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Want to know more? Get up to date with the latest stories about service members and how all six branches make a positive impact every day.
Hear from young service members about their decisions to join, the friendships they’ve forged, the skills they’ve developed, and their opportunities to make an impact in the Military.
Life in the Military
Deployment and relocation are common aspects of life for service members and their families. Learn about the many programs and resources that help all involved acclimate to this lifestyle and prepare for these events.
Sponsors are service members who help relocated members and their families settle into new duty stations by welcoming them into the community and providing guidance. When relocating to a new duty station, service members have the opportunity to request a sponsor or they can have one assigned to them through their unit. Service members and sponsors are closely matched by rank and family status to ensure the most relevant information and advice are shared.
Formally known as the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), this program offers support to military families with special needs by ensuring they get matched with locations that have adequate medical and educational resources. Enrollment in this program is mandatory for active-duty members with dependents who have special needs. Learn more about EFMP.
Whether it’s their first relocation/deployment experience or their fifth, service members and their families are always welcome to participate in family training programs offered on base. MilFam101 is one such program which provides guidance on educational opportunities, insights into community activities, advice on coping with moves and deployments, training for short-term crisis management, and overall information about life on base.
Chaplains are another resource dedicated to helping service members and their families feel welcome and supported throughout their durations at duty stations. Though they are religious leaders of a specific faith, they work with service members of all faiths to cultivate an environment of religious diversity.
U.S. Army Chaplains discuss how they provide spiritual support to other service members.
Length 1:29 View TranscriptMilitary service means being there to serve the men and women in uniform, according to their First Amendment rights. So ensuring that religious freedom and that religious practice are encouraged and supported.
If they are Buddhist, or Hindu, or Islamic, or whatever their faith tradition is, we want to be able to help them connect with their religious choice, or their spiritual practice, whatever that may be.
The kind of relationship we have, the trust that we’re able to build within the ranks, and the confidentiality that we have has given me the chance to touch on some very deep and meaningful experiences.
We nurture the living, we care for the wounded, we honor the fallen. The greatest opportunity we are allowed as chaplains is to be able to lay to rest those who’ve served our nation, to be there when that soldier finishes the race. They’ve given all. They’ve given the full sacrifice. I am grateful to all the men and women who have committed themselves to either serve as a religious affairs specialist, a religious affairs NCO, or to serve as a chaplain in the United States Army. You are part of our legacy.
The Motivation of Army Chaplains
Exclusive to National Guard and Reserve members and their families, the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) helps promote the well-being of military families by connecting them with resources they may need during times of deployment. This includes providing information on health care, education, financial and legal benefits, and also hosting events that help military families navigate all stages of deployment.
Family Readiness Groups (FRGs) are key support networks composed of service members and civilians that help establish open channels of communication between the unit command and family members. Though they go by different names across Service branches, their function is primarily the same: promoting the well-being of military families and helping them adjust to military life, regardless of service member activation status or where they are located.
Learn more about FRGs for each Service branch:
Service members who have dependents and are required to be away from their permanent duty station on an unaccompanied tour of duty for more than 30 days may be entitled to a Family Separation Allowance (FSA). Learn more about this additional type of compensation at defense.gov.
Through tools and resources offered by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP), U.S. citizen service members and eligible family members are able to exercise their right to vote in elections from anywhere in the world.