ABSTRACT
America's post-9/11 wars, the first protracted conflicts fought with an all-volunteer force, have occasioned unprecedented multiple deployments for US military service members, with some seeing tours of up to five years long in Afghanistan or Iraq. In response to rising levels of psychological injuries and particularly of suicide among soldiers, the US Army invested 125 million dollar in the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) program in 2009. The most important aspect of CSF is its identification of the family as a base for soldier fitness. Over time, the army has significantly changed its policies toward marriage and the family, particularly for junior enlisted men and women. From World War II until the army became an all-volunteer force (AVF) in 1973, marriage was the purview of officers. Initiation into military life may coincide with initiation into marriage, as many couples are recently wed and may have had little time to establish their own patterns of intimacy, communication, and roles prior to deployment.
