This is our second installment in a two-part series on increasing our military literacy. Last week’s Newsbrief talked about how the military is organized, and this week we will touch upon key concepts underlying why it may be difficult for our military community members to transition to civilian employment. Approximately 200,000 service members leaving the U.S. military annually. Although less than 1% of our U.S. population is currently serving in uniform, approximately 8% of our U.S. population has served and are considered veterans. Additionally, there are an estimated 690,000 military spouses in the U.S. The military community may not be in the majority, but they have served an outsize role to ensure those that have not served can enjoy a life of freedom.
There are numerous ways to serve in the military based upon the type of service component, role, job/occupation, and types of experiences to which someone is exposed. It is critical to recognize that service comes in many forms – uniformed military, military family members, civilian government employees, and contractors all serve the Department of Defense’s military mission in unique and impactful ways. Serving in the military is a total family experience. When a service member serves, so does his or her spouse and children, as the family members must maintain continuity through regular deployments, moves around the world, and conditions that often prevent ever feeling settled into a career for a military spouses or education for military children.