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Simply by volunteering for the Armed Forces, servicemembers establish themselves as some of the most civic-minded citizens in the United States, so it should come as no surprise that their family members are the same. A new study from Blue Star Families found that military families volunteer and are involved in civic services at much higher rates than the general population.

The survey polled more than 4,000 military family members and found that 81 percent of them had volunteered in the last 12 months. The figure is significantly higher than the volunteer rate of the civilian population, which is at about 26.8 percent.

"It speaks to their belief in service, in that their families are doing something amazing, and that even given the sacrifices they make, they think it is worth it in the end to serve their country," said Vivian Greentree, director of research and policy at Blue Star Families. "The results of the survey in the area of community engagement show the true civic assets of the military community and the resilience that resides there."

Outside of volunteerism, the survey also revealed that military families are more likely to perform civic duties such as voting. The poll found 89 percent of respondents are registered to vote, and 82 percent voted in the 2008 election. In general, about 64 percent of Americans vote in each election.