How can a military spouse handle custody if deployed?

Returning, for example, to the Air Force spouse who is the mother and wants custody, yes, custody and visitation will be difficult in the event of any long overseas tour, but visitation and custody would be difficult even if the civilian spouse received custody. Former spouses must prepare for these contingencies before they happen.

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have tested the imagination and resourcefulness of military families, both intact and broken, in regard to child care arrangements.