Abstract:Military service members become eligible for retirement from the military following 20 years of active duty service. Military spouses of retiring career military officers and enlisted members reenter the civilian population along with the retiree. Although military spouses leave behind military affiliation concurrent with the service member, there has been little research conducted into how military spouses adjust to this process. Thus, the purpose of this clinical research project (CRP) is to identify factors that place military spouses at risk for poor post-retirement adjustment, as well as protective factors that can ease their adjustment into retirement from active duty military life. This CRP provides background information on risk and protective factors identified within research conducted on civilian and military retirement, research on more current trends associated with the retirement process (e.g., marriage satisfaction, gender roles, pre-retirement planning), and factors unique to retiring from the military (e.g., incurring military injuries and/or trauma, maintaining military affiliation, retiring within close proximity to a military base). This CRP applied a grounded theory method (GTM) qualitative research design to study factors that appeared to influence adjustment to retirement from active duty service for two former United States Air Force (USAF) military spouses. The findings of this study are used to provide recommendations for military spouses and military affiliated agencies in a position to improve the adjustment of military spouses at risk for poor adjustment following retirement from active duty military affiliation (ADMA).