Overwhelming Majority of Military Families Would Encourage Their Children to Serve

ALEXANDRIA, Va., November 20, 2024 —   Frequent moves, deployments and risk of injury are among the sacrifices Americans make when serving in the military. Despite these challenges, military families are eager to recommend service to their children, with 8 in 10 military families (81%) either “likely” or “very likely” to encourage their children to join the military, according to the National Military Family Association (NMFA) 2024 Series of Surveys, with research and analysis conducted in collaboration with Deloitte.

“For many military families, service is a family business,” said Besa Pinchotti, NMFA CEO. “Military life is hard — but it’s also good. We hear it from families in our programs, advocacy and research, with nearly 90% of military parents reporting their children benefitted from military life, with many saying it has helped them become more resilient.”

When service members and spouses were asked to identify the primary reason for encouraging their children to serve, the top responses were professional career opportunities of military service (33%), educational funding (19%), values the military instills (18%), financial wellbeing (16%) and the opportunity/duty to serve their country (14%).

“Our research and analysis bodes well for the Department of Defense’s military recruitment and retention efforts, but we can do even more to support service members and their families,” said Juan Garcia, managing director, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and leader of Deloitte’s Veterans, Military, Spouses and Allies Community. “In focus groups, several parents pointed out military life becomes more challenging after having children, with more responsibilities being placed on spouses. A more supportive environment could be created by reducing the frequency of military moves, enhancing accessibility and effectiveness of family support programs and offering additional financial programs.”

Researchers also asked teenage children of active military service members whether they plan to serve in the future. Half of them said “yes” (51%), an increase compared to 2022 when fewer than half (44%) of teen respondents said “yes.”

“Among the teens who said they weren’t likely to take a military path, we found many were not aware of the broad diversity in career options available in the service,” Garcia added. “Most of them were Gen Z, and we know from other Deloitte research that this generation is particularly outspoken about finding purpose in work. So, we have an opportunity to better communicate the wide range of roles, experiences and skills needed for military jobs that may align with their interests and beliefs.”

The 2024 NMFA study, which featured surveys and focus group interviews, captured data from nearly 10,000 military spouses and service members and more than 1,300 teenage children.

The report can be viewed in its entirety at National Military Family Association (NMFA) 2024 Series of Surveys.

About Deloitte

Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500® and more than 8,500 U.S.-based private companies. At Deloitte, we strive to live our purpose of making an impact that matters by creating trust and confidence in a more equitable society. We leverage our unique blend of business acumen, command of technology, and strategic technology alliances to advise our clients across industries as they build their future. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Bringing more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte’s approximately 460,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com.

About NMFA

The National Military Family Association (NMFA) is the leading nonprofit dedicated to serving all military families. Since 1969, NMFA has worked with families to identify and solve the unique challenges of military life through advocacy and programs. NMFA provides scholarships for military spouses, camps for military kids, and programs for military teens. The Association’s research creates a better understanding of the experience of today's military families. NMFA serves the families of the currently serving, veteran, retired, wounded or fallen members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and NOAA. To learn more and get involved, visit www.MilitaryFamily.org

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.