Results of the Blue Star Families 2020 Military Family Lifestyle Survey

In collaboration with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, Blue Star Families conducts an annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey to ascertain the best ways to support our country’s military and veteran families. The survey generates millions of data points which provide insight that informs leaders, local communities, and non-profit organizations as they work to improve the experiences of our service members and veterans.

In September and October of 2020, the 11th Blue Star Families survey was conducted. Nearly 11,000 families from across the globe responded, making it the largest survey of Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, and Veteran families to date. Here is an overview of some of the findings.

Racial and gender discrimination is prevalent in our military, impacts service members readiness and retention, and often goes unreported.
Most service members feel as though intra-unit communication needs improvement. Those who do not feel this way report significantly lower stress levels.
Anxiety disorders are common among spouses of active-duty service members.
Many junior enlisted respondents and their families experience food insecurity.
Limited childcare options remain a source of stress for active-duty families, as does underemployment of military spouses.
Only 37% of active-duty families feel as though civilians truly appreciate the sacrifices made by military families, and fewer (21%) feel as though civilians actually understand those sacrifices.

Military families are essential to our national defense as well as our local communities. Blue Star Families views the results of this survey as a blueprint for strengthening not just our Armed Forces, but our country as a whole.

The full report, official recommendations, and executive summary of the 2020 Military Family Lifestyle Survey are all available for download. Additionally, videos of panel discussions regarding survey results are available to view online.

Interested in contributing to this year’s survey? The Blue Star Families 2021 Military Family Lifestyle Survey is open through June 6th.