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Military Families

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Extended and repeated deployments can cause significant stress to military families and may result in lower levels of reenlistment. RAND research has explored the need for military-sponsored child care and the role of military spouses, and continues to provide guidance to policymakers on how to attract and retain personnel with essential skills while also supporting military families.

Tool
A Guide to Evaluating Marine and Family Division Programs, Services, and Capabilities
For Marine and Family Division programs and services to remain meaningful, credible, and practical, their effectiveness must be able to be demonstrated. How might program implementers determine effectiveness and guide efficient use of scarce resources?
Sep 30, 2021
Report
How Do Army Spouses Find the Help They Need?
The U.S. Army provides many resources to help soldiers and their families cope with military life. But Army spouses typically learn about services through word-of-mouth rather than through program outreach efforts. The Army could do more to get the word out about available assistance.
Dec 15, 2021

Explore Military Families

Journal Article
Geographical Access to Specialized Behavioral Health Treatment Programs for U.S. Active Duty Service Members and Military Families from Military Installations
The purpose of this study is to determine geographical access to specialized behavioral health programs tailored to active duty U.S. service members and military families from military installations.
Jun 1, 2023
Report
"Conditions for Postservice Success Are Set Well Before the Uniform Comes Off": Proceedings from a Roundtable on How Military Service Affects Veterans' Posttransition Outcomes
The RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute hosted subject-matter experts for a roundtable discussion focusing on how military experience shapes veterans' transitions to civilian life.
May 30, 2023
Research Brief
Domestic Abuse Prevention and Outreach Approaches for the Military Community
This study focused on identifying strategies to help prevent domestic abuse among service members and their spouses or partners before it occurs and strategies for outreach to high-risk groups that could be effective in the military environment.
May 16, 2023
Report
Preventing Domestic Abuse in the U.S. Armed Forces
Domestic abuse has severe consequences for service members, their families, and, potentially, unit readiness. What strategies could help prevent domestic abuse before it occurs and help the military with communication to reach individuals who might have risk factors for domestic abuse?
May 16, 2023
Report
Interventions for People Who Have Attempted Suicide and Their Family Members: A Systematic Review
A history of having attempted suicide is an important risk factor for suicide. In this report, the authors review the uptake, retention, and effectiveness of suicide aftercare interventions after an attempt.
Mar 8, 2023
Report
The Today's Army Spouse Panel Proof-of-Concept Study: Methodological Report
Researchers evaluate the effectiveness of the Today's Army Spouse Panel, an operational proof of concept survey panel of U.S. Army spouses, in recruiting participants and providing timely information representative of Army spouses.
Jan 17, 2023
Report
Today's Army Spouse Panel Survey: Impact of COVID-19
COVID-19 has had a broad and continuing impact across society. How did the pandemic affect Army spouses with respect to employment, child care, financial, and other concerns in 2020 and 2021?
Jan 17, 2023
Blog
A Potential Russian Attack on NATO, China in the Arctic, Inflation: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how the West might respond in the case of a limited Russian attack on NATO, what China's Arctic ambitions mean to the United States, how inflation affects middle-class households, and more.
Jan 6, 2023
News Release
Food Insecurity Affects Many Active-Duty U.S. Military Families, but Root Causes Remain Unclear
More than a quarter of active-duty military personnel have faced some level of food insecurity, but the underlying causes are not well understood.
Jan 4, 2023
Report
Food Insecurity Among U.S. Service Members and Their Families
Over a quarter of active duty personnel were food insecure in 2018, but only 14 percent of them used food assistance programs. Some said that the military culture of self-sufficiency and pride kept them from seeking help. Other barriers were a lack of knowledge about available resources and eligibility.
Jan 3, 2023
Research Brief
Food Insecurity in the U.S. Military: Responses to Eight Topics Raised by Congress
In response to a congressional query, RAND researchers examined the extent of food insecurity among military service members, their participation in food assistance programs, and the advisability of a basic needs allowance.
Jan 3, 2023
Blog
Supporting America's Veterans: RAND Weekly Recap
This Veterans Day edition of the weekly recap focuses on helping veterans succeed in civilian jobs, a bakery that doubles as a business school for members of the military community, Black Americans’ military service, and more.
Nov 11, 2022
Essay
Dog Tag Bakery: A Fresh Start for Veterans
A bakery in Washington, D.C., brings together service-disabled post–9/11 veterans, military spouses, and caregivers. For five months, they are immersed in an intensive entrepreneurial-focused business program. It's become a model for helping veterans and others in the military community reestablish their lives.
Nov 1, 2022
Periodical
RAND Review: November-December 2022
Features explore an innovative fellowship for military veterans, spouses, and caregivers; how veterans fare in the civilian labor market after leaving the military; and the impact of racism on patient safety in health care settings.
Oct 31, 2022
Research Brief
Fellowship Program Supports the Transition from Military to Civilian Life
Dog Tag Inc.'s entrepreneurial fellowship program helps veterans, their spouses, and their caregivers prepare for careers in the civilian workforce. In addition to occupational training in a variety of business sectors, the program offers wellness activities and peer support.
Oct 12, 2022
Report
The Impacts of Dog Tag Inc. A Mixed-Methods Exploration of an Entrepreneurial Fellowship for Veterans, Military Spouses, and Military Caregivers
This report describes efforts to help Dog Tag Inc. better understand the impacts of its entrepreneurial fellowship program, which seeks to help veterans, their spouses, and those who serve as their caregivers reintegrate into civilian life.
Oct 12, 2022
News Release
Landmark Women's Reproductive Health Survey Shows Need for Improvements in DoD Reproductive Health Care
Improvements to reproductive health care services provided by the U.S. Department of Defense would allow DoD to better meet the needs of female service members and address the high rate of unintended pregnancies among active-duty service women.
Sep 13, 2022
Report
How the Dobbs v. Jackson Ruling Could Affect U.S. National Security
Women are an integral part of the U.S. military and DoD civilian workforce. Limiting their access to legal abortion services will affect their health and could decrease force readiness. It could also raise health care, child care, and education costs, and affect recruitment and retention.
Sep 13, 2022
Report
Diversity in U.S. Military Families: An Environmental Scan of the Peer-Reviewed Literature on Race and Ethnic Variation for Select Well-Being Outcomes
Researchers explore the literature on race and ethnicity in relation to U.S. military service member well-being in the areas of mental health, behavioral health, family violence, marital satisfaction, and financial stress.
Jul 1, 2022
Commentary
The Russian Military Has Failed Its Sons
The Russian military has a long history of mistreating its personnel and their frightened families. The military's culture of disregard for the lives and well-being of its personnel has done more than undermine their combat performance; it has also tanked their morale and will to fight.
May 18, 2022

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RAND Topic:
Military Families

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Thomas E. Trail

Senior Behavioral Scientist

Thomas E. Trail is a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. Trail's research focuses on how stress affects relationship processes and health outcomes among military and civilian couples and the effectiveness of programs in mitigating family stress. Current research projects he is…
Stephani L. Wrabel

Policy Researcher

Stephani L. Wrabel (she/her) is a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation with expertise in education and military-connected youth. She conducts research to improve practices, programs, and policies that shape the lives of students and military-connected people. Her portfolio includes studies…

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