Military families / Sylvia Engdahl, book editor.

Includes bibliographical references (198-204) and index.

Chapter 1. Do rising costs justify reducing benefits to military families? Defense budget faces cuts to personnel after decade of war / David Wood -- Congressional report suggests pay, benefit cuts / Rick Maze -- Military pay : payroll is bloating the defense budget, it's time to consider pay cuts / Mike Cooper -- Comparisons of military and civilian pay overlook hidden expenses of military families / Sarah Smiley -- Claims that service members are overpaid ignore the sacrifices they and their families make / Tony Carr -- Financial struggles are common among military families / Donna Gordon Blankinship -- Food stamp use at military commissaries up sharply in four years / Seth Robbins -- Chapter 2. What personal and social problems do military families face? The emotional well-being of military families depends on their members' mutual support / Ellen Weber Libby -- Military pet policies tear families apart / Alisa Johnson and Theresa Donnelly -- Out, but not in : military club closes ranks to gay wife / Ashley Fantz -- When a military member returns home family readjustment may be difficult / Lydia I. Marek et al. -- Trouble on the home front / Kathy Roth-Douquet -- Chapter 3. Is being part of a military family detrimental to children? Children of military families experience stress that affects school performance / Gabrielle Canon -- Frequent moves create many problems for adolescents in military families / Catherine P. Bradshaw et al. -- Children of deployed military personnel often have mental health problems / Kimberly Hefling -- Violent behavior is more common among military children than among others / Mike Stobbe -- Children in military families are more self-sufficient and responsible than their peers / Michael Clawson -- Military children are resilient but still face challenges / Patty Barron -- Adolescents in military families generally cope well with the stress of parental deployment / Leonard Wong and Stephen Gerras -- There are many reasons to admire military kids / Elaine Sanchez -- Chapter 4. What is the government doing to help military families? Overview: The First Lady urges Americans to support military families / Michelle Obama -- The federal government has specific plans for strengthening military families / Office of the US President -- The Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau helps military families with problems / Holly Petraeus -- The Department of Defense works to ensure a good education for military children / Leon E. Panetta -- The federal government advocates making occupational licenses portable across state lines / Janice Eberly and Jo Ann Rooney -- Family readiness groups provide support to families of military unit members / US Army Operation READY -- Military morale, welfare, and recreation programs offer leisure activities to military families / Military OneSource -- The military services offer many recreational opportunities to teens / US Air Force.

Most Americans respect and appreciate the service of military men and women to the nation and recognize the magnitude of the sacrifices service members make, especially when deployed during time of war, The majority of citizens, however, are not aware of the ongoing challenges faced by military families. That the separation imposed by deployment takes a toll on family members is obvious, as is the grief they experience when dealing with a loved one's injury or death. But the day-to-day life of military families while together also involves hardships that are not shared by others.