Rethinking Military Family Support: Insights from the Deployment Experiences of Military Spouses in Türkiye

PURPOSE: This study examines the psychosocial experiences of military spouses in Türkiye navigating deployment cycles. Drawing on social support theory, it analyzes how deployments reshape access to emotional, instrumental, informational, and appraisal support within military families. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative design using reflexive thematic analysis was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten military spouses who had experienced a minimum of four deployment cycles. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through iterative coding and theme development to identify patterned meanings related to family dynamics. RESULTS: Three core themes emerged: (1) strains on family dynamics due to rotational deployment, including increased caregiving burden and emotional fatigue, (2) collective solidarity among military spouses functioning as informal support networks, and (3) unmet psychosocial needs resulting from limited institutionalized services. Findings indicate that deployment cycle disrupts formal support systems and shifts caregiving and emotional labor into the domestic sphere. Peer networks provide significant emotional buffering. However, they cannot substitute for structured, professional support mechanisms. DISCUSSION: Interpreted through social support theory, deployment-related strain reflects systemic deficiencies in formal support infrastructures rather than solely individual adaptation challenges. The findings highlight gendered labor dynamics and the privatization of care within military institutions. CONCLUSION: Strengthening military family well-being in Türkiye requires institutionalized, evidence-based social services and coordinated policy interventions that address structural support gaps across deployment cycles.