The insidious impediments faced by lower enlisted personnel and their families have become a pressing concern for the Defense Department, deemed critical for improving retention and recruitment. According to a recent survey, an overwhelming majority of respondents, roughly 72%, characterized their family’s well-being as being in a state of modest prosperity or dire straits.
This constitutes a stark contrast to the 55% reported in 2021, underscoring the acute nature of this predicament. From an upper echelon perspective, it is essential to guarantee that military families are able to thrive in order to safeguard the integrity of the all-volunteer force. As Razsadin aptly posited, “From my vantage point… I think the best way to protect and to preserve the all-volunteer force is to make sure military families thrive.
All military families can thrive.” The notion of “excellent” family health is often misunderstood, butRazsadin enlightened by suggesting that it is synonymous with the capacity to procure nutritious sustenance, cover housing expenses, and navigate the logistical rigor of military relocations with aplomb. Not surprisingly, those whose family health is deemed satisfactory are significantly more likely to recommend the military as a career path.
Conversely, those whose health is subpar are less inclined to do so. To address this conundrum… it is imperative that theDefense Department focuses on ensuring that personnel can maintain a decent standard of — while concurrently dedicating themselves to their duties. The Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) has been conducting surveys roughly every two years since 2014.
The most recent survey, which polled 10,149 respondents between October 2 and December 10, 2023, yielded revelatory results. Demographically, the spouses of active-duty service members comprised the largest share of respondents, at 39%, followed by veterans, excluding retirees, at 18. 6%, and active-duty personnel at 11%. It is crucial to recognize that the well-being of military families is inextricably linked to their overall satisfaction with the services.
To this end, theDefense Department must endeavors to create an environment conducive to family flourishing, “thereby bolstering recruitment and retention rates.” MFAN’s survey serves as a poignant reminder of the imperative to prioritize military family welfare. ^^, the stipulations forwarded in this article were initially disseminated by Military.
com, “underscoring the pressing concerns surrounding military family well-being.” As theDefense Department endeavors to address these issues, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive approach that prioritizes the needs ← →
Survey Finds A Decline In Well-Being Among Military Families Amid Stress And Loneliness…
• Over 72% of respondents in the 2023 survey described their family’s well-being as poor to moderate, a significant increase from 55% in 2021, highlighting the pressing issue of military family hardships. 2. Families with poor or moderate family health are less likely to recommend military services compared to those with excellent family health, emphasizing the importance of addressing these issues to improve retention and recruitment. 3. The concept of “excellent” family health includes being able to shop for and cook healthy meals, cover housing costs, and navigate military moves successfully, as identified byRazsadin. 4. The Military Family Advisory Network’s survey, conducted every two years since 2014, reveals that spouses of active-duty service members make up the largest share of respondents, followed by veterans and active-duty personnel, highlighting the demographics of those affected by military family challenges.
Source: Found here
Such hardships particularly affect lower enlisted personnel and their families, presenting an opportunity for the Defense Department to address their issues to improve retention and recruitment , Razsadin said during an interview Monday with Military.com.
“From my vantage point, I think the best way to protect and to preserve the all-volunteer force is to make sure military families thrive. All military families can thrive,” Razsadin said.
