Resources
About the Program
Millennium Cohort Program
The Millennium Cohort Program (MCP) is a DoD program of research supported by the Defense Health Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP), including three major research efforts: The Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), Millennium Cohort Family Study (MCFS); and Millennium Cohort Study of Adolescent Resilience (SOAR).
Millennium Cohort Study
Dr. Rudy Rull, Principal Investigator
MCS was initiated in 2001 prior to the events of 9/11 and the subsequent large-scale military operations, including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Participants of MCS are enrolled while serving in the military and then surveyed every 3 to 5 years over their life course (i.e., through 2068), both during service and after military separation. Since the first panel of service members was enrolled in 2001, additional panels were enrolled in 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2020. There are over 260,000 study volunteers participating in these five panels, representing all service branches and components, making it the largest and longest ongoing prospective cohort study of U.S. military personnel. Over the past 20 years, the study has conducted extensive longitudinal research evaluating the effects of deployments and other aspects of military service on service members and their families.
To learn more about the Millennium Cohort Study visit: https://www.millenniumcohort.org/
Millennium Cohort Family Study
Dr. Hope McMaster, Principal Investigator
MCFS launched in 2011 as a component of the Millennium Cohort program of research and it is currently the only ongoing DoD study of the health and relationship well-being of military families. FCS comprises data from both service personnel and their married partners. Participants volunteer to complete a self-report survey every three years for up to 21 years. Because the influence of military life can be long-lasting, spouses are followed even if their service member partner separates from servcie or their marital relationship changes. In 2011, MCFS enrolled one panel of almost 10,000 spouses, and in 2020 enrolled another panel of over 18,000 spouses. Analyzing dyadic data from both spouses and service members, MCFS seeks to understand the impact of military life on the health and well-being of military family members, as well as their relationship adjustment. The study further evaluates the role of family life on service members' readiness, retention, recover, and resilience.
To learn more about the Millennium Cohort Family Study visit: https://familycohort.org/
Study of Adolescent Resilience
Dr. Hope McMaster, Principal Investigator
In response to the increasing rates of mental health challenges among youth, the Department of Defense (DoD) determined a need to collect data to better understand the health and well-being of military-connected adolescents. In 2021, SOAR was funded by the DoD Office of Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) to determine if, and how, military life affects teh psychological and physical health, academic achievement, and educational and career goals of adolescents. In 2022, SOAR began enrolling the 11- to 17-year-old children of parents enrolled in the Millennium Cohort Study of service members and veterans, representing all armed service branches and active duty, Reserve, and National Guard components. The SOAR survey collects information from parents and their children to determine risk and prtective factors that can help inform policies and prgrams to imporve the health and well-being of military families. This study assists the Department of Defense in outlining future strategic goals for programs and services to address the needs of military-connected adolescents and their families, as well as provide data to better understand the health and well-being of the next generation of potential service members.
To learn more about the Millennium Cohort Study of Adolescent Resilience visit: https://militarysoar.org/
