Military Communities

Military Communities of the Past

There is a general belief, unsupported by research, that in the past American military installations were tightly knit and largely self-contained communities. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some military bases indeed came close to this image. In these cases, the community typically represented career officers, noncommissioned officers (sergeants; NCOs), and their family members living on the base. The young enlisted families lived off base and were often not considered in this picture. While it is not known whether the sense of community and identification with the military have been weaker among those who live off base, access to and participation in military-sponsored services and activities are clearly affected by distance from the installation.

Nevertheless, for those actually living on the military base in the last quarter century (corresponding to the development of the all-volunteer force), most material and social needs of service members and their families seem to have been met in the installation. In military base housing, neighbors tended to be of similar rank and age, characteristics that research has shown to contribute to strong associations among residents of civilian communities.

Affiliation with the military has typically provided abundant opportunities for association with other military members and their families. A gamut of entitlements and services was available on the base, staffed by military personnel or Department of Defense civilians. Military members and their families could attend church; send their children to school; obtain medical and dental care; shop for groceries, clothing, furniture, and appliances; go to the hairdresser and barber; and obtain repairs for cars and appliances—all on base. They could join bowling clubs, play golf, work out at the gym, or play sports with other military members and their families—all on base. Officers' and NCOs' clubs were often hubs of social activity and entertainment for members and their spouses. Formal orientation programs supported newcomers to the base. For families of service members who were deployed, community ad hoc support services and programs, and corresponding unit-based family support groups, helped buffer the stress associated with separation and offered tangible assistance to family members during these separations. While these efforts were sometimes successful and sometimes not, they did represent the military concept that “we take care of our own.”

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