Washington, D.C., Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blue Star Families today released the findings of its 2025 Quality of Life and the Future of Service: Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS), with fresh data demonstrating how financially exposed many military families remain — having direct implications on morale, readiness, and retention across the All-Volunteer Force.
Importantly, the financial strain these families experience is often an unintended consequence of military service itself. Frequent relocations, out-of-pocket PCS costs, childcare challenges, and disrupted spouse education and careers are the result of families following orders and meeting the demands of service. Unlike chronic financial insecurity amongst everyday Americans, these pressures are directly tied to operational requirements and help explain why military families continue to report lower financial stability than their civilian peers.
“The military lifestyle is necessary, honorable, and carries unintended strains for families that BSF has chronicled for years, and in many ways see increasing this year,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. “But there are bright spots. Congressional efforts to improve quality of life have impact; community programs to welcome and integrate military families lessen the otherwise growing food insecurity, spouse unemployment and related strains caused by frequent moves, family separations and uncertainty of military life.”
Key Findings
The 2025 MFLS findings highlight how persistent, service-connected financial pressures continue to shape military family life:
- Financial strain is affecting families’ ability to meet basic needs.
22% of active-duty family respondents said they ate less than they felt they should because there wasn’t enough money for food in the past year, and 28% were categorized as having low or very low food security — indicators of sustained financial pressure rather than short-term disruption. - Most military families now rely on two incomes to remain financially stable.
68% of active-duty family respondents said having two incomes is vitally important to their family’s financial well-being, underscoring how spouse employment disruptions and child care access challenges compound service-related financial strain. - Family stability influences confidence in recruitment and retention outcomes.
77% of active-duty family respondents said support for military families during service strongly impacts future recruitment, while 59% reported a lack of confidence that service members and their families will continue to receive the long-term support they need. - Concerns about financial and benefit security shape transition anxiety.
Among active-duty families approaching separation, 68% said losing quality-of-life benefits was their biggest concern when transitioning to civilian life, and 42% said they felt very or somewhat unprepared for the overall transition. - Overall satisfaction with military life reflects ongoing stability challenges.
Fewer than half (44%) of active-duty families said they are satisfied with the military way of life, providing an important benchmark as leaders assess how persistent financial pressures shape long-term force sustainability.
Why It Matters
Taken together, nearly two decades of MFLS findings point to the need for sustained, service-specific solutions that reflect the realities of military life. And they reinforce the shared responsibility of leaders, employers, communities, and organizations like Blue Star Families to support military families in ways that align with the demands of service.
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families (BSF) is the nation’s largest military and veteran family support organization. Its research-driven approach builds strong communities with a focus on human-centered design and innovative solutions. A “blue star family” is the family of a currently serving military member, including active duty, National Guard, reserve forces, and those transitioning out of service. Since its founding in 2009, BSF has delivered more than $336 million in benefits and impacts more than 1.5 million people annually through an expansive network of chapters and outposts. For more information, click here.
Media Relations Blue Star Families (844) 202-7827, ext. 4 media@bluestarfam.org
