Welcome to Blue Star Families!

I lived the life of a military spouse for many years — it’s an incredibly meaningful life … and it’s also a challenging one. During my husband's Marine Corps career, I discovered a wonderful camaraderie and connection to other military families and also a real wellspring of goodwill from other Americans. At the same time, I often felt lonely and far from family and friends who could help me with the problems that come up in any life, and especially military life with its many moves, deployments, and separations. When I co-founded Blue Star Families in 2009, I did so with two goals: to better tell the story, with color and with data, about what military families go through, and to find partners in the larger world who could help us solve those problems, in the way we wanted and needed them solved.

Through our innovative research and program partnerships, and with the support of neighbors and organizations nationwide, we are shattering the barriers of isolation and alienation faced by many members of military families. We get to the root problems and find upstream solutions by building trust networks through Chapters, Outposts, and our secure digital Neighborhood. Our groundbreaking programs, such as the 4+1 Commitment: The Formula for Military Spouse Success, Nourish the Service, Support Circles, and the Do Your Part initiative, are transforming the way we tackle the challenges of frequent moves, spouse employment, and limited government support. From empowering spouse career development and caregiver support to addressing food insecurity, our initiatives are making a tangible, positive difference for military and Veteran families.

Today, Blue Star Families has more than 280,000 members and touches nearly two million military and Veteran families worldwide. Our Chapters, Outposts, and virtual programming help foster and strengthen the connections between military families and their communities, providing critical support, resources, and a sense of belonging. Our research continues to enable us to push for legislation to improve the overall quality of life for military and Veteran families and address the barriers their families face while serving.

The families of our All-Volunteer Force make unprecedented sacrifices every day to serve our country. Our mission is to ensure that wherever American military families go, they feel confident stepping into their community, a part of the advocacy processes, and that military life is fun! Alone we can do so little; but together, we can do our part in supporting and uplifting our military families, making them feel at home no matter where they are in the world.