The Work – Family Interface Among Dutch Navy Personnel and Their Spouses

Perhaps even more than other military personnel, Navy personnel and their families face the challenges of managing frequent and often prolonged family separations.  The increase in operational tempo over the past several decades in combination with trends of downsizing and reconstructuring (i.e., fewer human resources performing an increased number of tours) imply even more frequent separations, sometimes with little time in between.  During sailing tours, communication with the home front is difficult and sometimes even impossible.  Research on the impact of these military demands on the family and of family factors on the readiness and retention of Navy personnel is scarce and nonexistent among Netherlands military personnel.  We collected data among sailing Navy personnel and their spouses at home regarding various work and family experiences.  This paper presentation presents the first results of this study.