Thesis (M.A.(Sociology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The purpose of the study was to explore the impacts of military deployment on the nuclear families of military members of the South African National Defence Force. Qualitative, exploratory research was conducted to determine the impacts of military deployment on the nuclear families of the SANDF. Data were collected through qualitative interviews. A purposive sampling technique was used wherein six families were sampled to explore the impacts of deployment on families with a member previously deployed to foreign missions by the South African National Defence Force. Inductive qualitative content data analysis was performed to analyse data. The study highlighted the areas of potential effects that deployment had before and after deployment of a service member as well as the daily lived experiences of the family during deployment of a family member. The study found that the increase in the changes in the composition of the family structure during deployment; continuous communication was very vital during deployment and the beneficial impacts of deployment. Most military families did not experience dire challenges during deployment but were normal challenges most civilian families experience. Instead, the military families developed resilience during the deployment period. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

Approved for public release; distribution in unlimited. / The Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) represents a dramatic revision in the construction and maintenance of military housing. Since its inception in 1996, the number of projects has grown exponentially and the learning process has been continuous and steep. This thesis researches the effectiveness of the methods in place at the Department of Defense and Service levels to document, share, and, above all, learn from past experiences. This analysis reviews the cumulative documented lessons from all Services and compares it to the lessons learned within the first jointly partnered privatization project at the Presidio of Monterey (POM) and Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California. This research showed at least six lessons previously documented within the lessons learned system, which were relearned at the POM/NPS project. Given this data, the lessons learned program is a partial success but overall has a positive impact on the MHPI. The current lessons learned program improves each new privatization project ensuring it does not experience all of the same lessons from previous projects. Only a few lessons seem to slip through the cracks and are repeated even after documentation and distribution. / Captain, United States Army

Today, raising children under the best of circumstances represents a daunting endeavor as any parent and a growing body of research confirm. When a single parent is on active duty in one of the U.S. armed forces, there are additional challenges involved that may not exist among civilian counterparts. The phenomenon of single parents on active duty with its unique difficulties associated both with single parenting and with military service was the basis of this study. The purpose of the research was twofold: to describe the experiences of Air Force single parents as related to social support and work-life theory in the context of bureaucracy and to use that understanding to identify needed improvements in support services. The specific aim of this study was to gain an understanding of single parents in the military through a phenomenological approach. Purposive sampling was utilized to identify the 13 participants. The central question for the study was the following: What are the experiences of single parents serving on active duty in the United States Air Force? The seven themes that were identified as part of the single parent experience were: (a) transition to single parent in the Air Force, (b) better life (c) parental responsibilities, (d) work responsibilities, (e) support provided by the work organizations, (f) informal social supports, and (g) work-life conflict. Major findings include the importance of family-friendly supervisors that alleviated work-family conflict. Participants also noted the military family as being significant to their adjustment and acceptance of military life. Finally, participants were seeking a better life for themselves and their children by either joining as a single parent or deciding to stay as a single parent. This study offers an opportunity to change policy and practice to enhance and encourage the retention of single parents. One application of study findings is the reexamination of the Family Care Plan to alleviate work-family conflict. Another area identified for practice enhancement is the education and training of family-friendly supervisors.