Description of Spouses of Officers and Enlisted Personnel in the U.S. Armed Forces. 1985. A Report Based on the 1985 DoD Surveys of Officer and Enlisted Peresonnel and Military Spouses

摘要

This report is a contribution to the on-going evaluation of the effectiveness of DoD family policy; they also provide tools for the identification of future areas for policy action. This report is primarily based on data from the 1985 DoD Survey of Military Spouses conducted for OASD(FM&P) by DMDC. Over 41,000 military spouses, married to members of all four active-duty Services, responded to an extensive questionnaire in Spring 1985. The questionnaire included items about personal and family military background, family composition, family moving experiences, knowledge of and satisfaction with family programs and services, civilian labor-force experience and opportunities, economic resources and satisfaction with various aspects of military policy which directly impacts the family. Some major findings are: Majorities of military personnel, especially officers are married. Nearly 60% of all enlisted personnel are married. Military families, especially enlisted, are young, as measured by the wife's age and age of children and duration of marriage. A sizeable minority of wives and husbands of military personnel, especially enlisted, were born outside the U.S. Spouses of military personnel are well-educated. Officers wives tend to be older than enlisted men's wives. About one-fourth of families are currently located overseas.