Empire Resume: How Frequently Do Military Families Move?
Empire Resume: How Frequently Do Military Families Move?
Many individuals are curious as to the frequency with which military families move. Empire Resume will cover this topic and examine why servicemembers must relocate so frequently.
Military families understandably experience many moves over their service careers; on average they tend to move approximately every two or three years.
Moving can be especially hard on children, who may change schools several times before turning 12. But there are ways to make the process less challenging for everyone involved.
Frequent Moving
Relocating can be a tumultuous process for any family, but service members and their families face additional difficulties when moving often due to military obligations. PCS moves–also known as permanent change of station (PCS) moves–can strain budgets and create financial insecurity among military spouses.
Once military families receive orders for deployment, it's up to them to quickly make decisions about housing, schools and other important aspects of their new home. Research and packing begin immediately upon receiving PCS orders – potentially leaving months or years behind as they adapt in temporary housing units.
Maria Reed, an active Army first sergeant and mother to five young children, has relocated six times with her husband over 19 years. The initial moves were particularly hard on them; children can find this constant uprooting daunting, as it requires them to form new friendships in a foreign place while also lacking access to mental health services or community support systems that may provide vital relief.
Benefits
Military life involves many moves for families and can help foster adaptation and resilience – some veterans consider this one of the greatest benefits of service; others find it challenging and stressful.
Relocating can impact all areas of life, from employment and schools and activities for children to deployment planning. To assist transitions across states more smoothly, the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children was implemented, while installation-based support programs are also available to aid child development.
Relocating can have a severe economic effect, particularly when PCS orders and affordable housing become delayed. Some states offer programs to assist spouses find work; however, frequent moves make it hard for military spouses to build professional experience and credentials – something a recent study from Blue Star Families indicated could contribute to high rates of military spouse unemployment and underemployment. The latter study used data collected by both organizations.
Challenges
Military children face numerous stressors that can negatively impact their mental health, such as parental deployments, moving schools (known as Permanent Change of Station or PCS), learning new skills, finding work in new places and adapting to lifestyle differences from civilian peers.
Obstacles and challenges may impede academic, social, and emotional development in ways that negatively impact one's progress in any area of study or life. According to literature sources, such issues include tension at home, delayed transfer of school records, lack of familiarity among school professionals with military culture, limited access to extracurricular activities during moves as well as family separation during moves can all play a part.
The military understands these challenges and has been actively working to ease the process of frequent moving. Families might benefit from reaching out to their military support network during this period; civilian friends and family should also learn more about what challenges military families are up against.
Support
Military life requires frequent relocations; however, that doesn't mean service members and their families have to handle these transitions alone. Families can find support in both their local community as well as meeting up with other military families at their new duty station.
Brown emphasizes the importance of being prepared and aware during the permanent change of station season, particularly regarding paperwork requirements for relocation and who on post would help submit receipts for reimbursements. She mentioned how her husband was unaware of just how much paperwork to expect or who would help submit receipts for reimbursements.
Children may find transitioning difficult as they leave behind friends and extracurricular activities and begin attending an unfamiliar school, yet it's essential for military families to remain positive during this experience and make connections early with other military families in their area. MilitaryINSTALLATIONS offers an invaluable service in doing just this, connecting families together.
Empire Resume: How Frequently Do Military Families Move? Many individuals are curious as to the frequency with which military families move. Empire Resume will cover this topic and examine why servicemembers must relocate so frequently. Military families understandably experience many moves over their service careers; on average they tend to move approximately every two or…