Survey Letters

1^st Letter—Survey Notification Letter

[DATE]

Dear [NAME]

I don’t need to tell you that Military Families serve alongside the Armed Forces. As an active duty military spouse, your voice is vital to understanding the challenges and issues you face as a military family member. That is why, through a random process, you were selected to participate in the 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses.

Good news! The survey is shorter this year – it will only take about 15 minutes of your valuable time - and covers important topics such as COVID-19, your employment, child care, and your family’s financial and food security. You may simply scan your unique QR code to go immediately to your survey. Your responses are saved—you can return to complete the survey online from any device using your QR code.

QR CODE

To access your survey, you can also go to https://www.dodsurveys.mil. You will be asked to enter your Ticket Number (XXXXXXX).

The survey is about you and your family and is critical to DoD policymakers as they make policies that affect your life. (See the enclosed infographic on findings from the 2019 Active Duty Spouse Survey).

As a result of what spouses told us on the last survey, DoD addressed employment and child care issues - in February 2020, the Secretary of Defense expanded DoD child care access to ensure active duty military members have priority access to child care. The DoD also issued a report to congress with measures to remove barriers for license portability and guidance for states to increase state license reciprocity for military spouses.

Please know that this survey is voluntary and your responses will be kept private and in the strictest confidence.

I want to thank you personally for taking the time to complete this survey. YOUR participation will make a difference!

Thank you for all that you do each day to support the mission, your spouse, 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.

**Add OMB Control Number and Date**

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

[DATE]

You still have time to take the 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses and we 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.

Your opinions and experiences do have an impact. In 2020 several policy changes were enacted to work with states to simplify state licensing requirements for spouses, helping spouses find employment more quickly. Children of active duty members were also placed on the priority lists for DoD child care spots to help alleviate access and cost issues that were barriers to employment for spouses.

QR CODE

Please take just 15 minutes to share your input today. Scan the QR code to gain quick access to the survey on your mobile phone or complete the survey on any computer with Internet access.

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.

This survey is voluntary and responses will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. No individual data will be reported, and results will be used by DoD to 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.

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.

**Add OMB Control Number and Date**

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 so 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 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.

QR CODE

You can quickly access this survey via mobile device by scanning the QR code below or you can complete the survey via the web on any computer with Internet access, at home or elsewhere.

To access the web version of the survey, go to https://www.dodsurveys.mil and enter your Ticket Number: XXXXXXX.

You may also complete the paper questionnaire previously mailed to you and return it in the postage-paid envelope.

Results from this survey have been used 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 15 minutes of your time to complete this survey.

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.

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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 this paper survey or take the survey online at the address below. The survey is shorter than ever and covers topics such as COVID-19, employment, child care and education, and financial and food security.

The answers you provide in this survey are used in decisions made by DoD policy-makers to improve the experiences 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.

Three ways to participate!

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  QR CODE

  Scan the QR code in this letter using your mobile phone to start, return to, or complete the survey on your mobile device.

• Enter the website and your unique ticket number below to start, return to, or complete the survey. https://www.dodsurveys.mil. Ticket Number (XXXXXXX)

• Complete the enclosed 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, back onto the website, complete as many items as you can, and submit your survey to us. For this effort to truly be representative, it is extremely important that your experiences are captured. 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.

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.

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**Add OMB Control Number and Date**

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.

QR CODE

If you have not yet completed the survey, I encourage you to take this time to do so by scanning the QR code provided, completing the paper survey enclosed, or logging on to the website: https://www.dodsurveys.mil. Ticket Number: XXXXXXX.

While your participation is voluntary, your opinions are important. Your participation in this survey gives the Department of Defense (DoD) the necessary information to better support resources for families. 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 respond using the paper or web version of the survey, I assure you that no individual data will be reported. No one outside of the survey team will have access to your survey data. 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.

Add OMB Control Number and Date**

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

[DATE]

Previously, 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 take a few minutes to 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 of your day to day life in the past year. While participation is voluntary, I urge you to take this final opportunity to complete the survey before it closes on [CLOSE_DATE].

QR CODE

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, scan the QR code in this letter, or access the survey via with your ticket number: https://www.dodsurveys.mil Ticket Number: XXXXXXX.

If you have partially completed the survey, but have not clicked the “Submit Button,” please log back into the website via the QR code below or your unique ticket number to complete as many items as you can, and submit the survey. Alternatively, we invite you to 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.

Expand the knowledge our leaders and policy makers have by ensuring they’ve heard from you.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Patricia Barron

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense

(Military Community and Family Policy)

**Add OMB Control Number and Date**