2025 Military Family Building Survey

Demographics

We are honored to invite you to participate in the Building Military Families Network's 2025 Military Family Building Survey. Your experience is vital to understanding the complex and unique journeys of all those connected to the military—Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, Veterans, Retirees, and their family members.

Whether your family was built through natural conception, adoption, foster care, assisted reproductive technology (ART), surrogacy, or another path - and regardless of your family's structure - child-free, this is for you too - your voice deserves to be heard.

This survey provides a critical opportunity to share your perspectives on the challenges and successes of building and growing your family within the military lifestyle. Your honest feedback will directly inform essential resources, support programs, and policy changes to serve our diverse military community better. Please answer questions based on your experiences - past and present - and some questions may ask you to share your views on your spouse/partner's experiences.

Thank you for your service, your resilience, and for helping us ensure every military family has the support they need to thrive.

Question Title

* What is your military branch affiliation?

Air Force

Army

Coast Guard

Marines

Navy

Space Force

Question Title

* What is the current rank category for yourself or your spouse/significant other? For veterans and retirees, select the rank you left/retired with.

Junior Enlisted (E1-E3)

Senior Enlisted (E4-E6)

Senior NCO (E7-E9)

Warrant Officer

Company Grade Officer (O1-O3)

Field Grade Officer (O4-O6)

General/Flag Officer (O7+)

Question Title

* What is the service member's occupational specialty/job category?

Combat Arms/Infantry

Aviation (Pilot/Crew)

Special Operations

Medical/Healthcare

Intelligence/Cyber

Engineering/Technical

Logistics/Supply

Administration/Human Resources

Communications/Signal

Maintenance/Mechanics

Law Enforcement/Security

Prefer not to answer

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* Does the service member's job involve any of the following? (Select all that apply)

Extended or frequent deployments

Hazardous duty/combat exposure

Shift work or irregular hours

Remote or isolated duty stations

Exposure to chemicals, radiation, or other hazards

High operational tempo with limited leave

Flight duties

Submarine/ship deployment

Special warfare/high-risk operations

None of the above

Question Title

* What is your age range?

18-24

25-30

31-35

36-40

41-45

46-49

50+

Question Title

* Which of the following racial/ethnic categories best describes you? (Select all that apply)

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Hispanic or Latino

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White/Caucasian

Question Title

* Which of the following best describes your gender identity?

Female

Male

Non-binary

Transgender female

Transgender male

Prefer not to answer

Prefer to self-describe: [text field]

Question Title

* Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation?

Heterosexual/Straight

Gay or Lesbian

Bisexual

Asexual

Prefer not to say

Prefer to self-describe: [text field]

Question Title

* How long have you or your spouse/significant other been in the military? (If veteran, total time served)

Less than 2 years

2-5 years

6-10 years

11-15 years

16-20 years

More than 20 years

Question Title

* What is your current ZIP CODE?

Family Building Status

Question Title

* Which of the following family building experiences have you encountered during your military service? (Select all that apply)

Pregnancy loss/miscarriage (single or multiple)

Recurrent pregnancy loss (3+ miscarriages)

Infant loss

Currently struggling to conceive naturally (no medical diagnosis yet)

Diagnosed with infertility (male factor, female factor, or unexplained)

Currently undergoing fertility treatments (IUI, IVF, medications, etc.)

Secondary infertility (difficulty conceiving after previous successful pregnancy)

Decided to pursue child-free life by choice

Unable to have children due to circumstances beyond our control

Considering or pursuing adoption

Considering or pursuing surrogacy/gestational carrier

Using donor eggs, sperm, or embryos

Successfully completed family building (achieved desired family size)

Service-connected injury or illness affecting fertility

None of the above

4% of survey complete.