'What is the mission?' With Iran, California military families fear another 'forever war'

"I thought, 'If their dad deploys again now and doesn't come home, at least they got to know him and he got to see them grow up,' said Jones, who now lives in Monterey County and is the organizing director for the Secure Families Initiative, a nonprofit that advocates for military families and veterans."

"The escalating conflict has sent a chill through military communities across California, which is home to more than 157,000 active-duty military personnel - more than any other state. For some service families, the images of missile strikes and talk of deployment readiness have resurrected the fear and uncertainty of Iraq and Afghanistan - so-called forever wars."

"Families are saying, 'What is the mission?' They wonder, what is the timeline? And, of course, everyone is fearful that it will be years and years."

Brandi Jones, whose husband has served as an active-duty Marine for 17 years with multiple Iraq deployments, experienced renewed anxiety when learning of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran in February. With two children who have grown up during his service, she fears another deployment could separate her family. California hosts over 157,000 active-duty military personnel, the most of any state, making military communities particularly vulnerable to deployment concerns. Military families express uncertainty about mission objectives, timelines, and the potential for prolonged conflict. The escalating tensions have resurrected fears reminiscent of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, with at least one California service member, Chief Warrant Officer Robert M. Marzan from Sacramento, already killed in retaliatory Iranian drone strikes.

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