The days and weeks after a homecoming from war can be filled with excitement, relief, and many other feelings. However, reintegration involves taking time for the veteran, family and friends to become reacquainted. There may be times when you and your returning veteran feel stress, uncertainty, concern, and distance from one another. All of these emotions are a normal part of readjustment following deployment to a war zone.

A common expectation is that the family will be exactly the same as it was before the deployment. However, during deployment families naturally change. Children have grown and spouses have taken on new responsibilities. New friendships may have formed and war zone exposure is a life changing experience for those deployed. During deployment, service members may have taken part in missions and operations that exposed them to very stressful or often life threatening experiences.

For individuals and family members who are having difficulty in adjusting to reintegration or for military personnel who may be experiencing symptoms of post traumatic stress, there is help available.