Surveys

The men and women serving in the military and the families supporting them are an integral part of America’s national security. Every day military families are serving on their own front lines at home. They are sustaining themselves and supporting service members who are preparing, deploying, returning or reintegrating after combat. These families are the backbone of a strong and able United States military. Therefore, we must listen carefully and address the concerns of the military families who play a central and critical role in supporting United States forces while ensuring readiness for current and future national security needs.

2013 Military Families Lifestyle Survey Results

The 2013 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, conducted online in November 2012 with more than 5,100 military family respondents, was designed to reveal key trends in today’s military families by examining, among other things, feelings of stress, financial readiness, spouse employment, effects of deployment, levels of communication, behavioral and mental health wellbeing, and civic engagement. The results provide clear insight into the unique lifestyles of modern-day military families after more than a decade of continuous war.

This year, the top three military family issues surrounded concerns of financial well-being. They were: Military Pay/ Benefits (35%), Change in Retirement Benefits (21%), and Spouse Employment Opportunities (19%). While spouse employment affects financial security throughout the service member’s career, all three of these issues can be considered key to making a smooth financial transition out of the military. This is particularly noteworthy as estimates point to over one million service members transitioning off of active duty over the next five years. Following these fiscally oriented concerns, the next two top issues for survey respondents centered on the children of service members, specifically the impact of serial deployments (17%) and educational opportunities (16%).

Additionally, the 2013 survey also uncovered valuable information on the following areas: relationships, suicide prevention, financial literacy, caregiving, communication, and public policy. This year’s survey also continued to track how military families support each other, seek out resources, and stay connected to their communities and to their service members.

View the Executive Summary here

View the survey highlights here

Download the Comprehensive Report here or to view the report online, click here. 

 Thank you for your participation and a big thank you to our supporters! 

See the 2012 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Results

See the 2010 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Results

See the 2009 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Results

For additional information please contact Vivian Greentree, Director of Research and Policy: vgreentree@bluestarfam.org

For press inquiries please contact Stephanie Himel-Nelson, Director of Communications: stephanie@bluestarfam.org