Calling all military members, veterans and your family members: Blue Star Families wants your input about your experiences, as part of the annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey, available here online for the next six weeks, through Oct. 16.
This year’s survey, in light of this year’s pandemic and other events, will ask some questions related to experiences during the COVID pandemic, and will also ask more questions about the experiences of Black and Hispanic/Latinx military families, said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. On an annual basis, the survey delves into experiences and perceptions in a variety of areas, such as employment and finance, family stability, health care and mental health, child care and education. The survey generally takes about 30 to 35 minutes to complete.
Results from this year’s survey will be released in early 2021.
More than 11,000 family members, service members and veterans responded to the 2019 survey, identifying their top stressors as financial issues and relocation stress.
“We are calling on families to be a voice for their community and drive action that improves the lives of those who serve our country,” said Roth-Douquet, in an announcement of the survey launch. “With less than one half of one percent of the U.S. population serving today, we are putting a spotlight on the unique challenges facing these families and strengthening community ties with our civilian neighbors.”
The survey was first fielded in 2009, and is conducted in partnership with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University.
The survey is open to service members, families and veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard and Reserve Components.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
