President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the President’s Military Spouse Commission, creating a direct White House channel to address challenges facing the 1 million children and families of active-duty service members across America.

War Secretary’s Wife Takes Command

Jennifer Hegseth, wife of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, will chair the new commission alongside 20 military spouses representing service secretaries and Joint Chiefs of Staff members. The commission will advise the president on policies affecting military families and deliver annual recommendations to improve their quality of life while strengthening military readiness. Trump signed the order Monday afternoon with War Secretary Pete Hegseth, his wife Jennifer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, and several military spouses present at the White House ceremony.

Jennifer Hegseth emphasized the commission’s mission in a statement, declaring military spouses are the bedrock of Armed Forces readiness and resilience. She pledged to work tirelessly dismantling barriers military families face daily, assuring them they have a champion in President Trump’s White House. Christie Mullin, wife of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, will also serve as a commission member bringing years of experience supporting service members and families in Oklahoma.

Targeting Top Family Concerns

The commission will focus on critical issues identified in Blue Star Families’ latest Military Family Lifestyle Survey. Military spouse employment and pay rank as top concerns for active-duty families, followed by time away from family, childcare access, housing shortages, housing allowances, and children’s education. The commission aims to provide the White House a direct line to these challenges, examining childcare availability, employment opportunities, housing conditions, healthcare access, education quality, and the demands of multiple deployments on family stability.

Building On First-Term Progress

Trump expanded military family support during his first term by improving occupational license portability for military spouses, broadening access to remote and flexible work opportunities, and increasing federal employment openings. In 2018, he signed legislation allowing military spouses to claim the same state of legal residence as their active-duty spouse regardless of where military orders require the family to relocate. Trump acknowledged in a May Military Spouse Day proclamation that more work remains needed regarding employment, quality housing, affordable childcare, accessible healthcare, and education for military families despite 250 years of freedom made possible by armed forces and selfless spouses.