Elevating Families: Intro

Military families are unique, set apart from the other 99% of Americans who have never served in the Armed Forces. While each individual family is motivated by different factors, there is a shared sense of pride in knowing that even daily activities are markedly different from the average American’s routine.

However, as far back as the 1980s, military families have struggled to balance the needs of the military mission of their servicemember with the ever-changing needs of the modern American household.

The diversifying landscape of the family creates a crucial need to shift our focus as a service towards more adaptable and multifaceted support structures that can effectively meet the varied needs of modern military families. Successfully meeting these diverse and ever-changing needs directly impacts readiness at all levels, ensuring that servicemembers can perform their duties with the assurance that their families are well-supported and resilient.

Simultaneously, the global stage is primed for a Great Power Competition (GPC) between the United States and rival nations which has created an increased focus on preparation and deterrence for competition, crisis, and conflict on the global stage. This escalating concern led Secretary Frank Kendall to release guidance to reoptimize the Department of the Air Force’s (DAF) efforts in March 2024 at the AFA Warfare Symposium. In “The Case for Change: Optimizing for Great Power Competition,” Chief of Space Operations General Saltzman asked, “How does great power competition impact your day-to-day mission?”

To fully support the current and future needs of the day-to-day mission within the Air Force and Space Force, it is imperative to understand that the mission starts at home with family readiness.

Military families must be confident in their ability to meet the needs of their household in a variety of qualityof-life areas, similar to what is taught in Maslow’s

Hierarchy of Needs before they can be expected to have peak performance for the mission.

It’s important to note that while no two families are alike, our military families match the diversity of our country and often face many of the same challenges as our civilian counterparts. Our diverse families must have the confidence to ask for help and also have access to the support and resources they need to thrive.

To meet these basic needs, Airmen, Guardians, and their Families should know how and where to access additional support when needed. When military households are stable, servicemembers are focused, and our national defense is secure. Military families must also understand how to support the mission and engage in official channels of communication and support in the event of escalating competition, crisis, and conflict.

Throughout this edition of ENGAGE are stories, resources, and opportunities to connect and support AFA’s steadfast mission to promote dominant U.S. Air and Space Forces as the foundation for strong National Defense through our local AFA chapters and the communities that support them so that all Airmen, Guardians, and their Families can remain focused on innovation for the future fight.

This article was written by Heather Campbell, a nationally recognized subject matter expert in food insecurity and quality of life within the military community. You can read Heather's full bio and the complete edition of United Forces & Families ENGAGE: Elevating Family Readiness here.