The effect of deployment on Canadian military families : a phenomenological study

Abstract

Throughout history, the Canadian Forces has been well known for both its peacekeeping and peace-making roles. This changed, however, after September 11, 2001,when the United States launched an international campaign against terrorism. The Canadian government subsequently committed 2,200 soldiers to assist in this endeavour. Currently the Canadian Forces has about 8,000 members preparing for, engaged in, or returning from an overseas mission on any given day (Department of National Defence, 2008). The purpose of this study is to examine the lived experiences of military female partners whose partners have been deployed, and, in particular, to explore how the military female partner experiences the situation within the family context. The central research question of this study is: From the perspective of the female partner, how has deployment affected her family?