and maintain strong relationships.
It may not come as a surprise that service members need a strong mind and body to meet mission demands. However, social fitness is also a key part of your health and well-being. The quality of your relationships with others can impact multiple areas of your life, from military performance to overall health. Learn why having healthy relationships is important for mission readiness and find tips to help strengthen your current social networks.
Deployments and Permanent Change of Station (PCS) are an important part of military life. These transitions can be filled with new opportunities and experiences. However, the challenges of moving and separating from family and friends may contribute to loneliness and social isolation. In fact, loneliness can happen to anyone at any time and may negatively impact your health and well-being. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to connect with others and feel more engaged.
Experiencing the death of a friend or loved one is difficult. Whether the death comes without warning or after a lengthy battle with illness, navigating the grieving process can be challenging. However, it can be particularly challenging for those who’ve lost someone to suicide. A suicide death has a ripple effect that can shake a community, especially a tight knit one like the military.
From how we socialize with friends, to how we perform our jobs and manage finances, COVID-19 has changed our daily lives in many ways. Many families, now cooped up together under one roof, may experience challenges with juggling childcare and work from home. Meanwhile, those living alone may be struggling with the isolation and lack of in-person human interaction.
The holidays are a great time to reconnect with family and friends and spend time with your loved ones, but the holidays can also be difficult. For service members who are coping with invisible wounds, the holidays may be stressful – especially for members of the National Guard and reserve who may not have the same deployment support networks as their active duty counterparts. Read the following tips for warriors and families going through the reintegration process this holiday season, which can help keep you and your family healthy and strong.
Members of the National Guard, Reserve and individual augmentees are in unique positions. These citizen-warriors often work full-time civilian jobs while still being a member of the armed forces. Individual augmentees may receive orders or volunteer to deploy individually with a command that is not their own.
