The Blue Star Families 2024 Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS) captures the experiences of nearly 5,600 military respondents worldwide. The MFLS is the largest and most comprehensive survey of Active-Duty, National Guard, Reserve service members, veterans, and their families. Since 2014, the IVMF has had the privilege to collaborate with Blue Star Families on the MFLS. The survey covers the continuum of military service—active duty through transition and veteran life—and comprehensive in topics such as the financial concerns for military families, childcare and military spouse employment, community and resource needs for military to civilian transition, mental health and suicide prevention for service members, and a lot more.
Veteran Transition: Implications of Community and Resource Needs in Military-to-Civilian Transition
Summary
Separating service members and their families often view the military-to-civilian transition process as difficult. The 2024 MFLS veteran Transition finding, written by researchers at the IVMF for the MFLS, is centered on the veteran transition experience, with focus on the decision-making process for veteran and spouse of veteran respondents during separation from the military. The goal is to provide additional understanding of the types of resources used, how individuals were able to access these resources, and explore how their experiences during military transition impact long term outcomes, such as those related to Veteran well-being.
In this finding, readers can find 2024 MFLS data on the decision-making process surrounding military separation, including decisions about location, resources used and needed, and their concerns during this critical period. Readers will also get to see how community variables—chiefly those measuring one’s satisfaction and sense of belonging with their communities—are related to respondent well-being. There is also analysis on transition-related variables, such as preparedness and number of post-service relocations, and how they factor into the veteran respondent’s reflection on their sense of satisfaction and belonging with the community in which they currently reside.
Here are some data highlights from the Veteran Transition finding:
Post Military Relocation Choices:
Reasons veteran respondents moved to a new location:
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- Employment or education opportunities for themselves or their spouses.
- Relocated to be near their families.
- In search of a community that fits with their lifestyle and personal finance concerns.
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Among veteran respondents, their top three (four) considerations in deciding where to settle when separating from the military:
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- Cost of living and housing affordability (63%).
- Distance to extended family (54%).
- Access to civilian health care facilities (45%).
- Veteran’s employment prospects (45%).
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When seeking and engaging in resources during military separation for veteran respondents:
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- 42% found it helpful to discuss with peers (e.g., insights from conversations with colleagues).
- 45% used VA specific resources and found it helpful.
- 30% engaged with VSO/MSO and found it to be helpful.
- 23% used TAP but did not find it helpful.
- Many veteran respondents said that their knowledge came from their family or places of worship (unofficial networks).
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Looking at how community factors are related to veteran well-being (as measure by a thriving mean score):
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- Veteran respondents who are satisfied with the community they are currently residing in have a higher “thriving” mean score compared to those who are neutral or unsatisfied with their current communities.
- Veteran respondents who agree that they have a sense of belonging to their local civilian community have a higher thriving mean score.
- Veteran respondents who have made fewer number of moves since military separation have a higher thriving mean score.
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How preparedness is related to sense of belonging and number of relocations:
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- 78% veteran respondents who said they were prepared for transition said they were satisfied with the community they currently reside, compared to 50% who said the same among unprepared veteran respondents.
- 68% of veteran respondents who are prepared agree that they feel a sense of belonging compared to 38% of unprepared respondents who said the same.
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