From the moment he hit the campaign trail and took office, President Donald J. Trump has prioritized the armed forces and supported their forgotten families. This included expanded federal job opportunities for spouses, improved occupational licensing portability across states, and greater access to remote and flexible work.
On August 3, 2026, he built on that momentum by signing an executive order establishing the President’s Military Spouse Commission, the first of its kind.
The panel is tasked with advising and assisting the president on matters affecting spouses and families. It will serve as a direct liaison between families and the White House, identifying common concerns, developing recommendations on housing, employment, healthcare, education, and deployment support, and submitting annual reports plus a final report. It may form subcommittees and will end after two years unless extended.
An estimated one million children have at least one parent on active duty.
Trump signed the order in an Oval Office ceremony attended by Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt of Alabama, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, and several spouses.
In his remarks, the commander in chief emphasized how vital of a role: “America cannot have the strongest military in the world without the love and devotion of our remarkable military spouses who make extraordinary sacrifices for our country.” He added that the panel “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.”
Gen. Caine added enthusiastically, “You think we’re strong? American military spouses are ten times stronger.”
The executive order notes that spouses are intrinsically linked to the good order, readiness, and retention of the force. They face challenges from frequent relocations, prolonged deployments, limited housing, employment barriers, and managing households alone; all of which affect family well-being and the resilience of the fighting force. These challenges have been repeatedly flagged by military families, including in Blue Star Families surveys that rank spouse employment as the top concern.
Jennifer Hegseth, wife of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, will chair the advisory, Desiree Sayle will serve as Executive Director.
Membership includes spouses of senior leaders, the service secretaries, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, service chiefs, senior enlisted advisors, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, along with Christie Mullin, wife of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Members serve without compensation, tied to their spouses’ roles, with administrative support from the Department of War.
With hundreds of years of collective lived experience, the panel can address real-world issues with firsthand knowledge while delivering practical recommendations that boost retention and readiness.
This new panel builds on broader efforts to support service members and their families, including the one-time $1,776 “Warrior Dividend” paid to roughly 1.45 million troops in honor of the nation’s founding year, proposed pay raises of up to 7 percent for lower ranks in the fiscal 2027 budget, and a $1.5 trillion defense topline.
