Temporary Additional Duty (TAD) and Temporary Duty Assignments (TDY) are a part of military life. Such duty is typically 180 days or less for the purpose of training, deployment, or another temporary assignment. Although the military member on TAD/TDY receives a Per Diem Allowance to cover expenses at the temporary location, their family remains at the permanent station and has to make do without their loved one. 

TAD/TDY occur routinely in both peacetime and in war, and constitute an additional source of stress for families already taxed by regular deployments to fight the War on Terror. If the TAD/TDY is to a combat zone designated by the IRS, military pay received for service in the combat zone is excluded from gross income for tax purposes. Although this benefit may ease some of the pain of separation at tax time, the knowledge that a loved one is serving in harm's way remains no less stressful for those at home.

Just as when a family is separated by deployment, churches and other military ministries can play a key role in helping a military family through TAD or TDY with spiritual support and practical assistance when it's needed. This is particularly true for National Guard and Reserve families who don't normally have the support infrastructure available to the Active Duty Military.