Population Reference Bureau and Hopkins Population Center 5 th Annual Symposium on Policy and Health “The Effects of Military Deployment on Family Health” Oct. 28, 2011 National Press Club, Washington, DC David R. Segal, Professor of Sociology, and Director of the Center for Research on Military Organization, University of Maryland Robert W. Blum, William H. Gates Sr. Professor and Chair, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Cmdr. (Dr.) Gregory H. Gorman, U.S. Navy, Department of Pediatrics, Uniformed Services University and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Valerie Maholmes, Director, Social and Affective Development/Child Maltreatment and Violence Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
The Demography of Military Families Symposium on Policy and Population Health October 28, 2011 National Press Club, Washington DC Sponsored by: The Population Reference Bureau and The Hopkins Population Center Dr. David R. Segal dsegal@umd.edu Center for Research on Military Organization Department of Sociology University of Maryland 2112 Art-Sociology Bldg. College Park, MD 20742
Figure 1. Participation in the US Armed Forces, 1801-2011 % of total US population in the armed forces 10% World War II (1941-1945) 9% 8% 7% 6% 5% World War I Civil War Korean War OEF & OIF (2001, (1917-1918) (1861-1865) (1950-1953) 2003 - present) 4% Vietnam War (1964-1973) 3% War of 1812 Gulf War (1991) (1812-1815) 2% Mexican War Spanish-American War (1846-1848) (1898) 1% 0% 1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 Sources: DoD Personnel and Military Casualty Statistics, 2000-2011 (http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/MILITARY/miltop.htm) and the following U.S. Census Bureau publications: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970 (1975) (http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab.html), Historical National Population Estimates 1900-1999, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008 (http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html)
Military Families • Spouse and family satisfaction with military life is major factor in decisions to stay in or separate from the military • Military families take many different forms • Increased diversity means changing experiences and expectations regarding the demands of the military lifestyle • There are more military family members than service members (1:1.4)
Figure 2. Percent Married by Age and Sex for Military and Civilians in the Labor Force, 2009 100% 90% 80% 70% Percent Married 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45+ Age (years) Male Military Male Civilian Female Military Female Civilian Source: “Population Representation in the Military Services”, DoD 2009
Military Spouses • While the vast majority of civilians who are married to civilian personnel are women, there is a small but growing number of military husbands who face unique challenges – Gender norms and expectations – Employment opportunities – Social isolation Table 1. Distribution of Sex of Military Spouses by Service Branch Army Navy Marine Corps Air Force Total DoD Male 6.3% 7.3% 2.1% 10.0% 6.9% Female 93.7% 92.7% 97.9% 90.0% 93.1% Source: DoD Profile of the Military Community, 2009
The Youthfulness of Military Families • Compared to their civilian counterparts, service members are: – More likely to be married – More likely to be married at younger ages – More likely to have young children at home
Figure 3. Percent of Junior Enlisted Men and Women Married Compared With Similar Civilians, 2010 40% 37% 36% 33% 35% 30% 24% 25% Junior Enlisted (E1-E4) 20% Civilian with comparable earnings (ages 18-24) 15% 10% 5% 0% Men Women Source: DMDC Active Duty Family Marital Status Report (2010), March 2010 Current Population Survey
Figure 4. Age Distribution of Children in Military Families • Of military families with 19 to 22 children, 73% of children 4% are under 12 years old 12 to 18 • Grade school children 23% whose parents were 0 to 5 cumulatively deployed 19 42% months or longer experienced negative academic performance compared with children whose parents had not deployed or deployed less 6 to 11 than 19 months 31% Sources: DoD Profile of the Military Community, 2009; RAND “Effects of Soldiers’ Deployment on Children’s Academic Performance and Behavioral Health”, 2011
Moving with the Military • Military families are both tied migrants and tied stayers • Move on average every two to three years • Move 2.4 times more than civilian families • Move further distances than civilian families Source: Cooney et al. “Moving with the Military”, 2009
Figure 5. Mobility of Armed Forces Personnel and Employed Civilians, 2009-2010 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “General Mobility of Persons 16 Years and Over, by Sex, Age, Race and Hispanic Origin, Region, and Labor Force Status: 2009 to 2010”
Spouse Employment • Frequent relocation presents special challenges to civilian spouses seeking employment • In labor market areas surrounding military bases, civilian women experience: – Higher unemployment : 2.3 points higher than in other labor market areas – Lower wages : 5% lower than in other labor market areas • Employment and wage effects occur due to confluence of: – Human capital penalties associated with tied migration – Contextual effects of military presence – Employer monopsony Source: Booth et al. 2000, Booth 2003
Figure 6. Underemployment Among Military and Civilian Wives in the Labor Force, 2010 Source: RAND “Measuring Underemployment Among Military Spouses”, 2010
Spouse Employment • Geographic mobility influences spouse satisfaction – For each additional year of tour length, the likelihood of spouse dissatisfaction decreased by 4.2% – For each additional year at current location, the likelihood of spouse dissatisfaction decreased by 5.6% • Spouse satisfaction with job opportunities varies by gender, race, and class – Female spouses less dissatisfied than male spouses – Black spouses more dissatisfied than white spouses – Enlisted spouses more dissatisfied than officer’s spouses Source: Cooney et al. “Moving with the Military”, 2009
Military Families Become Veteran Families • The military is a short- Figure 7. Type of Separation, term career for all but a 2009 few service members • Average length of service approximately 7 years • In 2009, approximately 180,00 personnel separated from the military – With 1.4 family members for every service member, this means more than 250,000 military family members became veteran family members Source: DoD “Profile of the Military Community”, 2009
Figure 8. Unemployment Rate of Veterans and Nonveterans by Sex and Age (%), 2010 25 20 15 10 5 0 18-24 years 25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years 55-64 years Male Veterans Male Nonveterans Female Veterans Female Nonveterans Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics “Employment Situation of Veterans, 2010”
Wounded Warriors • Improved weapons and armor technology means that service members are more likely to survive serious injuries than in past conflicts • Long-term caretaking responsibilities often fall to spouses and parents who must face multiple sources of emotional, financial, and family responsibility stressors • Increased attention to the “invisible wounds of war” emphasizes both short-term and long-term affects of war on service members, veterans, and their families Source: RAND “The Invisible Wounds of War” 2008
Figure 9. Annual New PTSD and TBI Diagnoses, All Services 2000-2010 35000 30000 25000 20000 PTSD TBI 15000 10000 5000 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Sources: Congressional Research Service: US Military Casualty Statistics (2010), DoD Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (2011)
Figure 10. Prevalence of Mental Health Conditions Following Deployment to OIF (%) 25.0 20.0 15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 Depression Anxiety PTSD Any of the above Pre-OIF 3 Months Post-OIF 12 Months Post-OIF
Conclusions • The all-volunteer military will continue to be a demographically diverse force with more family members than service members – Diversity in military family demographics – Diversity in family structures • Family satisfaction with military lifestyle affects service member satisfaction and decisions – Work-family conflict, morale, and job performance – Retention and career decisions
Conclusions • Potential strains of military lifestyle affect all families, but expectations and needs can vary greatly by family characteristics – Service branch, active duty and reservist families – Gender of spouse – Education and social class – Race and ethnicity – Single parent and dual-service families • Military service continues to affect veterans and families after service is completed – Employment and earnings – Physical and mental health
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