For the first time, every active-duty military spouse will have the opportunity to give feedback to military leaders through the 2021 Active Duty Spouse Survey. 

While some spouses will still be randomly selected for the scientifically sampled survey, DoD is now offering all active-duty spouses the opportunity to provide feedback on the most pressing military life issues, the Pentagon said in its announcement.

The Active Duty Spouse Survey is conducted every two years and analyzes key issues affecting military spouses, including spouse support, employment and stress. 

The 2019 survey, released in December 2020, analyzed responses from 65,207 active-duty spouses and was conducted between July and November 2019. This means the upcoming survey is expected to include information on how spouses and families have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Patty Barron, deputy assistant defense secretary for military community and family policy, stressed that information from military spouses is key to meeting the needs of military families. 

“We are committed to taking care of our military spouses, and these surveys will allow us to engage in deeper dialogue with them and help us prioritize solutions that meet their most pressing needs,” Barron said.

Information gathered through the survey will help “create meaningful change for military families” and highlight important trends and issues, Paul Rosenfeld, director of the Center for Retention and Readiness in the Office of People Analytics, said in the release. 

“For example, the 2019 survey brought attention to the increasing lengths of time for spouses to find a job after a permanent change of station move, which led to adjustments to spouse licensure and other programs,” he said. “Hearing the voice of all military spouses is critical for gaining the insight the DoD needs to deliver on its priority to help military families thrive.” 

While Barron said there is still more work to do on spouse issues, the 2021 survey is important for continued progress. 

“We’re proud of the progress we have made on important spouse issues, especially around stress, relationship support and employment,” she said. “We know there is more to do, and these survey results will help guide our next steps.”

To complete the 2021 Active Duty Spouse Survey, click here.