Comfort, cliques, and clashes

Abstract

One important but understudied source of support for Army families is the family readiness group (FRG). The current analysis of relationships with/in FRGs emerged from qualitative interviews conducted with 50 active-duty Army or Army National Guard wives whose husbands were deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom between 2003 and 2005. Through our in-depth reflection and analysis of the transcripts, we recognized how these women’s lived experiences reflected complex relationships with/in their FRGs, which in some cases supported but in other cases marginalized spouses, thus constructing them as dilemmatic sites for their members. We identified two sets of contrasting constructions: FRGs as coping resources versus sources of stress and FRGs as confirming versus disconfirming environments. We conclude with practical advice for military communities and suggestions for future research.