Veterans

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Transition

The enduring collaboration between Blue Star Families and the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) over the past decade has yielded critical insights into the lived experiences of military and veteran families.

Through the annual MFLS, we have gained a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding military life, particularly the transition to civilian life. One of the most consistent and sobering findings is the persistent difficulty veterans face during this period of change. In the 2024 MFLS, nearly half of veteran respondents characterized their transition as “difficult” or “very difficult,” underscoring the multifaceted challenges that accompany this life shift.

Too often, transition is framed as an individual journey for the service member; however, it is, in fact, a collective experience that impacts the entire family. Military spouses and children face significant adjustments to changes in structure, identity, and support systems, highlighting the urgent need for policies and programs that address transition as a family-centered process.

Recomendations:

Expand the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) to better serve the entire military family, including spouses and children, by integrating the Blue Star Families Family Support Circles | Transition Together program as a complementary, community-based support model.

Education 90/10

The 90/10 rule is a vital safeguard designed to ensure that for-profit colleges do not rely solely on federal student aid as their primary source of revenue, thereby promoting accountability and protecting students from predatory practices.

However, a long-standing loophole has excluded Department of War (DoW) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits — such as the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance — from the 90% cap, effectively incentivizing some institutions to aggressively target military-connected students without necessarily delivering quality education or outcomes.

Supporting efforts to close this "90/10 loophole" by including DoW and VA funds in the federal aid calculation is essential to preserving the integrity of veteran and military education benefits. Doing so not only strengthens consumer protections for service members, veterans, and their families but also ensures taxpayer dollars are invested in programs that truly support their academic and career success.

Toxic Exposure & the Honoring Our PACT Act

The long-term health effects of exposure to environmental toxins have become a critical area of focus in efforts to ensure that service members and veterans receive the medical care and benefits they rightfully deserve.

The passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act in 2022 marked a significant step forward, expanding access to healthcare and benefits for those affected by toxic exposures — such as burn pits, Agent Orange, and other hazardous substances encountered during military service. While only a small percentage (2%) of active-duty service member respondents in the Military Family Lifestyle Survey reported being diagnosed with a service-related cancer, a larger portion (8%) have already filed claims under the PACT Act. This discrepancy highlights a growing awareness among service members of their potential exposure and the importance of early engagement with the benefits process.

Continued outreach, education, and streamlined access to claims support will be essential in ensuring those impacted receive timely and comprehensive care.

Access to outdoor experiences is vital for the health and well-being of military families, offering meaningful opportunities for connection, stress relief, and resilience-building. Frequent relocations, long separations, and the demands of military life can lead to isolation and burnout among service members and their loved ones. Nature-based activities — such as hiking, camping, and family recreation — provide a restorative outlet that supports mental, emotional, and physical health.

These experiences also foster stronger family bonds and help create a sense of community and belonging, which are especially important for families stationed far from extended support networks. Expanding access to outdoor programming and public lands not only enhances quality of life but also contributes to overall military family readiness and retention.

Learn More about Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey »

Recomendations:

Commission a report on increasing the reimbursement rates for mental healthcare issued by TRICARE and the Department of Veterans Affairs as a means of incentivizing civilian providers to accept these methods of payment/reimbursement.
- Eliminate the cap on the number of providers who accept TRICARE in locations.
- Reduce the bureaucratic burdens that slow payment to providers.
Increase capacity for mental healthcare by expanding opportunities for scholarships, internships, and other training opportunities for civilians and military personnel in the Veterans Health Administration and the Defense Health Agency.

Mental Health & Suicide Prevention

Preventing veteran suicide is both a national imperative and a moral responsibility — one that reflects our enduring commitment to those who have bravely served our country. The persistently high rate of suicide among veterans is not merely a statistic; it is a powerful and painful reminder of the often invisible challenges faced during and after the transition to civilian life.

Findings from the 2023 Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS) further illustrate this urgent need: 21% of non-retired post-9/11 veteran respondents reported needing behavioral or mental healthcare but were unable to access it, while 12% of their retired counterparts reported the same. These figures highlight serious gaps in our mental healthcare system and underscore the critical importance of expanding access to timely, culturally competent, and veteran-informed behavioral health services.

Meeting this need is essential not only to preventing suicide but also to ensuring the long-term health and dignity of those who served.

Recomendations:

Allow for permanent funding for community suicide prevention programming for veterans initially authorized under the Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program.