A new survey by Blue Star Families, a non-profit organization, has found a significant drop in the number of households who would recommend a military career.
In its comprehensive report released this month, Blue Star Families states that only 32 percent of active-duty families surveyed last year said they would endorse military service, down from 55 percent in 2016.
Challenges Faced by Military Households
The survey highlights several challenges faced by military families, which they believe make military life less appealing.
The top concern was difficulty finding employment for spouses, with nearly half of respondents citing this as a major factor.
The current unemployment rate for military spouses is reportedly six times higher than the national average.
Other concerns included:
Frequent deployments: Leading to time away from family (38%).
Insufficient pay: Military families struggle to make ends meet (37%).
Housing issues: Difficulty finding stable and affordable housing (36%).
Difficulties with children’s education: Frequent moves can disrupt children’s education (33%).
The survey also found that some families are struggling to access mental healthcare, and one in six reported experiencing food insecurity.
“This data shows that persistent quality-of-life issues such as spouse unemployment, limited child care, housing costs, and health care barriers impact military families’ desire to continue their family tradition of service,” said Jessica Strong, senior director at Blue Star Families.
Impact on Recruitment
Here’s the kicker: this decline in support for military life comes at a time when the US military is seriously struggling to recruit new people.
They’ve missed their recruitment goals for two years in a row, and right now, they’re the smallest they’ve been in over 80 years.
Strong believes that if the military wants to fix this recruiting crisis, it must listen to the families already serving.
“But military families are the most critical untapped potential to solve the national recruiting crisis,” she says.
In other words, if the military wants to attract recruits, it must ensure that the life it offers is actually appealing to the families already living it.
The survey basically serves as a wake-up call.
The military needs to address these family concerns or risk falling even further behind on their recruitment goals.
It’s like that leaky faucet in your kitchen—you have to fix it before the whole place floods, right?
