In 2009, RAND launched the Deployment Life Study, a longitudinal study of military families across a deployment cycle in order to assess family readiness. Family readiness refers to the state of being prepared to effectively navigate the challenges of daily living experienced in the unique context of military service. The study surveyed families at frequent intervals throughout a complete deployment cycle — before a service member deploys (sometimes months before), during the actual deployment, and after the service member returns (possibly a year or more after she or he redeployed). It assessed a number of outcomes over time, including:
Sarah O. Meadows,Terri Tanielian,Benjamin R. Karney,et al. The Deployment Life Study: Longitudinal Analysis of Military Families Across the Deployment Cycle. 2016-01-01.