More Reserve Spouses Build Financial Safety Nets, Survey Data Shows

Financial readiness among reserve and National Guard spouses has emerged as a significant factor in sustaining positive trends in household financial planning, particularly amid a recent surge in activations.

In the 2023 Survey of Reserve Component Spouses, a higher proportion of respondents said they prepared for deployment with comprehensive financial planning and an emergency fund compared to in 2019. This shift came at a vital time, as activations increased steadily between 2019 and 2023, with 40% of spouses reporting that their husband or wife deployed to a combat zone in 2023.

To ensure support programs continue to meet evolving needs, officials are asking spouses to participate in the 2026 Survey of Reserve Component Spouses, which is currently in the field.

Reserve and Guard spouses were randomly selected for the survey and contacted via email or postcard. Those who received an invitation are strongly encouraged to complete the survey online or via the mail-in option before the Aug. 13 deadline.

Spouses can check their eligibility for the survey at https://dodsurveys.mil.

The Survey of Reserve Component Spouses is conducted by the War Department roughly every two years and provides a representative cross-section of spouses’ military life experiences. Its findings track trends over time and help improve programs, policies and resources that support reserve component family readiness, including free specialized financial resources that help military families navigate the unique demands of deployment.

Through Military OneSource, National Guard and reserve spouses can access free, confidential financial counseling to assist with budgeting for activation, managing dual civilian-military income shifts, and understanding active-duty pay and allowances. The platform also provides specialized tax filing services.

Officials emphasized that participating in the survey is critical to capturing how recent economic and operational shifts are impacting families.

“Our commitment to data-driven insights and direct feedback ensures we are continually enhancing our systems, delivering tailored, timely support that truly meets the needs of our military families,” said Malikah Dorvil, research program analyst for the Office of Military Community and Family Policy. “By taking a few minutes to share their experiences in the current survey, spouses have a direct hand in shaping the future of defense policy and family support.”

Findings, infographics and data from past spouse surveys on topics such as finances, deployments, well-being, spouse employment and childcare can be viewed on the Military OneSource Spouse Survey page.

About Military Community and Family Policy

Military Community and Family Policy is responsible for establishing and overseeing quality of life policies and programs that help our service members, their families and survivors be well and mission ready. Military OneSource is the gateway to programs and services that support the everyday needs of the over 4.3 million service members and immediate family members of the military community. Access these DOW services 24/7/365 around the world.