Crews of armed forces vessels with a homeport outside the United States are counted as part of the U.S. overseas population through the administrative records of their service branch. Armed forces personnel housed at installations in the United States and its territories receive a specially designed form at their work unit. They are instructed to complete and return it to their unit representative. On this form, personnel can claim their usual home address or report the name of their barracks, hospital ward or disciplinary barracks. Personnel aboard Navy and Coast Guard vessels with a homeport in the United States or its territories also will receive a specially designed form to complete.
Shipboard personnel can claim an onshore address or, if none, be counted at the ship's homeport.
Armed forces personnel living in conventional housing in the United States, either on or off an installation, also will receive a household questionnaire. Housing on the installation is enumerated through the same procedures the Census Bureau uses for housing in the surrounding area. It is important for armed forces personnel living in conventional housing to fill out both the household questionnaire and the special form they receive at their work unit. The Census Bureau will eliminate any duplication during processing. It is also important that everyone answer all the questions on the census forms.