Boozman Recognized for Military Family Advocacy

Sen. Boozman addresses the audience upon receiving an award from MOAA for bipartisan leadership on Capitol Hill.

WASHINGTON-The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) presented U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) with its 2026 Colonel Arthur T. Matrix Congressional Leadership Award for his bipartisan efforts to advance policies that prioritize support for military spouses and families.

"Growing up in a military family, I learned firsthand about the sacrifices servicemembers' loved ones endure to support them, and how this calling truly is a family affair," said Boozman. "It is an honor to advocate policies like our military spouse hiring initiative that can help raise their quality of life and strengthen our military community. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and MOAA on this and other efforts to fulfill our promises to those who serve and their families."

"Senator Boozman's commitment to expanding employment opportunities for military spouses reflects a deep understanding of our military families. MOAA is proud to recognize him with the 2026 Colonel Arthur T. Marix Congressional Leadership Award and we look forward to working with him and his colleagues to ensure military spouses have the recognition and the opportunities they consistently earn," said president and CEO of the Military Officers Association of America Lt Gen Brian Kelly.

Boozman joined Senators Kaine, Hassan and Rounds in introducing the Military Spouse Hiring Act that would expand the existing Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program - which provides tax credits to employers who hire people facing unique barriers to employment - to include military spouses. Military spouses experience rates of unemployment and underemployment higher than the national average, as frequent moves often stall military spouses' upward career progression and increase difficulty finding employment after relocation.

MOAA featured Boozman in an interview also published in Military Officer magazine for his support of the Military Spouse Hiring Act and background as the son of a former Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.

Boozman serves on multiple committees that impact defense and veterans policy, including Senate Appropriations subcommittee panels that fund the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, in addition to being a senior member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.

MOAA, an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan association of officers from America's military services and the commissioned corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, has 350,000 members comprised of active duty, retired, former, and National Guard and Reserve officers, as well as surviving spouses, who work to preserve and protect servicemembers, veterans and families' earned benefits.

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