Peter Schorsch
In recognition of May’s National Military Appreciation Month, Philip Morris International (PMI) U.S. is shining a light on challenges facing military spouses.
The report, On the Home Front: Addressing the Needs of U.S. Military Spouses, takes a look at underresearched and underreported struggles military spouses face with their partners, including planning frequent relocations for their families, long separations and, perhaps most significantly, challenges maintaining employment.
“Military spouses are the backbone of their families, providing unwavering support to service members and veterans, often at a significant personal cost. Too many of these home-front heroes face barriers that make their lives more challenging than they should be,” said J.B. Simko, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at PMI U.S.
“We listened to the voices of military families and advocacy organizations to understand how employers, policymakers, and other organizations can step up. PMI U.S. donates to our community partners who offer career services like job networking and coaching to extend their reach. We will continue to evolve our support model as the needs of military families change.”
The report, analyzing data from the Blue Star Families’ annual military family lifestyle survey, found employment was the biggest challenge facing military spouses, prompting PMI U.S. to donate $100,000 to the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work’s Veteran Spouse Network for research and support services, including training and education.
“We have an opportunity to focus attention where it’s needed most. Research tells us that U.S. military spouses often end up in jobs that do not fully tap into their talents and capabilities. Often, military spouses settle for positions that demand less and pay less — around 25% less, on average — than they are qualified to earn,” said Elisa Borah, Director of the Institute for Military and Veteran Family Wellness at the University of Texas at Austin.
Importantly, the report outlines not only challenges, but solutions, with a roadmap for organizations working to support military families. Recommendations include helping members access Department of Veterans Affairs health care services and benefits, easing the transition from military to civilian life, and establishing a better understanding of challenges facing military members, their families and veterans.
The report follows support PMI U.S. gave to help the military community nationwide, including a more than $3 million investment in helping veterans and active-duty military members access free legal support by funding the use of additional lawyers and law students.
PMI U.S. has also expanded its partnership with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and Bob Woodruff Foundation, and has increased donations to support nonprofits focusing on housing, care in times of mourning, and economic hardship relief. The company plans to continue supporting the military and veteran communities through its partnerships this year.
PMI U.S., once thought of as Big Tobacco, now works to improve public health by providing innovative products that help smokers move away from cigarettes and other traditional tobacco products. Since 2008, the company has invested more than $14 billion globally to develop smoke-free products for legal-age nicotine consumers, which in the U.S. accounts for about 45 million people, 30 million of whom smoke or use other traditional tobacco products.
