Military service members, families uncertain about their future: survey

Most service members joined the military at least in part because of the promised financial security. But they are becoming increasingly uncertain that these promises will pan out and such doubts are reducing willingness to stay in the military, according to an annual survey by Blue Star Families.

For the second year in a row, military pay and benefits was the top issue in the group’s annual Lifestyle Survey for military spouses, service members and veterans. Despite additional challenges, 40 percent of active-duty service members and their spouses reported feeling financially insecure.

Continued cutbacks to military pay, benefits and privileges compound feelings of uncertainty, on top of drawdowns and a continued high deployment pace as the U.S. becomes increasingly involved in global conflicts.

Eighty-five percent of respondents indicated financial security as a reason they joined the service, but the uncertainty of military life was considered the top obstacle to that goal in this year’s survey.

“Once you establish yourself and your finances, every little decrease or cut automatically negatively affects my monthly outcome. Military is supposed to be stable. Given the sacrifice that we make, there should be a little more stability,” one Navy member told researchers, according to the survey report.

This year’s survey, the sixth, was conducted online in April and May.

It was released Wednesday, nearly one week after President Obama vetoed the defense authorization bill in a feud with congressional Republicans over domestic spending limits and the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. The bill would have expanded retirement benefits for more than 80 percent of active-duty personnel and provided a host of specialty pays and bonuses to military members.

Troops see this sort of haggling and take note, according to the survey.

“The constant changes in benefits goes against everything that was promised to active-duty, veterans and retirees,” one respondent, identified as an active-duty Army spouse, told the Blue Star survey.

Another Army spouse was more blunt.

“The contract that my Soldier signed with the government has been turned inside out, leaving us with an uncertain future financially. We can no longer ’bank’ on the government to take care of their original obligations to all service members and their family members,” the spouse told the researchers. “I personally am so frustrated by all the issues, I am recommending both of my active duty sons finish their contracts and get out of the military.”

The highest levels of financial stress were found in those closest to military retirement age, post-9/11 service members and unemployed military spouse respondents.

One active-duty Navy spouse said “the reduction of services and uncertainty related to pay, retirement contributions, and budget cuts have been a large source of stress for me as a spouse. I have felt that it is my responsibility to make up for these decreases, and have experienced great difficulty finding and keeping jobs that pay me at a comparable rate to civilians and allow for flexible child care.”

The survey also indicated for the first time that post-service employment is one of the top five concerns among active-duty and veteran respondents.

“Uncertainty is a dominant theme in this year’s survey findings,” said Cristin Orr Shiffer, senior adviser for policy and survey at Blue Star Families.

“This uncertainty causes great concern for military families and is manifested in nervousness about job security, retirement benefits, financial security, and future employment prospects for all our respondents — active duty service members, spouses, and veterans.”

Other top concerns that the survey highlighted were uncertainty about changes to military retirement and the ability to plan for retirement, spouse employment, and service member and veteran suicide.

“There are a lot of conversations around the dinner table about whether to stay in or get out,” Ms. Shiffer told the Military Times.