Families, Military

History of Military Families

Military recognition of family concerns can be divided into three historical periods: the Revolutionary War to World War I, World War I through the 1950s, and the 1960s to present. Prior to World War I, military families were present in the form of camp followers, consisting mostly of soldiers’ wives and children who provided services such as cooking, laundering, and sewing. This period may be described as one of neglect as the military never formally recognized the sacrifices of military families. Soldiers, especially enlisted men and junior officers, were discouraged from marrying and having families, and government policies provided limited relief to families of service members.

This period of neglect had been replaced by a period of ambivalence by World War I. The need for a larger standing army during the two world wars forced the Congress to be more sympathetic toward married service members than in the past. Several legislative acts in the early-to-mid-20th century provided formal support to soldiers’ families. However, the military continued to discourage marriage, especially among younger enlisted personnel.

Ambivalence continued to describe military–family policy into the 1960s. Unlike previous wars, the U.S. military maintained a large standing army after World War II. Although a number of these soldiers were young, single conscripts, a large professional (and largely married) force developed at this time. In 1965, the Army made the first attempt to create an organization designed to support military families: the Army Community Service organization (now the National Military Family Association).

The change to an all volunteer force in 1973 solidified the role of soldiers’ families in military life; the military would have to support families if it was to attract and retain a large standing volunteer force. This change was manifested in the 1983 white paper, The Army Family, by the Office of the Army Chief of Staff. This report outlined the role of military families in Army life. In addition to reviewing the history of the relationship of the Army and Army families over time, it also stated a new philosophy in which the Army “remains committed to assuring adequate support to families to promote wellness … and strengthen the mutually reinforcing bonds between the Army and its families” (Wickham, 16). Methods to achieve these goals include the improvement of employment assistance, better health care, improved support of child care facilities, and centralization of family support programs.

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