Today's Army Spouse Panel

Who is being asked to take the panel surveys?

These surveys are being offered to spouses of active-duty Soldiers, age 18 years and older. Some spouses have not previously participated in these surveys and received a postcard in the mail. Others are spouses who agreed to participate in the initial surveys of the Today’s Army Spouse Panel.

You might have gotten a postcard, like this:

Or this:

Do I have to participate?

No, participation is entirely up to you. You may decide not to take part now or choose to stop any time. If you feel uncomfortable answering any of the questions, you may skip to the next question. If you do stop, there will be no negative consequences to you or your spouse. You do not have to respond to all surveys to participate in the panel.

Are my responses to this survey confidential?

Yes, with one exception: We cannot provide confidentiality to those who discuss criminal activity/behavior or make statements that pose a threat to themselves or others.

Results from the study will be presented so that individuals cannot be identified. Your identity will never be shared with anyone else outside of the RAND research team, such as anyone in your spouse’s chain of command.

Why is participation in these panel surveys important?

The Army needs your input to educate Army leaders and service providers about current Army community experiences, priorities, issues, and concerns. Your responses will help ensure that your priorities are understood. Not having enough respondents will leave the Army unable to determine the views of a variety of spouses in different locations.

Why is this important to me?

The Army wants to know, from you, what your priorities and concerns are to make plans that address those priorities and concerns. Your responses are critical in ensuring that Army leaders have the best information possible when developing plans to resolve significant community issues and ensure that your family and household needs are being met.

Your input can help leaders understand how well Army spouse and family needs are being met and where resources may need to be realigned. For example, experiences and needs may vary by:

• Age: the views of young personnel and spouses may differ from those of older ones.
• Family status: the views of newlyweds, new parents, single parents, parents whose children have special needs, parents with children in college, and single personnel without children may differ.
• Installation: the views of those on small installations versus large ones, those on installations in remote and isolated locations, and personnel who live far from the installation may differ.

How do I take the survey?

The survey is being hosted on a secure non .mil website to provide easier access. The survey may be taken on a personal device: no CAC card, Army computer, or Army network is necessary for access. To access the survey, go to https://srg.rand.org/ArmySpouse and enter the survey access code included in the attached letter.

Who is RAND?

The RAND is a non-profit, non-partisan organization with an international reputation for conducting high-quality research and analyses, particularly on matters of public policy and national defense. The U.S. Army has asked researchers at RAND to design and implement the Army Spouse Panel surveys.

How is this survey different from other surveys that seem to be on similar topics?

Other surveys address related issues but are not Army-specific or spouse-specific, and they do not incorporate a panel design. A panel means that you are part of a group of Army spouses specifically selected to provide continuing feedback about their needs and experiences and about the strengths and gaps in available services to meet their needs. The panel surveys are especially designed to provide leadership with current information, so you will be given the opportunity to participate in a new survey every few months for at least three surveys this year, with the possibility of additional surveys in the future.

Does this survey have an official Survey Control Number (SCN) from the U.S. Army?

Yes, the SCN is:

RECORDS MANAGEMENT DIRECTORATE
SURVEY CONTROL NUMBER: CIO-RMC-23-184
AGENCY IDENTIFIER: HQDA/G9
Expiration Date: 08/09/26

Do I need to take this survey on a military computer or use a CAC card?

No, you can take this survey from a personal computer—no CAC card is required.

Is there anything I should not discuss or comment on in this survey?

Do NOT discuss or comment on classified or operationally sensitive information in the survey or in any correspondence related to the survey.

Who is the sponsor of this survey?

The survey is sponsored by the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-9.

Who is the official Army point of contact (POC) for this survey?

This survey is sponsored by the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-9, The official Army point of contact for this survey is:
Ms. Kelly (Dorie) Hickson
kelly.d.hickson.civ@mail.mil
(571) 256-8682

How can I find my survey access code?

Please refer to your email or postcard invitation letter for your survey access code information.

How do I get back into the survey if I started it but didn't finish?

You should be able to return to the survey website, re-enter your survey code, and pick up where you left off.

What will happen to the results?

Results will be analyzed and compiled into reports that will be shared with Army leadership to enable them to make plans for the Army community. A link to reports on the Army-wide results will be posted on this website when they become publicly available, as we did for other studies using data from spouses who participated in the panel.

Who should I contact if I have further questions?

If you have further questions about the Today’s Army Spouse Panel or any of the surveys, please contact the study team at:

TodaysArmySpouse@rand.org