Washington Post

Institute Looks at Military Families
Purdue Research Used To Aid Reenlistment
By Kimberly Hefling
Associated Press
Monday, November 22, 2004; Page A17

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The military, so the saying goes, enlists a soldier but reenlists a family. Getting families to re-up in time of war is a daunting task the Defense Department hopes will be made easier with research by experts at Purdue University.

"Today, more than ever, we don't go to war without the support of our families," said Lt. Col. Joe Richard, a Pentagon spokesman.

Deborah Olson, shown with husband David and Hannah, 5, and Ashley, 3, participates in a study of how David's Army Reserve unit has adjusted since returning from Iraq in April. (Tom Leininger -- AP)

Purdue's Military Family Research Institute was formed five years ago with an $8 million Pentagon grant to study soldiers and their families, with the research being used by policymakers to retain soldiers in the service.

From better housing to financial incentives to postwar counseling, ways have to be found to keep soldiers and families happy if troop strength is to be maintained in an all-volunteer military, Richard said.

When the research started, the project focused on military families in peacetime. The fight against terrorism and the war in Iraq changed that focus.

"They're very concerned about redeployment," said Shelley MacDermid, co-director of the institute. "How do you bring people home and turn them around to go again?"

The researchers have created an index that measures commitment among soldiers and their spouses and tracks potential attrition problems. They also helped the Defense Department develop a "social compact" that links quality-of-life programs and the military's readiness.

Now, the institute is looking at the help soldiers get when they come home. A Purdue team traveled to Germany this year to interview soldiers from the 1st Armored Division, which lost at least 40 soldiers during the last three months of a 15-month deployment.

Deborah Olson of West Lafayette is participating in one study examining how soldiers from the Lafayette-based 209th Quartermaster Company have adjusted since returning home from Iraq in April.

Her husband, Sgt. David Olson, spent a year with the close-knit Army Reserve unit, which lost a member in a roadside bombing attack.

"Even my close friends couldn't imagine what it would be like to go through that," said Olson, who has two young daughters.

How the spouse views the military and the way the soldier is treated by it can determine whether the soldier reenlists, MacDermid said.

"Spouses are not just an appendage to the member," she said. "The spouse makes his or her own decision about whether or not the family should stay in the military."

Among other institute projects is an assessment of how military life affects children. Researchers recently began working with 1,000 families to find ways to ease the transition for children who move frequently.

The assessment is part of a larger project on how moving -- a mainstay of military life -- affects families. The Defense Department expects to issue a report to military leaders and school districts.

The institute was created specifically from the Pentagon grant after Purdue submitted a proposal and won the contract. Besides conducting research, the institute serves as a clearinghouse for other facilities studying military families.

MacDermid said the scope of the institute's work can be overwhelming.

"How do you try to address the needs of 3 million members and their families, 24-7, all over the planet?" she said. "It makes you just want to cover your head sometimes."