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Since the United States went to war with Iran six months ago, Courtney Sanders has been helping soldiers\u2019 families fill the gaps left by their loved ones.<\/span><\/p>\n There are school \u200bpickups to coordinate, lost incomes to supplement \u2014 and the ever-present separation anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like being on pins and needles all of the time,\u201d Sanders said.<\/span><\/p>\n She leads \u200cthe Chicagoland chapter of Blue Star Families, the nation\u2019s largest nonprofit serving military families, and her own daughters are in the U.S. Navy. They have served in various overseas locations over the past six months, including the Middle East.<\/span><\/p>\n The U.S. has more than 50,000 troops stationed across the region and has deployed thousands of additional Marines and sailors to support the war effort. Eighteen U.S. service members have been killed in the conflict \u200band more than 750 wounded.<\/span><\/p>\n During the war\u2019s on-and-off fighting, shuttle diplomacy and failed peace talks, military families have experienced a \u201croller coaster of emotions,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cThe moment that you feel \u200byou\u2019re able to take a breath, you get gut-punched again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n These are familiar pressures for the partners and children, mothers and fathers, of American \u2060troops. But the suddenness of the Iranian conflict, and its fitful pace, have had a compounding effect, relatives told Reuters.<\/span><\/p>\n In a Blue Star Families poll of some 200 active-duty military \u200bfamilies in early March, 81% reported elevated stress from the Iran conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n The group has responded by stepping up its programming, creating online resource hubs, hosting webinars and in-person meet-ups, and matching military \u200bspouses going through a deployment for the first time with those who have been through it before.<\/span><\/p>\n Many service members\u2019 deployments have been extended unexpectedly.<\/span><\/p>\n The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier went more than 200 days without a port call \u2014 a modern-day record, according to Democratic lawmakers \u2014 and military outlets reported suicide attempts and declining morale among its 5,000 sailors and Marines. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the reports \u201ccompletely misrepresented\u201d the conditions on \u200bboard.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s been six months since the U.S. and Israel started striking Iran in February of 2026. Here are some of the consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n Some military families find themselves in financial straits.<\/span><\/p>\n National Guard members, for example, often work regular jobs when they are not deployed. The sudden loss of their main paycheck can make it \u200bhard for those left behind to keep food on the table, Sanders said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere is a huge misconception in the civilian world that if you are in the military, all of your bills are taken \u200ccare of,\u201d \u2060she said. \u201cAnd that is just frankly not true.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In a statement, the Pentagon said: \u201cWe see these families (and) we hear their concerns. We will do whatever is necessary to provide the resources, assistance, and stability they need and deserve during these challenging times.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Shannon, an Army spouse and mother of three in North Carolina who requested Reuters use only her first name for security reasons, tries to tune out the news and the political debate surrounding the war.<\/span><\/p>\n In February, her husband deployed to the region with five days\u2019 notice and could only contact her sporadically \u200bfor the first several months.<\/span><\/p>\n Although they have maintained \u200bnear-daily communication since June, \u201cthere are a lot \u2060of emotions,\u201d Shannon said, \u201cespecially when people are dying over there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Her children started therapy over the summer. She tries to be strong in front of them, but cries sometimes when they\u2019re not around.<\/span><\/p>\n Soon after her husband\u2019s deployment, Shannon joined an Army-sponsored soldier-and-family \u201creadiness group\u201d within her husband\u2019s unit, \u200bhelping organize meal trains and other support for family members in need.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEvery day is not going to be a great day, but \u200byou\u2019ve gotta just keep going \u2060and keep yourself busy,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n In Virginia, Pat, a Navy spouse who also asked to be identified by her first name for security reasons, has tried to keep life as normal as possible for her children, who are in middle and high school.<\/span><\/p>\n Since her husband deployed about five months ago, Pat said, her neighbors have been \u201camazing\u201d about helping with kid pickups and other chores.<\/span><\/p>\n Her family wears \u2060red on Fridays \u2014 \u200ba show of support for deployed service members \u2014 and so do many of her children\u2019s classmates, even those \u200bwithout military connections.<\/span><\/p>\n Pat\u2019s husband has deployed before. She was pleasantly surprised this time to discover his ship had Wi-Fi, making communication easier.<\/span><\/p>\n\u2018A LOT OF EMOTIONS\u2019<\/span><\/h2>\n