Supporting military families and veterans, sustaining the all-volunteer force

Active-duty military members sacrifice much while serving and protecting our country, including their families’ small moments and huge milestones. When our troops serve, so do their families, which makes understanding the current state of this community all the more critical. And informing officials from the White House, Congress, the Department of Defense, and state and local offices about how best to respond to the broader military community’s unique needs and challenges requires feedback from military families themselves.

On October 29, the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at Brookings hosted a discussion to mark the release of Blue Star Families’ 2015 Annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey, one of the most important tools for understanding the issues facing service members, veterans, and military family members. Participants included Cristin Orr Shiffer, deputy director of research and policy at Blue Star Families and Nicholas Armstrong, senior director for research and policy at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families—both responsible for conducting the survey—Brad Carson, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon of Brookings, author of the new book “The Future of Land Warfare.” Elaine Kamarck, senior fellow and director of the Center for Effective Public Management at Brookings, moderated the panel.

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