Strengthening military families amid global challenges

Abstract: The Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS) stands out for its 15-year legacy as the only annual survey designed exclusively for both military and Veteran families, covering issues across the military lifecycle — spouse employment, child care, financial concerns, health care and mental health, relocation, deployment, and Veteran transition. Conducted with IRB approval and in partnership with Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the survey has garnered more than 107,000 cumulative responses to date. Decision-makers at all levels — from schools and communities to local and state governments, the Department of Defense, Congress, and the White House — use the insights from these findings to better understand the needs and challenges of military families and to develop policies, programs, and systemic solutions that address those needs. MFLS research has directly influenced numerous policy advancements, including increasing adjustments to the Basic Allowance for Housing, military spouse licensure reciprocity, and improved relocation benefits. Its findings have been cited in a myriad of Congressional testimonies, Secretary of Defense memos, and key legislative initiatives, such as the House Armed Services Committee’s Quality of Life Panel, shaping its final report and the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act. Provisions included in the FY25 NDAA included a 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted, a 4.5% increase for the rest of the force, an increase of the Basic Needs Allowance for low-income families, codifying the Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot Program, and more.1 Blue Star Families is committed to the proposition that support of military families is the responsibility of not only the government and Department of Defense, but civilian communities and the private sector. As such, our data and research have been the impetus to enact solutions within these sectors. In 2023, we launched the 4+1 Commitment to address spouse employment challenges and call on private sector employers to play a key role in increasing the economic security and sustainability of military families. In partnership with Hiring Our Heroes, over 200 private sector employers have signed on to this initiative to date. The entire portfolio of work reinforces the MFLS as a cornerstone for systemic change benefiting military families. Unique in its grassroots and grasstops approach, the MFLS integrates the voices of military and Veteran families and the interests of policymakers to address both enduring and emerging challenges, tracking trends over time and driving actionable solutions and reinforcing its role as a trusted source for understanding military family needs. Blue Star Families conducted its 15th annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey from March to May of 2024, capturing the experiences of 5,573 respondents worldwide.