In early history, mothers worried over their sons as they fought wars against other mothers' sons. As the years progressed, women joined the military, and the term military mothers mutated to include women in the military who are also parents.

Until recently, the term military mothers referred exclusively to mothers of soldiers, particularly male soldiers deployed to active duty. With the advent of war in the Middle East beginning in the late

1990s and continuing into the 21st century, the term military mother took on a second meaning: a woman serving in the military who is also a mother. As more and more women serving in both active duty and reserves were deployed to the various war zones, the number of mothers who were required to leave ...