As the war in Ukraine drags on, for military families at Fort Bragg anxiety is building over family members who are deployed, a recent WTVD news report said.
“This type of event that we are dealing with right now is not like anything we have dealt with before,” Army wife Emily Damboise told the station. “Communication is cut off for some families. They don’t have electronic devices so not hearing from them can heighten those stress levels.”
Families don’t know how long it will be before troops from the 82nd Airborne return home, she said.
“We start to go into thinking traps, and we might spiral a little bit, and that can affect our mental health,” Dambroise said. “Also, if you don’t have children, you may feel isolated. And if you do have children, dealing with the stress of taking care of them and they’re going through different ways of how to handle this.”
April has been designated the “Month of the Military Child,” WTVD said.
One resource for families is the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic. Supports groups can also offer help.
For children in particular, images and stories from Ukraine can be disturbing, Damboise told WTVD.
“Their fears and concerns and their feelings and emotions are validated, but we’re here to help them cope with those,” she said. “We are a resource on a rescue.”
