Connections

In the past month 130,000 U.S. troops have left Iraq and returned to their home base while another 110,000 U.S. troops deployed to Iraq to replace them. In the meantime other troops have also been deployed to other areas of concern.

As military troops are involved in conflict there are ramifications beyond those that are seen on the 24-hour news cycle. We know active duty military and reserves are in danger during a conflict. The families and loved ones of these individuals are also personally involved. A spouse, a parent, a child, a relative, or even a young person who is a friend of someone in a military family can experience increased fear, anxiety, and stress before, during, and after the conflict. While fear of the unknown affects all of us, adult leaders are invited to a new presence of mind, reflection, and prayer about the ways they may respond with genuine pastoral concern to young people directly affected by the very real actions of this conflict.

• Read the news and learn about the military culture in times of conflict
• Learn and understand military language and acronyms.
• Use the news to physically map out what is really happening.
• If you are near a military base or post, consult the Catholic chaplain on base or post to find out how he helps the community of faith during this difficult time.
• Know your limits. Create a resource list of professional medical and mental health counselors.
• Seek advice from military chaplains for addressing such tragedies as having a loved one either missing in action (MIA) or killed in action (KIA)
• Be compassionate

Understanding that there are three aspects to deployment is essential.

• Pre-deployment is the time of training and preparation when a family knows that a parent will be going to a remote assignment.
• Deployment is the reality of separation and dealing with the unknown while trying to communicate when possible.
• Post-deployment deals with the many issues families face when the deployed parent returns back into the family dynamic.

Families with parents in the National Guard or Reserves have been dramatically affected by these recent deployments. These people live and work in our communities and also serve their country when called upon. Resources for those in military families whether they are full-time or in the reserves are available to assist those in need. Local information may be obtained by contacting the National Guard Family Program Office in your state for a list of resources or references in your community. The www. guardfamilyyouth.org site provides the contact information for those offices and has a link to their youth site which explains deployment and the resources available for young people.

Comprehensive youth ministry strives to understand the culture that young people and their families are living in. Good pastoral care with youth and families that have loved ones involved in conflict needs the same attention. The more you know about the current events of the conflict and the military culture the better equipped you will be to offer a sense of companionship with those involved with this journey.