2013 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Analysis and Findings

1. 2013 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Analysis and Findings Funding for the Military Family Lifestyle Survey was provided by USAA, the Blue Shield of California Foundation, Facebook, Hunt Companies, Inc., and Care.com

2. Blue Star Families partnered with many of the country’s most respected military service organizations to distribute our survey online via partner websites, member newsletters, and through physical locations.

3. Presentation Sections Methodology & Demographics Top Issues Financial Security - Preparedness, Benefits, Transition - Spouse Employment Family Well-Being - Effects of Deployments - Military Child Education Connectedness - Social Media Use - Civilian-Military Intersections - Public Policy Conclusion

4. Top Military Family Issues: 2013 Military Pay/Benefits Change in Retirement Benefits Spouse Employment Opportunities Impact of Deployment on Children Educational Opportunities for Children Transition Services for Leaving the Military OpTempo/Deployment PTSD/TBI/Combat Stress Rising Number of Suicides Service Member Educational Opportunities Financial and Health & Wellness Concerns Categorize the Top Military Family Issues

5. 86% of respondents follow a budget 63% of respondents owe less than $5,000 on their credit cards 60% were aware of the Savings Deposit Program Of the 50% who owned a home, 70% were “in good shape.” Financial Security: Preparedness

6. Financial Security: Transition Concerns <20 Years 20+ years Employment Possibilities 78% 75% Loss of Income 66% 60% Changes in Healthcare Access 59% 58% Transition to Civilian Life 49% 52% Loss of Sense of Purpose 38% 35% Issues w/ Civilian Licensing or Certification 20% 18% No meaningful variations between those with 20 years or more and those with less than 20 years of service

7. Financial Security:Benefits *Due to rounding, percentages add up to more than 100%

8. Financial Security:Spouse Employment Outside the Home • 52% of respondents who were not working would like to be employed • 21% were unsure if they wanted work outside the home • 27% of respondents said they did not want to be employed outside the home "Working can be very frustrating as a spouse. I have turned down numerous promotions due to PCSs. It's impossible to move up; I'm constantly starting at the bottom when I look for employment. My passed-up promotions can't go on my resume.” - Navy spouse "Living overseas makes it more difficult for work options, though I am interested in part-time work."   "It is very hard for spouses to work overseas due to the SOFAs which prohibit us from working locally.” - overseas military spouses

9. 26% of spouse respondents have been self-employed or owned their own business 35% of respondents are interested in the possibility of pursing self-employment or their own business Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment Are Appealing Financial Security:Spouse Employment/Where They Are Working Employment By Sector “I work from home part-time.  My job moves with me.” “I have my own consulting business and I look for work that can be done virtually so my moves do not impact my career.” – self-employed spouses

10. Family Well-Being: Military Child Education How Would You Rate Your Child’s School in The Following Areas? • 79% Engage in Parent/Teacher Conferences • 77% Keep Me Informed of School Activities • 62% Provide Academic & Extracurricular Activities • 61% Access Previous School Records • 55% Provide School Counseling Services Positive Aspects • 75% Do Not Use the Military School Liaison Officer • 72% Do Not Adhere to the Interstate Compact • 66% Do Not Utilize Peer Support Programs • 65% Do Not Support Transfer of Credits (AP and IB) • 53% Do Not Create Opportunities to Celebrate SM in • Classroom • 49% Are Not Responsive/Proactive to Situations • 47% Are Not Aware of Military Life Experiences • 45% Do Not Create a Smooth Transition into School Needs Improvement

11. Family Well-Being:Children & Deployment/Support Services 56% feel their communities embrace opportunities to support them during a deployment 61% feel the services provided by the DoD are not adequate

12. Family Well-Being: Children & Deployment/Mental Health Counseling At Any Time During Your Last Deployment, Did You Seek Mental Health Counseling for Yourself/Your Service Member or at Least One Child to Help Deal With The Negative Emotional Impacts of Deployment Of those who sought services, 72% found it helpful

13. Family Well-Being:Marital Relationships/Satisfaction &Seeking Counseling

14. Family Well-Being:Service Branch Sensitivity to Family Issues

15. Military Family Behavioral Health: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), PTSD, PTS, & Suicide

16. Military Family Behavioral Health:PTS & PTSD: Reasons For Not Seeking Treatment Reason For Not Seeking Treatment • Confidentiality/career concerns continues to be the top reason reported for not seeking treatment, reported by 50% of respondents • 24% report they “do not think treatment will help” • Consistent with previous research that shows stigma around treatment seeking

17. Military Family Behavioral Health:Suicide Support Services - Reported Utilization • Prevention strategies should align to where service members and spouses most frequently seek out services Other PNA Did Not Seek Support • 30% of service members and 23% of spouses report not seeking suicide support services • 29% of service members and 20% of spouses report using their primary care doctor for suicide support • 17% or service members and 19% of spouses report using Chaplains for suicide support Online Support Online Support Counseling Chaplain Mil One Source

18. “I live in a community without many military wives, and I use social media to connect with other military wives and have made very good friends through this medium.” - Army spouse Connectedness: Popularity of Common Social Media Sites Use at least once a month:

19. “I belong to over 20 wounded warrior wives groups on Facebook. The help I get from those groups has saved our lives, saved us from homelessness, and saved my sanity!” – Army spouse Connectedness: Reasons For Social Media Usage Please Complete The Following Statement by Checking All of The Relevant Choices. I Use Social Media Services to . . . Stay Connected w Family Who Do Not Live Near Me Stay Connected w Friends Who Do Not Live Near Me Feel Connected to Other Milfams Feel Connected to Service Member Which Issues Are Military Families Using Social Media to Get Support? Get Updates From Unit Help Kids Stay Connected to Service Member Employment For You or Your Spouse Get Time-Sensitive Info Education Opportunities For You or Your Spouse Look For Jobs Other Connect w Unit Effects of Deployment on Your Children Reintegration OPTEMPO PTS

20. Connectedness: Reasons For Social Media Usage Sites Military Family Members Use to Connect With And Gather Information About the Military Community Facebook Military OneSource Military.com If You Needed Help, Which of the Following Are You Most Likely to Turn to For Advice? Official DoD/ Govt Agency Website None of the Above Milspouse.com BlueStarFam.org Stripes.com Twitter

21. Connectedness: Highlights of Civic Engagement 92% Are registered to VOTE 79% Reach out at least a few times each month to TALK WITH NEIGHBORS 87% Believe in some type of NATIONAL SERVICE 72% In the past year have given $25 or more in CHARITY DONATIONS 72% Support their service members’ CONTINUED MILITARY SERVICE 98% It is our responsibility to PAY TAXES 95% Believe in the importance of being INFORMED ABOUT NEWS AND PUBLIC ISSUES 66% Of respondents reach out to VOLUNTEER In formal organizations

22. Connectedness: Military/Civilian Divide 4-Year Trend To what extent do you agree with the statement: “The general public (without close ties to the military) truly understands the sacrifices made by service members and their family.” In 2013, 92% of respondents feel a disconnect *In 2013 “neither” was not an option

23. Connectedness:Public Policy/Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) Do you feel that the implementation of the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT), allowing gay and lesbian service members to serve openly in the Armed Forces, has had a negative impact, a positive impact, or no impact on each of the following? A majority of respondents continue to indicate that the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell has had no impact. Your Service Member’s Unit Cohesion Your Service Member’s Desire to Re-Enlist/Stay in the Military Your Service Member’s Morale Your Service Member’s Ability to Perform Their Job Mission Readiness or National Security in General Your Military Support Group’s Morale Your Desire to Attend Military Functions

24. Conclusions Military Families Are Most Concerned With their Financial Security and Overall Family Wellness: Financial Security Pay and Benefits/Changes to Retirement Spouse Employment Overall Family Wellness – the Impact of High OPTEMPO and Drawdown Military Kids – Effects of Deployment and Educational Pursuits Overall Family Behavioral Health Reintegration Understanding of military family as foundation for service member Other Notable Issues: Connectedness As reliance on & use of social media platforms continue to grow, so does the need for education of command level leaders in the benefits and challenges in utilizing it Civic engagement and pro-social behavior are strengths and should continue to be examined Suicide Multi-dimensional issue – (e.g. stigma, access, mental health, and tracking)

25. Next Steps • Military and Civilian Leadership: • Continue to promote non-traditional participants from all areas of the • military and civilian communities (public, private, and non-profit) • Targeted follow up with specific legislation aimed at alleviating some of the • challenges presented to military families (e.g. veteran/spouse employment and • children’s education) • Utilize consistent messaging, across agencies and organizations, and across a variety of communication platforms • Blue Star Families: • Continue research into specified and emergent themes • Identify and replicate innovative “Best Practices” for meeting the needs of military families • Contextualize, apply, and disseminate diverse research from other DoD, independent agencies, and academia as it relates to strengthening military families • Communicate proactively to families about budget shifts, changes in benefits, and programmatic changes • Continue to act as a bridge between military and civilian stakeholders

26. Please visit www.bluestarfam.org for more information