He That Shall Live This Day

Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, 7 Jul 2004 Separations can be tough on any child whose parent is deployed overseas -- but particularly for the estimated 500,000 sons and daughters of deployed National Guard and reserve troops, according to an expert on issues involving military families.
Many Guard and reserve families lack the tight-knit support network that helps active-component families during deployments, said Mary Keller, executive director of the Military Child Education Coalition. This can lead to difficulty adjusting to what Keller calls their "suddenly military" status. As a result, she said, they can feel isolated and unsure of where to turn for help.
A new Military Child Education Coalition booklet, called "How Communities Can Support the Children and Families of Those Serving in the National Guard and Reserves," is chock-full of ideas to help communities reach out to reserve and Guard families during their family member's deployment. Keller said the coalition produced the booklet after repeated requests from military-family representatives, educators and community groups.
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