Guard and Military Reservists' Reintegration After Caring for Wounded Warriors

As a result of the significant changes in the U.S. strategic mission in the Middle East, dramatic changes and increased demands have directly impacted the utilization of reservists and guard members to include the healthcare workers tasked to care for those wounded in combat. With the decreasing footprint of U.S. troops in the Middle East, an increasing number of returning service members are now reintegrating back to either active duty or civilian life. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological qualitative study is to understand the meaning assigned by both National Guard and Reserve healthcare providers to their reintegration journeys back to civilian life after deployment. The primary research questions are:

(a) What meaning do National Guard and Reserve healthcare providers assign to their reintegration back to civilian life after deployment?
(b) How have deployment experiences affected the meaning reintegration has for the National Guard and Reserve healthcare providers?
(c) How have support experiences post-deployment affected the meaning reintegration has for the National Guard and Reserve healthcare providers?

Inclusion criteria are English speaking military guard or reserve healthcare providers who have a history of serving overseas providing health care to wounded warriors and who have experience reintegrating back into civilian life after deployment. Participants will spend approximately 60 minutes in an interview sharing their deployments and reintegration experiences. The process of reintegration following deployment and the ability to enhance a successful transition after deployment has become a significant issue for the Department of Defense (DOD). This study proposes to increase the current understanding of this process in order to facilitate positive outcomes for all involved stakeholders.

Key words: Reserve and Guard healthcare providers, deployment, reintegration