The Hidden Cost: Military Families

Behind every service member is a family bearing invisible wounds. Deployments, relocations, housing crises, and the lasting impact on children — the costs that never appear in the defense budget.

1.3M

Active duty service members

684K

Military spouses

1.7M

Military children

6–9

Avg moves per military child (K-12)

22%

Military spouse unemployment rate

24%

Families using food assistance (SNAP)

~7,100

Gold Star families since 9/11

~7,500

Children who lost a parent (post-9/11)

By the Numbers

• 22% unemployment — Military spouses face chronic unemployment due to constant relocations. The average military family moves every 2-3 years.

• 24% on food assistance — Nearly 1 in 4 military families qualify for SNAP benefits despite serving their country.

• 3.5 deployments — Post-9/11 service members average 3.5 combat deployments, compared to 1 in previous eras.

• 6-9 school changes — Military children change schools 6-9 times during K-12, three times the national average.

• $886B defense budget — Yet military family support programs receive less than 1% of the defense budget.