ABSTRACT
The armed services can be viewed as an organization that provides a major opportunity structure for the advancement of African Americans while in service, as well as a bridging environment since skills developed would be used later, in re-entry to civilian life. Since the times of its “revolutionary origins,” according to Morris Janowitz, the armed services have made available “second chances” to young people from lower socioeconomic strata via the provision of both personal development and educational opportunities. These “second chance” provisions have been particularly available since World War II (Butler, 1996). At the same time, military participation has obvious challenges for members of the armed forces and their families in times of conflict and war. The current Iraq war highlights some of these hazards. This chapter discusses historical, contemporary, and selected challenges confronting African-American military personnel and their families and a role for social work intervention.
