Introduction
Brittani, an American young woman, who applied to the bodies of military social assistance, is far from being the first to make such requests. Her concern for her husband Brandon’s future fate is understandable: he was wounded while on military service in Afghanistan, and after going through the course of treatment in a specialized clinic he was forced to return to the base of his deployment. Possible consequences, which, according to the woman, may entail this trauma, are depression, alcoholism, and mental disorders.
Needs and Challenges of the Case
As Coll, Weiss, and Metal (2012) note, military culture gives its participants a clear understanding that their primary goals are maintaining order by obeying and respecting the rules of the law. As for the legitimacy of the request of Brandon’s wife, her excitement for her husband’s return is justifiable. Nevertheless, the state and military apparatus are not likely to consider the case filed by a civilian with a request to return a soldier home because of concern for him. According to Scott, Whitworth, and Herzog (2016), there are specialized family support centers in America, which provide support to family members whose relatives go through military service. Perhaps, the girl should pay a visit to one of these centers, where they can also provide her with additional psychological help.
It is possible that the main problem of this case is that the request of a civilian is nothing more than anxiety, which probably can not be considered as the principal reason for filing a petition. Such cases are not uncommon in the US Army. Besides, as Coll et al. (2012) claim that a growing number of women are engaging in combat in the American military forces. It means that society recognizes the need for military duty, and probably the position of Brittani’s husband coincides with this opinion.
Strengths of the Woman’s Anxiety
It is likely that such concern for the man and his morale is hard to be regarded as having no basis. According to Scott et al. (2016), information from particular social assistance services to the relatives of soldiers and officers may not be enough to convince them of the safety of their husbands, fathers, and sons. Nevertheless, the US government is doing everything possible to ensure that the citizens understand that military service is an indispensable and honorable duty. It is possible that the girl’s fears are groundless; however, the task of support services, in any case, is to provide all necessary assistance and make sure that Brandon’s family lives in relative peace.
It can be assumed that the concern of the girl about her husband is a sufficient reason to seek help from the social support service. The government takes care of ensuring that military men and their families have the protection of the state in case of any unforeseen situations. Considering the appeal of Brittani as an action caused by justified reasons, which include the wounding of her husband, she has a chance not only to get moral support but also to meet with her husband. If the state bodies and the corresponding medical commission consider that Brandon’s condition is unsatisfactory to continue serving in the army, there is a high probability that the man will return home soon.
Consequently, the appeal of the woman with a request for help has a rather good reason and can be regarded as entirely legitimate. As for me, I would recommend the woman to contact a proper psychological support center for the relatives of military men, and also would conduct a personal interview to determine the level of her concern.
References
Coll, J. E., Weiss, E. L., & Metal, M. (2012). Military culture and diversity. In A. Rubin, E. L. Weiss, & J. E. Coll (Eds.), Handbook of military social work (pp. 21-33). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Scott, D. L., Whitworth, J. D., & Herzog, J. R. (2016). Social work with a military population. London, UK: Pearson.