Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society (2019) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
3 Demographic and Military Service Characteristics of Military Families
3 Demographic and Military Service Characteristics of Military Families
Pages 73-116
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 73... ...
In this overview, the committee points out how DoD may be using or interpreting these statistics in assessing military family needs, and how attention to intersectionality can aid DoD in identifying any gaps or undetected patterns in these needs. Based on this overview, the committee identifies additional demographic and military service data collection and analyses that would help DoD understand how well a wider range of military families is faring and whether new or revised programs and policies are required to meet their needs.
|
From page 74... ...
. The committee considers the demographic information and military service characteristics presented in this chapter to be relevant for understanding • individual and family well-being and resilience; • how service members' and military families' experiences and their attitudes toward military life may vary by subgroup, service branch, military status, and other factors; • the extent to which current DoD programs and policies are designed to meet the various needs of the full range of military families; and • the degree to which DoD has the information it needs to under stand majority and minority subgroups within this population.
|
From page 75... ...
These surveys also typically gather demographic and military service data, some of which are used to weight the analytic sample. The surveys include the recurring active and reserve component versions of the Status of Forces surveys of service members and spouse surveys.
|
From page 76... ...
Under Title 10 -- Section 1782 (a) , Survey of Military Families -- DoD is permitted to survey service members, family members, and survivors of personnel who died while on active duty or while retired from military service "in order to determine the effectiveness of Federal programs relating to military families and the need for new programs .
|
From page 77... ...
. Additionally, broader data collection by the government, such as the Census's American Community Survey, can include indicators of military service or military spouse status.
|
From page 78... ...
However, obtaining exact percentages is less important than understanding key patterns across populations, or even demonstrating whether certain subgroups exist, for example whether gay and lesbian service members were actually serving and serving openly when open service was prohibited. ORGANIZATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS Drawing from multiple sources within and outside of DoD, in this section we describe selected key demographic and military service characteristics of military families.
|
From page 79... ...
Reserve component personnel can also serve on active duty (e.g., when mobilized for a deployment) , but in this figure they are grouped according to their National Guard or Reserve organizational affiliation in the reserve component, rather than with the active component.
|
From page 80... ...
Assigned Geographical Location One major difference between active and reserve component service members is that the Services typically assign active component members to installations in the United States and abroad for tours that tend to last 2 to 3 years, whereas reserve component service members can generally maintain a continuous affiliation with a unit in the National Guard or Reserves. There are exceptions, of course: Some active members can have extended tours in one location, and members of the reserve component may choose to move, for example if they wish to relocate or pursue a particular position in another guard or reserve unit, or they may need to move as units close or change in composition.
|
From page 81... ...
Military families in this region are surrounded by a vast array of military and nonmilitary service providers, a great concentration of other current and former military families, multiple options for neighborhoods and forms of transportation, many education and employment opportunities, and endless opportunities for indoor and outdoor recreation and fitness activities for family members of all ages. Age Given the physical requirements and stressors of many military occupations and assignments, the force is relatively young by design.
|
From page 82... ...
, 34 years (Navy) , and 28 years (Marine Corps)
|
From page 83... ...
Indeed, 11 percent of active component and 8 percent of reserve component enlisted personnel hold an associate's degree as their highest level of education, and 8 percent of active component and 12 percent of reserve component enlisted have earned a bachelor's or higher degree (DoD, 2017, pp.
|
From page 84... ...
Of course, the Hispanic or Latino population in the military is racially diverse. For example, in 2017 this population made up 57 percent of active component personnel listed as having an "other" or "unknown" race, 22 percent of American Indian or Alaska Native personnel, 17 percent of White personnel, 15 percent of those who identified as multiracial, 10 percent of Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander personnel, 5 percent of Black or African American personnel, and 4 percent of Asian personnel (DoD, 2017, p.
|
From page 85... ...
. The Navy Reserve is the most racially diverse reserve component, while the least is the Air National Guard (DoD, 2017, p.
|
From page 86... ...
. DoD administrative data from 2009 showed that 20 percent reported no religious preference (Military Leadership Diversity Commission, 2010, p.
|
From page 87... ...
. Additionally, the percentage of women in the reserve component (20%)
|
From page 88... ...
.16 Gender identity is independent of sexual orientation, which is a matter of which gender one is attracted to romantically and/or sexually. In the past, DoD policy treated transgender identity as a disorder that is medically disqualifying for military service (Schaefer et al., 2016)
|
From page 89... ...
In January 2019, the Supreme Court lifted the lower courts' injunctions blocking new military policies while the legal challenges continue, meaning DoD was free to move forward with policy restricting the military service of transgender individuals (Kamarck, 2019)
|
From page 90... ...
Recent DoD surveys have been used to estimate how many military personnel are transgender. The 2015 DoD Health Related Behaviors Survey of active component personnel (administered November 2015–April 2016)
|
From page 91... ...
The sample was weighted along other key demographic and military service characteristics. These survey results suggest that there may be service differences as well.
|
From page 92... ...
The number of sexual minority partners, spouses, dependent t eenagers, and young adults in the military family population is unknown, but comprise an even larger potential pool of people who may need assistance with and provider-sensitivity to issues related to stigma, harassment, or discrimination based on sexual orientation. These surveys also suggest that relative to military men, a disproportionate number of military women are sexual minorities.
|
From page 93... ...
Percentages may not total to 100 due to rounding. personnel, the gender and component differences are even starker: 44 percent of married active component women and 11 percent of married reserve component women are in dual-military marriages, while 7 percent of married active component men and 5 percent of married reserve component men are (DoD, 2017, pp.
|
From page 94... ...
The estimated percentage of married personnel who divorced in a single year (2017) was 3 percent of married active component members and 3 percent of married reserve component members (DoD, 2017, pp.
|
From page 95... ...
. The weighted 2017 Status of Forces survey results indicate that while 57 percent of active component and 49 percent of reserve component personnel reported being married or separated, nearly 10 percent of active component and 17 percent of reserve component personnel indicated they had been in a relationship with a significant other for a year or longer (DoD, 2018b)
|
From page 96... ...
The average age of active component spouses is 32, while the average age of reserve component spouses is 36 (DoD, 2017, pp.
|
From page 97... ...
. If the spouse survey results are representative of the spouse population at large, a greater percentage of active component spouses are racial or ethnic minorities compared to reserve component spouses.
|
From page 98... ...
Religion The committee is unaware of any statistics on the religious affiliation of military spouses or partners. Gender The vast majority of military spouses are women: 92 percent of active component spouses and 87 percent of reserve component spouses are women (DoD, 2017, pp.
|
From page 99... ...
. The 2017 DoD Survey of Reserve Component Spouses measured education level slightly differently: 46 percent of the weighted sample reported having no college or some college, 33 percent a 4-year degree, and 21 percent a graduate or professional degree (DoD, 2018b)
|
From page 100... ...
, the unemployment rate among the active component spouse respondents was 19 percent, compared to 7 percent for reserve component spouse respondents. Note that 34 percent of active component spouses and 22 percent of reserve component spouses were not working nor seeking work.
|
From page 101... ...
. While this youngest age group is also the largest age group among active component children, reserve component children ages 6 to 11 make up 32 percent, or about the same percentage as those who are ages 5 or younger (31%)
|
From page 102... ...
, EFMP status, whether they live on- or off-base, whether they live in the United States or not, whether they live with the service member or not, and so on. Other Family Members, Friends, and Neighbors Other family members, such as parents, siblings, grandparents -- and even friends and neighbors whom service members self-define as "family" -- can be an important part of a military family's support network, and the converse may be true as well: These people may depend on military personnel for financial or other support.
|
From page 103... ...
. The provision requires public schools to include the MSI question, for example in their student enrollment procedure, which identifies students who have a parent who is a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard on active duty, in cluding full-time National Guard duty.a The provision does not include students with a parent who serves in the National Guard or Reserve unless that parent serves fulltime.
|
From page 104... ...
Adults who hold the status of military dependents could include grown children, f ormer spouses, siblings, parents, grandparents, or others in the legal custody of a service member. In 2017, there were 8,988 adult dependents of active omponent service members and 1,591 adult dependents of DoD c reserve component members (10,579 adult dependents)
|
From page 105... ...
These individuals may find it challenging to connect with others in their same situation and to learn which, if any, military- sponsored activities or resources might be open to them to help them better support military families. CHARACTERISTICS THAT CHANGE OVER TIME It is important to track trends in characteristics like these, as they may vary over time.
|
From page 106... ...
. ATTENTION TO INTERSECTIONALITY To better understand military personnel and their families, it is important to remember that the characteristics described throughout this chapter intersect with one another and countless other statuses not mentioned here (e.g., religion/spirituality, native language)
|
From page 107... ...
Paying greater attention to intersectionality could help DoD look for gaps and previously undetected patterns that might call for differing approaches to outreach or intervention and also help DoD affirm its commitment to a diverse range of military personnel and families. It may also help support recruitment and retention goals by promoting better attention to the varied interests, strengths, disadvantages, and needs of the myriad populations that could or do serve in the military.
|
From page 108... ...
The veteran population is relevant and valuable to the current military population in many ways. Veterans can be spouses or other family members of current military personnel.
|
From page 109... ...
CONCLUSIONS Any effort to understand the experiences, attitudes, and needs of U.S. military personnel and their families and what might be needed to best support them must first appreciate the great size of this population and the diversity of its demographic and military service characteristics.
|
From page 110... ...
Having reviewed DoD and non-DoD information on the demographic and military service characteristics of military families, and having considered the types of information that would be useful for understanding the well-being and readiness of military families, the committee draws the following overarching conclusions about the strengths and limitations of DoD's data. CONCLUSION 3-1: The Department of Defense's existing data on military families are insufficient for understanding the degree to which societal shifts in family structure are reflected in today's measurements of the military community population.
|
From page 111... ...
. 2006 Survey of Reserve Component Spouses.
|
From page 112... ...
. 2017 Workplace and Gender Relations Survey of Reserve Component Members: DoD Overview Report.
|
From page 113... ...
. Population Representation in the Military Services: Fiscal Year 2016 Summary Report.
|
From page 114... ...
. Accommodation of Religious Practices Within the Military Services.
|
From page 115... ...
. Personal Communication of 2017 DoD-only Reserve Component Admin istrative Statistics to Supplement Statistics Reported in 2017 Demographics: Profile of the Military Community.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.