Reservist families and their understanding of military welfare support as a (non)military family

Abstract

LAY SUMMARY The effectiveness of part-time volunteer reservists relies on their willingness to train in their spare time and be deployed, which is influenced by family support. The military can provide reservist families with welfare and support, but the authors wanted to understand the expectations of, and experiences with, welfare support to UK reservist families. A total of 140 family members (mainly spouses and parents) of part-time reservists completed a bespoke survey, and 33 family members were interviewed in depth. Results confirmed there was low awareness and use of available welfare services. Most did not know how to access support, even during a reservist’s full-time deployment, and had inconsistent local experiences of support. Most reservist families do not identify as military families, have low awareness of family support and welfare, and do not require access to support routinely. More access to information online, more contact with better trained welfare staff, and increased reservist awareness of welfare and support should reduce inconsistencies and improve family satisfaction and reservist retention.