The Combat Cash Myth and Military Families

Often when I am talking about USA Cares and how we help deployed service members, there is a comment about just how much money extra a guy or gal makes when they are in a combat theater. Sounds like they make a ton of money. If they work for a defense contractor they might, but when they are wearing our uniform, not so much.

What I do know is that even in a combat environment the deployed troop sets up "second household" that has a cost not normally associated with a family budget. In the cases we received from military members, we will often hear that their cell phone bill was over $1,500 because of some family issue that was resolved or discussed over the phone. This generation has become very use to immediate connection and being in Iraq makes it no difference, in fact makes it even more needed sometimes.

When the soldier is not out on a mission (and I use the word "soldier" for all the guys and gals there), they are back in their area, where there are now in most places facilities like the PX and places to spend money. Money they might not spend if they were still at Fort Hood, but none the less, it is still getting spent.

Spouses back home are reluctant to say "no" because of the situation and that too is understandable. In fact, many times there is a tendency to over compensate with gifts and expenditures because.... well you just never know.

In the middle of all that mix is that fact that when the military member walks out the door on Tuesday and won't be home for a year, the family essentially just went to a single parent status, complete with not enough time for all the things that were normally done by the other spouse. Care provider for the kids, taxi driver, assistant team "mom" and the thousand competing priorities associated with raising children. And never mind that the stay-behind spouse may have to change his or her job, if the hours don't match up with affordable daycare or even the availability of daycare, and Grandma, well she is 1,000 miles away.

I think that we are facing a time never seen in America. An almost perfect storm of challenges that are washing at the foundation of our military families. Our wounded, both the visible and invisible (PTSD and TBI), the subprime mortgage meltdown, rising prices and a challenging economy mixed with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, never mind the other 200 locations that our service members serve. The old saying that the sun never sets on the American Soldier (Marine, Sailor, Airman or Coastie) is true more than ever.

What can we do? Continue to recognize and support them, even when they are off the front pages of the news. Remember that they are there, still serving. It is the least we can do.

Roger