BSF_MFLS_Web_Banner_2000x600_Jan24
BSF_MFLS_Web_Banner_1000x1000_Jan24

Blue Star Families’ annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS) has been the preeminent way to understand the experiences and challenges faced by military families since its inception in 2009. Gathering over 100,000 cumulative responses, the MFLS provides valuable insights into a wide range of issues affecting military families, including access to health care, food insecurity, employment, and housing.

Overview

Blue Star Families conducted the 2023 Military Family Lifestyle Survey from May to July 2023. Capturing the experiences of more than 7,400 respondents worldwide and generating millions of data points, the MFLS remains the largest and most comprehensive survey of active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members, Veterans, and their families.

Overview of Military Family's Top Issues

  • Quality-of-life issues — spouse employment, family separation, pay, housing, and children’s education — remain the top issues for active-duty families. Though not in the top five concerns, relocation, child care, and access to health care were also common issues. Military spouse employment remains the top concern for active-duty spouse respondents for the seventh consecutive year and one of the top five concerns for active-duty service member respondents.
  • The amount of time separated from family continues to be a top concern for military families, particularly for active-duty service member respondents, demonstrating that even without prolonged conflicts, military families continue to make significant sacrifices regarding family togetherness.
  • The amount of time separated from family was also a top concern for National Guard and Reserve family respondents, as it has been since 2020. While National Guard and Reserve activations have decreased since a peak in 2020, family separation and the impact of deployments on families remain central concerns.
  • Both Veteran and Veteran spouse respondents continue to report that access to military/VA health care system(s) is their top concern, and military benefits is also among the top five issues. Provider shortages across the country, from primary care to specialty care, may be further exacerbating these concerns.
  • Understanding of military/Veteran issues among civilians also remains a top concern for both Veteran and Veteran spouse respondents, evidence of concern of the growing military-civil gap.
  • Military spouse employment remains a top issue for Veteran spouse respondents, indicating that career challenges during military life may extend even after the family transitions out of military service.

Likelihood to recommend military service is declining. The proportion of active-duty family respondents who were likely to recommend military service has dropped by nearly half from 2016, when it was 55% to just 32% in 2023.

2016
%
2023
%

What Does the DAta Say

2023 Survey Findings Summary

Introduction:

Military families are a key solution to the recruiting crisis, but likelihood to recommend military service is declining. Quality-of-life issues such as spouse employment, housing costs, and lack of belonging to the community influence families’ likelihood to recommend military service. Sustaining the All-Volunteer Force will require support from all sectors — communities and individuals, businesses, government, and military.

Social Ties:

Frequent relocation and separation from friends and family make in-person connection a challenge. Most active-duty family respondents report they engage with their closest friends virtually rather than in person, but those that do report lower mean well-being scores (M = 43.3, range 0-70 versus 46.9). Engaging virtually may allow military families to interact with others more frequently, but active-duty family respondents who engaged entirely or mostly in person with their closest relationship had a higher mean well-being score than those who engaged entirely or mostly virtually, regardless of how often they interacted.

Veteran Transition and Readiness:

Veteran experiences in the transition from military to civilian life have implications for whether they recommend military service, regardless of retirement status. Overall, Veterans respondents find the transition from military to civilian life “difficult,” especially if the respondent was unable to prepare for the transition.

Health Care Access:

Access to timely specialty health care can be a challenge for military families, often exceeding average wait times in the overall U.S. Four in 10 active-duty family respondents reported that their family member needing specialty care waited more than two months from the time they sought an appointment to the date of the appointment. For those who waited more than two months for a specialty care appointment, just 19% considered that wait time to be “reasonable.”

EFMP Families:

A greater proportion of active-duty family respondents who relocated since their child(ren)’s education plan was created reported their child received the same services/accommodations as their previous school system within six months if they were enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP). Most (71%) respondents enrolled in EFMP are enrolled for their child(ren), but not all who have children who may qualify are enrolled.

Housing and Relocation:

Higher out-of-pocket housing costs may influence military families’ likelihood to recommend military service. Housing costs remain the top contributing factor to financial stress for active-duty family respondents, despite slight gains in overall financial well-being. Housing costs continue to be a top five issue of concern for active-duty families, though Department of Defense efforts to address these concerns appear to be making a positive impact.

Food Insecurity:

Knowledge and utilization of the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA) is low; the new program may not yet be effectively targeting food-insecure families. More than half (54%) of active-duty family respondents did not know what the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA) was and only a small proportion (3%) indicated that they had applied. Of active-duty family respondents, 1 in 6 reported experiencing food insecurity; this increases to 1 in 4 enlisted family respondents.

Spouse Employment & Child Care:

Job portability shows positive gains for those active-duty spouses who recently relocated, though overall spouse employment rates continue to be hampered by child care challenges and service member schedules. Spouse respondents estimate thousands of dollars in income lost while waiting to obtain a new or have a current professional license honored after relocation. The ability to find and pay for child care continues to be a top barrier to employment for spouses, in addition to service member schedules. Just 20% of spouses with a need for child care for work use Child Development Centers and 5% use Family Care Centers.

Introduction:

Military families are a key solution to the recruiting crisis, but likelihood to recommend military service is declining. Quality-of-life issues such as spouse employment, housing costs, and lack of belonging to the community influence families’ likelihood to recommend military service. Sustaining the All-Volunteer Force will require support from all sectors — communities and individuals, businesses, government, and military.

Social Ties:

Frequent relocation and separation from friends and family make in-person connection a challenge. Most active-duty family respondents report they engage with their closest friends virtually rather than in person, but those that do report lower mean well-being scores (M = 43.3, range 0-70 versus 46.9). Engaging virtually may allow military families to interact with others more frequently, but active-duty family respondents who engaged entirely or mostly in person with their closest relationship had a higher mean well-being score than those who engaged entirely or mostly virtually, regardless of how often they interacted.

Veteran Transition and Readiness:

Veteran experiences in the transition from military to civilian life have implications for whether they recommend military service, regardless of retirement status. Overall, Veterans respondents find the transition from military to civilian life “difficult,” especially if the respondent was unable to prepare for the transition.

Health Care Access:

Access to timely specialty health care can be a challenge for military families, often exceeding average wait times in the overall U.S. Four in 10 active-duty family respondents reported that their family member needing specialty care waited more than two months from the time they sought an appointment to the date of the appointment. For those who waited more than two months for a specialty care appointment, just 19% considered that wait time to be “reasonable.”

EFMP Families:

A greater proportion of active-duty family respondents who relocated since their child(ren)’s education plan was created reported their child received the same services/accommodations as their previous school system within six months if they were enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP). Most (71%) respondents enrolled in EFMP are enrolled for their child(ren), but not all who have children who may qualify are enrolled.

Housing and Relocation:

Higher out-of-pocket housing costs may influence military families’ likelihood to recommend military service. Housing costs remain the top contributing factor to financial stress for active-duty family respondents, despite slight gains in overall financial well-being. Housing costs continue to be a top five issue of concern for active-duty families, though Department of Defense efforts to address these concerns appear to be making a positive impact.

Food Insecurity:

Knowledge and utilization of the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA) is low; the new program may not yet be effectively targeting food-insecure families. More than half (54%) of active-duty family respondents did not know what the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA) was and only a small proportion (3%) indicated that they had applied. Of active-duty family respondents, 1 in 6 reported experiencing food insecurity; this increases to 1 in 4 enlisted family respondents.

Spouse Employment & Child Care:

Job portability shows positive gains for those active-duty spouses who recently relocated, though overall spouse employment rates continue to be hampered by child care challenges and service member schedules. Spouse respondents estimate thousands of dollars in income lost while waiting to obtain a new or have a current professional license honored after relocation. The ability to find and pay for child care continues to be a top barrier to employment for spouses, in addition to service member schedules. Just 20% of spouses with a need for child care for work use Child Development Centers and 5% use Family Care Centers.

“By identifying and focusing on the challenges that matter to our military families, we can build the connection and belonging that allows our Airmen and Guardians to serve to their full potential. The Military Family Lifestyle Survey is critical to that effort. It shows us where we’re making progress and where we have work to do. It gives us data-driven insights to recruit and retain the best people our country has to offer.”

- Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall

VIDEOS

Play Video

MEDIA & PARTNERSHIP INQUIRIES

If you are a member of the media or a nonprofit organization that supports military- and Veteran-connected communities and you are interested in partnering with Blue Star Families to promote this research, contact [email protected].

FUNDERS

Funding for the 2023 Military Family Lifestyle Survey is provided through the generosity of our sponsors: The USAA Foundation, Lockheed Martin, Macy’s Inc., Northrop Grumman, and CSX. With the additional support of Blue Star Families from craig newmark philanthropies and the Patrick McGovern Foundation.

Funding for this essential research is provided through the generosity of our sponsors. If you are interested in funding further research, use the button below.

Quick Links

Authors

From the Department of Applied Research at Blue Star Families, with the exception of the Veteran finding, which was written by the team at the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF).

Blue Star Families

  • Jessica D. Strong, Ph.D., Senior Director of Applied Research 
  • Karly M. Howell, M.A., Associate Director of Research
  • Brooke Blaalid, MSW, Associate Director of Policy
  • Kristen A. Higgason, MLIS, Research Manager
  • Ana C. Jackson, MSW, Evaluation Manager
  • Ryan Brennan, USAA DEPLOY Food Insecurity Fellow
  • Ashley B. Scott, Policy and Innovation Coordinator
  • Jessica Moser, Spanish Translation Consultant