news-record.com

Military families are used to shouldering a disproportionate share of the load when the nation's at war. But the collateral damage from fighting in Iraq is hitting home in unexpected and troubling ways.

A report released by the nonprofit RTI Research in Research Triangle says stress created by combat deployments has resulted in a substantial increase in abuse and neglect of children by wives left at home. According to findings, mothers were three times as likely to mistreat their children and four times as likely to neglect them as when fathers were present. Physical abuse was twice as frequent.

In this war fought by volunteers, deployments have been frequent and lengthy. Spouses often must cope with relocation, reallocated responsibilities and diminished income. The day-to-day stress of being without a loved one and worrying about their safety can boil over into frustration and anger.

Closely knit military communities like those in North Carolina can and do provide helpful resources. In stressful times, counseling and chaplain services are available. However, the military has been slow in being there for at-risk dependent families, particularly those living off base.

More emphasis must be placed on early stress detection. Only now is the Army hiring additional "family readiness support assistants" to offer advice and lend support.

But the job can't end there. Post-deployment can be fraught with different problems as returning warriors rejoin families that have gotten along for months without them. Planning should begin now in anticipation of the inevitable troop drawdown in Iraq.

Serving abroad shouldn't be complicated by worry about deteriorating family situations back home. The military must use its vast resources to reduce odds of that happening.