Navy households regard the attainable change of navy retirement advantages as their prime concern, in response to the outcomes of a significant survey launched at present. The 2012 Navy Household Life-style Survey additionally reveals that pay and advantages, the influence of deployments on youngsters, operational tempo, partner employment and training and fight stress and mind accidents are most on the minds of navy relations. Blue Star Households, a nonprofit navy household assist group, launched the findings of its third annual survey earlier than a Capitol Hill viewers of Congress members, navy relations and assist organizations, and media. “That data in this survey is the story of our lives,” stated Kathy Roth-Douquet, the chief government officer of Blue Star Households. The survey, she stated, is carried out by skilled researchers who are also navy relations. Greater than 4,000 relations responded to the survey, representing every of the providers — lively, Nationwide Guard and reserve, and Coast Guard — and all areas of the nation. Practically half of the survey respondents have a service member within the senior enlisted ranks, and 64 % of respondents are between the ages of 25 and 44. Thirty-one % of respondents listed attainable adjustments to retirement advantages as their greatest concern, adopted by 20 % who cited pay and advantages as their prime concern; Veterans stated their greatest issues associated to separating from the navy had been employment alternatives, adopted by entry to well being care; Seven % of respondents listed operational tempo as their prime concern, and assist for staying within the navy dropped from 52 % for households who had been separated 13 to 24 months, to 15 % for many who spent greater than 37 months aside; Sixty % of partner respondents should not presently employed, and of these, 53 % wished to be; 57 % stated being a navy partner has a unfavorable influence on their capacity to work; 27 % had issues getting skilled licenses to switch to totally different states; Six % of respondents listed post-traumatic stress, fight stress and traumatic mind accidents as their prime concern; 26 % stated their service member had indicators of post-traumatic stress and three % stated they’d a analysis. Robert L. Gordon III, deputy assistant secretary of protection for navy group and household coverage, stated the division and the nation are challenged by financial issues at present, however that each should maintain navy households. Issues modified after the Vietnam Struggle, Gordon stated.
“We got out of Vietnam and into the all-volunteer force,” he stated. “Because of that, our force became a married force.” Additionally, Gordon stated, the navy now could be structured in order that “the entire military goes to war.” Certainly, the survey discovered that Nationwide Guard and Reserve members have spent as a lot time away from house previously decade as lively responsibility members. “We’re challenged today, and I would say we are up to that challenge,” Gordon stated. “We have a supportive Congress and a supportive administration, where the first lady and Dr. [Jill] Biden are out pitching for the military” by means of their “Joining Forces” marketing campaign. “That’s why this survey is so important,” he stated. “We need to know how these families feel. We have to have a better integration of [combat veterans] when they come home — and they are coming home.”
