The Military Child Education Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group, says deployment can be a difficult time, for both parents and the families they leave behind. It offers these tips for military families:... Read more here

While there is a great deal of research on the effects of deployment on service members themselves, there have not been many studies that looked at how having a parent deployed during wartime affects children.... Read more here

US medical troops working throughout Iraq and Afghanistan teach new, more modern skills for health care, as well as providing basic humanitarian aid to the local population.

A medical symposium at Babil Maternity Hospital in Iraq’s Babil province in July highlighted the differences between Iraqi and American nurses, including education, practical skills and critical-thinking skills “The American nurses are here to help the Iraqi nurses by being a role model for the nursing profession,” said Army Capt. Sharon Owen, brigade nurse for Company C, 172nd Support Battalion, a Cincinnati native. “Things have to change in Iraq. By educating and giving the nurses here some of the knowledge we have, we can start empowering the nursing profession.”... Read more here

A recent post on Military.com about whether the military provides enough mental health support for children of military families generated tremendous response.  To read the post, click here.... Read more here

This eye-catching image shows a different side of the work of a deployed chaplain…

U.S. Army Chaplain (Capt.) Michael Wikstrom shows Afghan refugee children how to blow bubbles during an aid delivery mission in Kabul, Afghanistan. Wikstrom is assigned to the Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan. Chaplains and coalition forces frequently volunteer to distribute donated clothing, school supplies and food aid to people throughout the Kabul area. U.S. Army photo by Senior Airman Marc Lane ... Read more here