Written by: Nicole Rawlinson
Change, transition, move, relocate: these are all words in the regular vernacular of the average military-connected family. While many have learned to take transition and change as a constant in life, and in some ways have found ways to embrace those changes, transitional challenges, especially coming into a brand-new community, will always be a reality to face.
Nearly 600,000 military-connected families move each year (Cronk, 2021), typically moving every 2-4 years (Miller, n.d.), sometimes more. With every move requiring changes in schools, jobs, communities, and circles of support, these transitions can result in a spouse’s lapse in employment, food insecurity, or a loss of feeling connected to their community, which can lead to isolation, loneliness, and a lack of belonging.
When a military family relocates, especially to a duty station where a strong built-in community is not present, those feelings can creep up quickly. According to the Association of Defense Communities (2024), nearly 70% of military families do not live on military installations. If we consider that percentage of families finding housing outside of the built military community, which often offers the most insulation and immediate connection for families, we must assume that families may find themselves in communities or situations where they lack connection and experience feelings of isolation and loneliness, and don’t know where to start when it comes to finding a solution.
To help military families transition smoothly and build roots in new communities, it’s essential to create a sense of belonging, and nature can be a key environment to grow and nurture those roots. Seventy-five percent of active-duty respondents in the 2023 Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey felt a strong sense of belonging in nature. Building on that familiarity and sense of comfort can help to bolster positive place-based connections and create better environments to thrive.
People are socially connected to place through relationships and emotions, and, opportunities to form memories or solidify bonds can support the increased resilience of a family or community.
As military families face these inevitable transitions, nature proves to be not only a constant presence but also the beginning of deeper, lasting connections with new places. In the next post, we’ll explore how positive experiences and long-term relationships with nature can foster a profound attachment to the new environments military families call home.
References:
Association of Defense Communities. (2024, April). How we can support our military families. https://defensecommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/How-We-Can-Support-Our-Military-Families-ADC-Publications-April-2024.pdf
Cronk, T. M. (2021, September 27). Hicks greets Blue Star Families, veterans, civilians in Welcome Week. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/2790466/hicks-greets-blue-star-families-veterans-civilians-in-welcome-week/
Miller, A. (n.d.). Why do military families move so much? Armed Services YMCA. Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://asymca.org/blog/why-do-military-families-move-so-much/
This post was edited and adapted into a three-part series by Brianna Petracca, with publication dates on May 21, June 11, and July 22, 2025.
About the Author:
Nicole is an active-duty military spouse of 13 years who is currently working in the outdoor space to help ensure people and communities find meaningful connections to nature and public lands. Through her professional experience, she has worked to support intergenerational audiences—both military-connected and civilian—through program development, delivery, and support. She is driven by the idea that all people need and deserve a connection to nature, from connections in micro moments right outside our front doors to big experiences of awe when we see the sweeping landscapes of one of our largest national parks, and everywhere in between.
