Support and Resources for Single Service Members

Nearly half of U.S. active duty service members are single. Life as a single service member can bring excitement, adventure, and unique stressors. Personal networks of peers, friends, and family members can help single service members cope with the challenges they experience in the course of military service. Such supports can help service members feel connected to life at home, cope with the stress during deployment, and assist with adjustment upon return home. Try using the tips and resources (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/millife-guides/friendships-single-service-member/) below to strengthen and expand your personal support network.

Benefits of Using a Personal Support Network

People in your personal support network are those whom you care about and trust, and who care about and trust you. Benefits associated with a strong personal support network include:

• Less stress, by turning to your support network (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/benefits/peer-to-peer-support/) of friends, family, and peers (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/benefits/peer-to-peer-support/) who can provide practical and emotional support
• A stronger sense of belonging (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/millife-guides/support-for-loneliness/), by spending time with people who value and care about you
• Greater peace of mind, by knowing that you have people in your life on whom you can depend
• More self-confidence, by being a part of someone else's support network to help them cope with similar challenges that you experienced

A strong personal support network can help you build resilience as you progress throughout your military service. Building resilience will make you a stronger, more effective warrior.

Get Involved: Single Service Member Programs

Single service member programs (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/millife-guides/friendships-single-service-member/) are a great way to develop new friendships and reinforce existing ones. These programs support the overall quality of single service members' lives by identifying common challenges, recommending ways to address these concerns through the chain of command, encouraging and assisting single service members in identifying and planning for recreation and leisure activities, and providing single service members with opportunities to participate in and contribute to their respective communities.

• The Army Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers Program (https://www.armymwr.com/programs-and-services/boss) focuses on enhancing the quality of life and morale of single active duty soldiers, but activities are also open to members of all services, the National Guard and Reserves, Defense Department civilians, and foreign service members. To get involved with a BOSS chapter, contact your installation's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (https://www.armymwr.com/programs-and-services/boss) office.
• The Navy Liberty Program (https://www.navymwr.org/programs/liberty) provides recreational opportunities for single sailors, ranging from day trips in your local area to group outings to sporting events. Additionally, your local Liberty Center offers movies, video games, and recreational usage of computers and Wi-Fi so sailors can stay connected with their friends around the world. For more information, visit Military OneSource's Installation Directory (https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/) and search for MWR programs.
• Single Marine Program (https://www.usmc-mccs.org/marine-family-support/single-marine-program) offers quality of life, recreation, and community involvement activities for single Marines. Each major Marine Corps installation has an established SMP council that meets regularly to plan and coordinate activities. Click on your installation on the Marine Corps Community Services (https://www.usmc-mccs.org/marine-family-support/single-marine-program) website for more information .
• Single Airman Initiative Program is an Air Force-wide initiative to promote quality of life of single airmen between ages 18-26 through recreational activities, at little or no cost to the airmen. Each installation typically uses its Force Support Squadron to run local programs through services like Outdoor Recreation, Arts & Crafts, and the Aero Club. For a full listing of participating installations and contact information, visit the Military OneSource’s Single Airman Initiative (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/external/single-airman-initiative/) page.
• Airman and Family Readiness Centers (https://www.afpc.af.mil/Military-and-Family/) provide single members of the Air Force with resources that foster a strong culture, mission and sense of community. For more information, your installation's Morale Welfare and Recreation Center or Family Center in the Military OneSource directory (https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/).
• Strong Bonds (https://bsrt.army.mil/about-us/) is a unit-based, chaplain-led program which assists commanders in building individual resiliency (https://bsrt.army.mil/about-us/about-us-singles/) by strengthening the Army Family. Click here (https://bsrt.army.mil/events/) to find an event near you and search by component.

Tips to Strengthen Your Personal Network

Whether you're PCSing to a new duty station, deployed, or preparing for another life transition , now is the best time to strengthen your personal network. Try incorporating the following tips into your relationships with family and friends:

• Keep in touch. Call, text, video chat or send emails frequently. Consider joining online networks that your friends and family enjoy. Social media is another way you can communicate with friends and family when you can't call, write, or visit.
• Remember special days. Call, text, or send a card on birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and other days that are important to the people in your network. To help you remember these days, fill in a calendar or date book with the important dates. You can also set reminders on your cell phone.
• Turn to your friends and family in good times, too. Your friends and family are there for you when times are tough; invite them also to share in your good news!
• Surround yourself with positive people. The attitudes and behaviors of others can affect your attitude and behavior, so surrounding yourself with optimistic people may help you to maintain a positive outlook.
• Show family and friends they are important to you. Return their calls and messages. Respond to invitations promptly when you are home. Tell them frequently that you appreciate them.
• Don't wait for people to tell you that they need support. People may be reluctant to ask for help, especially if they know you have a busy life. If you think a person in your network may need someone to talk to, offer to share your experiences overcoming challenges because you are your friend's biggest support. If you feel a person is in danger of hurting themselves or others, seek help immediately by calling or texting 988 (press 1 for the Military/Veterans Crisis Line) to speak with a trained professional.
• Make time for personal get-togethers. Even if you prefer to communicate by phone, text message or email, others may be more willing to open up in a face-to-face conversation. Make time for connecting with friends and family in-person by having a barbecue, attending a sporting event or concert together or going for a long walk.

Additional Resources:

• Single Life in the Military (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/relationships/friendships-single-life/)
• Returning to Single Life After Deployment (https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/millife-guides/friendships-single-service-member/)
• Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs (https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/search?program-service=5/view-by=ALL)

Sources:

• Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy (2023). 2023 Demographics Profile of the Military Community. U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 8, 2025, from https://download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/Reports/2023-demographics-report.pdf.
• Gesselman, A. N., Kaufman, E. M., Weeks, L. Y., Moscovici, Z., Bennett-Brown, M., Adams, O. R., ... & Garcia, J. R. (2024). Exploring patterns in mental health treatment and interests of single adults in the United States: a secondary data analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1292603.

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