Research on Fathers in the Military Context: Current Status and Future Directions

Fathering in the military context has been studied for decades. The general approach to this research has mirrored the way in which civilian fathering was studied, with an original emphasis on the deficiencies among fathers as parents, eventually giving way to examining the benefits of father involvement. Largely in the past decade, research has begun to examine the strengths of military fathers and how they can thrive as parents even as they live in a challenging work context. This review examines the literature on fathering in the military. In addition, the article encourages future research on military fathers to use more of a strengths-based approach. Moreover, virtually nothing is known about civilian fathers who coparent with a service member. Future research should address this gap in understanding the full range of military family formations.