Survey Letters

1^st Letter—Survey Notification Letter

[DATE]

Dear [NAME]

Military families are the cornerstone of a successful military force. As an active duty spouse, your voice is vital to understanding how military life is experienced for military families. That is why you were randomly selected to participate in the 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses.

This survey is about you and your family. It is designed to make sure DoD policymakers have your personal experiences in mind when they make policies that affect your daily life, such as your health and financial well-being, your experiences with key factors of military life, and the ways your family is impacted by your member’s decision to serve.

You probably receive many surveys, but please know that this Survey of Active Duty Spouses is conducted by the Department of Defense and directly shapes the development and implementation of programs that support active duty families across all Services. The survey is scheduled to open on [OPEN DATE] at the Office of People Analytics (OPA) website: https://www.dodsurveys.mil. You will be asked to enter your Ticket Number (XXXXXXX).

Please know this survey is voluntary and responses will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. No individual data will be reported, as results will be reported in the aggregate only and will be used by DoD to develop policies that will support you and your family.

I want to thank you personally for taking the time to complete this survey, ensuring that the results truly represent active duty spouses. Because this survey is considered Official Business, it can be completed using a government computer at your duty location if you are a military member or federal government employee, or you can use your own personal device at your convenience.

Thank you for all that you do each day to support the mission, Member and your family.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Patricia Barron

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

(Military Community and Family Policy)

For questions pertaining to the survey, please call our Survey Processing Center (SPC) at 1-800-881-5307 or e-mail [email protected]. If you do not wish to participate or receive reminders, you may remove yourself from the mailing list by contacting the SPC. If you wish to withdraw your answers after starting this survey, notify the SPC prior to [DATE].

Include your Ticket Number in all communications with the SPC. In accordance with DoD Instruction 8910.01, all data collection within DoD must be licensed with a Report Control Symbol (RCS) and an expiration date which for this survey is DD-P&R(AR)2145, expiring 01/06/2022.

2^nd Letter—Cover letter sent with paper survey to non-respondents

[DATE]

You may have forgotten about your invitation to participate in the 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses, but you still have time and we still need your help. Your unique experiences as a military spouse means that you are an essential voice in our effort to provide DoD policymakers the data they need to best serve you and your family.

The information active duty spouses have provided have been used to obtain funds that are allocated to programs you care about such as employment assistance and child care. To continue to direct dollars and policy in the right direction, we need your input.

Please know this survey is voluntary and responses will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. No individual data will be reported, as results will be reported in the aggregate only and will be used by DoD to develop policies that will support you and your families.

The survey is currently open at the Office of People Analytics (OPA) website: https://www.dodsurveys.mil. You will be asked to enter your Ticket Number (XXXXXXX). If you prefer, you may fill out a paper version of the survey enclosed. If you choose to complete the paper survey, please return it before [CLOSE DATE] in the enclosed, postage-paid envelope.

If you have partially completed the survey but have not clicked the “Submit” button, please log back onto the website, complete as many items as you can, and submit your survey to us. It is very important to us that this effort reflects your experience so that it is truly representative. Because this survey is considered Official Business, it can be completed using a government computer if you are a military member or federal government employee, or on the personal device you choose.

Using your input, DoD leadership can focus on improving policies and programs for you and your family.

Thank you for your time and assistance in this very important effort.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Patricia Barron

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

(Military Community and Family Policy)

For questions pertaining to the survey, please call our Survey Processing Center (SPC) at 1-800-881-5307 or e-mail [email protected]. If you do not wish to participate or receive reminders, you may remove yourself from the mailing list by contacting the SPC. If you wish to withdraw your answers after starting this survey, notify the SPC prior to [DATE]. Include your Ticket Number in all communications with the SPC.

In accordance with DoD Instruction 8910.01, all data collection within DoD must be licensed with a Report Control Symbol (RCS) and an expiration date which for this survey is DD-P&R(AR)2145, expiring 01/06/2022.

3^rd letter—First reminder letter to non-respondents (We do not send reminder letters to anyone who has completed a survey)

[DATE]

As a military spouse, you have given much for our country, and I thank you. As an effort to make informed decisions regarding you and your family, the 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses gives the Department of Defense information necessary for family support services that meet your needs, so your participation is very important. If you completed the survey, I want to thank you for taking the time to do so. If you have not completed the survey, I encourage you to take the opportunity now to complete the survey. While your participation is desired, it is voluntary.

Results from this survey have been used to obtain funds to support spouse employment, increase availability of DoD childcare, and more. But, we still need to hear from as many active duty spouses as possible. To this end, we are asking that you spend roughly 30 minutes of your time to complete this survey.

If you have not completed the survey, please either complete the survey via the web link in the next sentence, or complete the questionnaire previously mailed to you and return it in the postage-paid envelope. To access the web version of the survey, go to https://www.dodsurveys.mil and enter your Ticket Number: XXXXXXX.

The site can be accessed from any computer with Internet access, at home or elsewhere. These surveys are Official Business and members of the military or federal government employees can complete them at their duty station, using government equipment. The survey is private to the extent permitted by law.

Let your voice be heard. Help us serve your family.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Patricia Barron

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

(Military Community and Family Policy)

For issues and/or questions pertaining to the survey, please call our Survey Processing Center (SPC) at 1-800-881-5307 or e-mail [email protected]. If you do not wish to participate or receive reminders, you may remove yourself from the mailing list by contacting the SPC. If you wish to withdraw your answers after starting this survey, notify the SPC prior to [DATE]. Include your Ticket Number in all communications with the SPC.

In accordance with DoD Instruction 8910.01, all data collection within DoD must be licensed with a Report Control Symbol (RCS) and an expiration date which for this survey is DD-P&R(AR)2145, expiring 01/06/2022.

4^th Letter—Second cover letter sent to 30% of population receiving second paper survey

[DATE]

You may have missed your invitation to participate in the 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses and that is why I am mailing you a second copy of the survey— so that you can provide your opinions on issues that impact military families like yours. You can complete either this paper survey of click the link below to complete the survey online.

The answers you provide in this survey are used in decisions made by DoD policy-makers to improve the lives of you and your family. In fact, the responses to previous surveys of active duty spouses have been used to fund spouse employment programs, increase availability of DoD childcare, and fund educational programs for spouses and children. The DoD will continue to seek opportunities to enhance the well-being of military families, but to have the greatest impact on you, we need your voice reflected in this data.

The survey is currently open at the Office of People Analytics (OPA) website: https://www.dodsurveys.mil. You will be asked to enter your Ticket Number (XXXXXXX). If you prefer, you may fill out a paper version of the survey enclosed. If you choose to complete the paper survey, please return it before [CLOSE DATE] in the enclosed, postage-paid envelope.

Please know this survey is voluntary and responses will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. No individual data will be reported, as results will be reported in the aggregate only and will be used by DoD to develop policies that will support you and your families.

If you have partially completed the survey but have not clicked the “Submit” button, please log back onto the website, complete as many items as you can, and submit your survey to us. It is very important to us that this effort reflects your experience so that it is truly representative. Because this survey is considered Official Business, it can be completed using a government computer if you are a military member or federal government employee, or your own computer if you choose.

Let your voice be heard. Help us serve your family.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Patricia Barron

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

(Military Community and Family Policy)

For questions pertaining to the survey, please call our Survey Processing Center (SPC) at 1-800-881-5307 or e-mail [email protected]. If you do not wish to participate or receive reminders, you may remove yourself from the mailing list by contacting the SPC. If you wish to withdraw your answers after starting this survey, notify the SPC prior to [DATE]. Include your Ticket Number in all communications with the SPC.

In accordance with DoD Instruction 8910.01, all data collection within DoD must be licensed with a Report Control Symbol (RCS) and an expiration date which for this survey is DD-P&R(AR)2145, expiring 01/06/2022.

5^th Letter—Second reminder letter to non-respondents (We do not send reminder letters to anyone who has completed a survey)

[DATE]

If you have recently completed the 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses, I want to thank you for taking the time to help the Department of Defense understand the experiences of military families today—particularly given the impact of the pandemic on nearly every aspect of our daily lives.

If you have not yet completed the survey, please take time to do so by completing the paper survey or logging on to the following website: https://www.dodsurveys.mil. You can complete the survey at work, home, or on any computer with Internet access. To access the survey, you will need to enter the following Ticket Number: XXXXXXX.

While your participation is voluntary, your opinions are very important. Your participation in this survey gives the Department of Defense (DoD) the necessary information to better support family services. Results from prior surveys have been used to obtain funds to support spouse employment, increase availability of DoD childcare, and retain libraries on military bases.

Whether you answer the paper or web version of the survey, I assure you that all data will be reported in the aggregate and no individual data will be reported. To conduct the survey, administrators must know your identity in order to provide you with the survey materials; however, this information will be used only in administering the survey. The survey is private to the extent permitted by law.

Let your voice be heard. Help us serve your family.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Patricia Barron

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

(Military Community and Family Policy)

For issues and/or questions pertaining to the survey, please call our Survey Processing Center (SPC) at 1-800-881-5307 or e-mail [email protected]. If you do not wish to participate or receive reminders, you may remove yourself from the mailing list by contacting the SPC. If you wish to withdraw your answers after starting this survey, notify the SPC prior to [DATE]. Include your Ticket Number in all communications with the SPC.

In accordance with DoD Instruction 8910.01, all data collection within DoD must be licensed with a Report Control Symbol (RCS) and an expiration date which for this survey is DD-P&R(AR)2145, expiring 01/06/2022.

6^th letter—Third letter to non-respondents (We do not send reminder letters to anyone who has completed a survey)

[DATE]

Recently, you were asked to participate in the 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses. This opportunity for you to share your experiences and opinions of military life is closing soon. Please submit your survey today. It has never been more important to share your thoughts and opinions on military life, especially given the impact of Covid-19 on almost every facet to day to life in the past year. Expand the knowledge our leaders and policy makers have by ensuring they’ve heard from you. While participation is voluntary, I urge you to take this final opportunity to complete the survey before it closes on [CLOSE_DATE].

If you have already completed the survey, thank you for your time and cooperation. If you have not already done so, please take time today to complete the questionnaire previously mailed to you and return it in the postage-paid envelope or complete the survey via the web. To access the web version of the survey, go to https://www.dodsurveys.mil and enter this Ticket Number: XXXXXXX.

If you have partially completed the survey, but have not clicked the “Submit Button,” please log back into the website, complete as many items as you can, and submit the survey to us. Alternatively, send in the paper copy of the survey. After [CLOSE_DATE], we will consider whatever items you have completed to be your intended response. The survey is private to the extent permitted by law.

If you cannot access the website or if you have questions about the survey, please call our Survey Processing Center (SPC) at 1-800-881-5307 or e-mail [email protected]. If you do not wish to participate or receive reminders, you may remove yourself from the mailing list by contacting the SPC. If you wish to withdraw your answers after starting this survey, notify the SPC prior to [DATE]. Include your Ticket Number in all communications with the SPC.

Let your voice be heard. Help us serve your family.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Patricia Barron

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

(Military Community and Family Policy)

In accordance with DoD Instruction 8910.01, all data collection within DoD must be licensed with a Report Control Symbol (RCS) and an expiration date which for this survey is DD-P&R(AR)2145, expiring 01/06/2022.