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New survey suggests military teens are struggling

Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman
by Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman
November 3, 2021
Matthew Oh and Elena Ashburn, the military teen founders of Bloom

Matthew Oh and Elena Ashburn, the military teen founders of Bloom.

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A recent survey of military-connected teens reveals that they have been struggling during the pandemic due to 18 months of lockdowns coupled with the added stressors of moving to new communities, school transitions and deployments.

The Military Teen Experience Report, conducted by National Military Family Association (NMFA) and founders of the website Bloom, polled more than 2,100 military teenagers between the ages of 13-19. They came from both officer and enlisted families and a balanced mix of active-duty, reserve, Guard, veteran and retired.

Participants answered questions about mental health/well-being, deployments, food insecurity, abuse and generational military service. The results highlight the deepening struggle military teens are experiencing today.

Besa Pinchotti, NMFA’s executive director, says reaching military families is part of its core mission, but teen voices often go unheard.

“Reaching adults is easy; reaching military teens is a challenge,” she said.

More than 40% surveyed said they were experiencing low mental well-being, but the majority (45%) felt moderate feelings of well-being. The survey summary states:

“In our research, mental well-being and number of deployments or separations from a military parent were statistically significantly related to each other. Military teens who reported experiencing more deployments or separations lasting three months or longer generally reported lower mental well-being.”

READ: 7 lessons you can learn from a military teen who attended three high schools

One teen respondent described a difficult aspect of his/her life.

“Loss.  Not death, but having everyone around you constantly disappear. Adjusting to a new school is tolerable, but losing those close to you hurts like hell.”

Matthew Oh and Elena Ashburn, the military teen founders of Bloom, say they hope the survey amplifies voices.

“The COVID health crisis and pandemic restrictions have made it difficult for us to connect and thrive. Our survey supports this,” said Oh.

Aside from inquiring about the mental health of military teens, the survey also asked about family legacy and military service. A surprising 64% of military teens said they plan to serve in the military as an adult, an overwhelming majority of respondents. The survey’s summary compares these statistics to a 2019 Department of Defense poll of American youth that found only 13% of Americans ages 16-24 had an interest in military service.

“We are the future. We are the military leaders of tomorrow. And from what this survey says, we are not ok,” said Ashburn. “We need adults to listen to us, hear our story, support us.”

Bloom and NMFA also wanted to know if military families have struggled to put food on the table through the pandemic. Nearly 36% of teens said they were concerned that they would run out of food before their families had money to buy groceries, and 28% said they were sometimes concerned. The answers weren’t surprising for Besa at NMFA.

“We work on this day in and day out,” she said. “Military families are worried about food, we know this. We are working to add provisions to the National Defense Authorization Act to support our families.”

She points to a recent 2021 NMFA study which says 14% of 11,000 military families surveyed visited charitable food distribution sites to make ends meet.

NMFA has designed programs geared for military youth in their popular Operation Purple Camp and will continue to push for policies that protect those who protect us and their families. They are lobbying for changes to SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) and their ties to Basic Housing Allowance so military families can qualify for SNAP. They are also lobbying for a Basic Needs Allowance for military families who are financially struggling, especially those who are stationed in areas with a high cost of living.

Together, NMFA and Bloom plan on publishing a Field Guide for Military Teens — resources for teens and the adults who support them — in spring 2022.

Besa stresses that “Military teens of today are the future force of tomorrow. We need to support them now with meaningful policies and programs. That’s what NMFA is focused on.”

 

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Tags: BloomCOVID-19military teensNational Defense Authorization ActNational Military Family AssociationSurveyThe Military Teen Experience Report
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Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman

Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman

Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman is an Air Force spouse, freelance writer and advocate with a passion for military-connected children and their families. She’s dedicated the last decade to understanding the challenges military kids face when changing schools. Stacy is the co-author of the book Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers. With her writing partner, Amanda Trimillos, EdD, they continue to promote awareness of challenges facing military-connected students in education through professional development for schools and support organizations as well as through their writing. Together they have been featured in multiple national podcasts and articles. They also manage a large Facebook support group for parents and teachers of military-connected students. As a former trainer parent educator for the Military Child Education Coalition, Stacy led workshops and seminars on many topics related to the education of military-connected students. Her passion for military-connected students has led her to many paid and volunteer positions, both stateside and with Department of Defense Education Activity schools overseas, and with multiple Parent Teacher Associations over the last decade. Stacy is a featured writer for Military Spouse Magazine, where she covers parenting topics, and is a guest writer for several national blogs. Her articles can also be found on the popular blog Scary Mommy, Military Times, and search site Niche.com. Stacy also started the military family website dedicated to education transition Families on the Homefront. In her “other” life, she worked in public affairs and project management for the city of Las Vegas for 14 years. She was the executive director for the Las Vegas Centennial. She led the way to baking the world largest birthday cake, hosting a 100,000 person parade, marrying 100 couples at once, organizing a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert and managing 450 other events, programs and public relations celebrating her hometown birthday! She is a graduate of the Greenspun School of Communications at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

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