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The military lifestyle is a subculture under American society that often goes unnoticed. With military bases around the world, service members and their families make up a small and unique community of military suburbia. These families find normality in camouflage, frequent relocations, deployments and extended separation. While a soldier is off at war, their families are left to adapt in their absence. This story explores the Allen family dynamics after the patriarchal figure, Brad, leaves for a deployment in Afghanistan. Left behind in Ft. Bragg is his pregnant wife, Janitha, and their four kids Breeann, Jahanna, Lyddia, and Kaleb. Janitha must now play the dual parenting role for the kids and take care of all responsibilities at home.

Brad and Janitha joke and laugh while their four children play in a nearby park. Brad is part of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 4th Brigade that is being deployed for six months. This will be his second tour of duty and will miss the birth of his fifth child. After they first arrived to Ft. Bragg, Brad immediately deployed leaving his family alone in an unfamiliar location, making the first tour a difficult transition. That was when Janitha realized the importance of building a community and finding support.

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