In the OneOp blog post, Climate Resilience in Coastal Military Communities, we shared examples of some of the disaster preparedness work that professionals within the Department of Defense (DoD) are doing to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters on coastal military communities. Through conservation work with the Coastal Resilience DoD Liaison Program, military leadership looks to safeguard not only the environment for wildlife but also the livelihoods of military service members and their families. Coastal military communities especially have been grappling with an array of issues—from surging sea levels to scorching heat waves—all exacerbated by the changing climate.

The annual report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau highlights issues reported by service members in 2023. The report is relevant for service providers working with military families navigating financial challenges and barriers. For example, credit or consumer reporting remains the highest complaint overall for both civilians and the military community. Service providers provide support for military families before, during, and after an issue arises.

November marks National Family Caregivers Month, a time to honor, celebrate, and recognize the dedicated individuals who selflessly provide care to loved ones in need. A caregiver is someone who helps bridge the gap between the needs of the individual and their abilities, including, but not limited to illness, disability, or age-related challenges (Easterseals, n.d.).

Natural disasters like coastal flooding, heat waves, and hurricanes are just a few of the issues that can affect military families and military installations that are on or near coastlines. As we see year after year with each hurricane season, these storms have far-reaching impacts to infrastructure and communities.