It can bring about a great deal of instability. We can fix most of that. We can prevent situations from becoming problems. That's why we have family programs. During Desert Storm, for example, the National Guard set up 471 family assistance centers throughout the United States and served more than 257,000 family members.
Whole units deploy in some cases while only individual members deploy in others.
Guardsmen may be away from home anywhere from two weeks up to a year, including training and overseas missions. The 'home-alone' spouse may be used to having someone else there to help with decisions, or even make decisions, she noted. Some mothers have a difficult time dealing with newborn babies by themselves. The absence of the parent who might be the family disciplinarian would be unsettling for the children. Now they're staying with a grandmother, maybe, or an aunt, or a good friend.