WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump launched the President’s Military Spouse Commission by signing an executive order in the Oval Office on Aug. 3.
Military leaders’ spouses will lead the commission to identify issues affecting military families and report back to the president with annual policy recommendations.
“This commission will provide recommendations for improving the quality of life for military spouses so that we can better support both our military families and the entire United States Armed Forces,” Trump said during the White House event, noting that the efforts will “help ensure we continue to give military spouses our very best, so our military can continue to be the strongest military anywhere in the world.”
He emphasized the role spouses play in raising children and managing households while their husbands or wives are defending the nation.
“America cannot have the strongest military in the world without the love and devotion of our remarkable military spouses who make the extraordinary sacrifices for our country,” Trump said.
“Many military spouses spend months separated from their loved ones while our heroes are deployed overseas. Military families also endure frequent moves and other unique challenges, and the challenges are legendary.”
The order notes the long tradition of strength built by military families and the many difficulties and uncertainties they face.
“Frequent relocations and the long absences of service members—especially when deployed to combat zones—can negatively impact military spouses’ quality of life and, in turn, that of their family,” the order reads. “The repeated relocations and other aspects of military life may limit quality housing options, employment opportunities, and other resources available to families that are not obligated to move every 2 to 3 years, as military families do in service to our Nation.”
Trump described the new order as a “major new step to support our incredible military families, something that we’ve been working on for a long time, I guess you could say for decades.”
He listed prior efforts to benefit enlisted Americans, including funding for childcare and base housing, and a “Warrior Dividend” payment of $1,776 last year.
Commissioners will analyze opportunities to support military families in childcare, education, employment, healthcare, housing, and other services. The group’s initial term is set for two years, with a possible extension.
Jennifer Hegseth, spouse of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, will serve as chair.
“These are generational issues that are long overdue to address, and we have the most amazing women here that have decades of experience as military spouses themselves to take a look at it,” she said during the ceremony. “There’s nothing we are going to find that we haven’t experienced.”
Executive Director Desiree Sayle, appointed by the president, will join the spouses of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Homeland Security Secretary, and Armed Forces Service secretaries to make up the commission, with all members serving without receiving compensation.
Sayle touted the group’s combined experience, with 400 years of living as active-duty military spouses, including more than 300 moves.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine joined a group of military spouses for the event.
“As we stand here now, around the world, military service members are out doing our nation’s business and ready to do what is asked of them,” Caine said. “The foundation of American military readiness is the families, and the backstopping of all of that is the military spouses that serve behind them.”
