American Homefront Story: 3 MacDill Air Force Reservists return from NYC

In the latest story in my local NPR station's (WUSF) American Homefront series, reporter Stephanie Colombini talks with three Air Force Reservists from MacDill Air Force base in Tampa who recently returned home from New York City. Nurse Lt. Joseph O'Brien, physician Lt. Col. Raja Talati, and orthopedic surgeon Col. Jennifer Robyn Ratcliff (commander of the 927th Aerospace Medical Squadron), were just three of hundreds of Air Force medical reservists who worked alongside civilian healthcare professionals during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in NYC.

All three reservists talk about what they witnessed while working in the emergency room at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx including comforting patients who died separated from family as well as signs of hope that emerged over time. Based on what they saw, they stress why it is critical we all remain mindful that the pandemic isn't over and follow public health guidelines about physical distancing and wearing masks. You can listen to their story here.

Military and Civilian Families Tackling Tough Times Together - Part 4

Photo by Wokandapix from Pixabay

As part of the Purdue University Health and Human Sciences College initiative "Families Tackling Tough Times Together," I continue to interview military and civilian families about how they've gotten through tough times and how lessons learned might be relevant to all of us dealing with the challenges on today's COVID-19 pandemic. My fourth interview in the series is with Aspen Bergmann, a military spouse (16 years), mother of two, and program data analyst with the National Military Family Association.  NFMA is a non-profit that lobbies on Capital Hill, offers scholarships for military spouses, and sponsors summer camps for military youth.

During our conversation, Aspen talks about the importance of adaptability for creating resilient families.  Her comments resonate with one of the key themes - flexibility to change - from Froma Walsh's model of family resilience.  Walsh argues that families build resilience when members simultaneously adapt to change flexibly while also providing leadership and structure.  She's built her model based on decades of research as well as clinical experience working with diverse families (e.g., those experiencing trauma, serious illness/disabilities, as well as poverty and discrimination).

Walsh's theme of flexibility to change also resonates with a large body of research by communication scholars on transitions and resilience.  Leanne Knobloch and her colleagues have applied relational turbulence theory to understand how - when a service member returns home from overseas deployment - military families sometimes struggle to coordinate their lives and adapt routines in ways that support rather than interference with each other's needs.  During the interview, Aspen talks about how she and her husband initially struggled with adapting routines after he returned home from his most recent deployment, and how they got through it by talking openly and non-defensively over time about how they could support one another.

In her communication theory of resilience, Patrice Buzzanell outlines five processes by which individuals, families, and communities can enact resilience in the face of disruptive events, one of which is crafting normalcy. Crafting normalcy involves holding onto and/or adapting meaningful rituals and routines while also creating new routines that fit the changed circumstances. Aspen talks about how she and her children have created new routines during the COVID-19 pandemic now that work and school no longer structure their days, while the family also adapted routines after her husband started working long hours outside of their home as an essential employee.  Here is the link where you can listen to my interview with Aspen.