Military Spouse Commission Holds First Meeting, Identifies Top Issues

The Military Spouse Commission held its first meeting today at the White House.

The commission, which President Donald J. Trump established via executive order Aug. 3, is tasked with advising and assisting the president on policies that affect military spouses and families.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who attended the meeting as a guest, spoke briefly to the roughly 20 attendees.

"A lot of things that need to happen in our department happen with the stroke of a pen from either your husbands, at [their] level, and if not, up at the office of secretary of war level; and we are prepared to wield that pen," Hegseth told the commission, which comprises the spouses of the War Department's most senior military leaders.

His wife, Jennifer Hegseth, chairs the commission and spoke about its establishment.

"We're here to help President Trump improve the lives of America's nearly 1 million military spouses, which you all are a part of. And as you know firsthand, military spouses make a sacrifice for our nation together with the sacrifice of your warrior," she said.

She went on to explain that the commission will work to tackle big issues like employment, housing, education and healthcare, as well as micro issues that also need addressing.

"Many of those solutions will be new, but some already exist and have gotten stuck in the bureaucracy - and we'll find those too," she said.

Jennifer Hegseth noted that some of those issues will need to be revived from past efforts to fix them, and that some solutions will require congressional legislation.

"We will work to find solutions to all of them, so thank you all again for being willing to serve," she said.

Each commission member then introduced themself and spoke about the issues that they prioritize the most. As the meeting continued, it became clear that the three most referenced issues were healthcare, employment and housing.

Donna Caudle, the wife of the chief of naval operations, said that as a licensed healthcare professional, she has seen firsthand and heard from countless Navy families about the challenges they face when accessing healthcare.

"I look forward to working with the commission to help President Trump improve continuity of care and capacity, reduce appointment wait times, and close the gaps in specialty care and mental health services for our military families," she added.

Debbie Schiess, the wife of the chief of space operations for the Space Force, said she would love to see legislation that allows spouses who are licensed in any state to practice on federal installations.

"This would tackle two issues at once: aiding in spouse employment and increasing our mental health providers," she said.

Regarding employment, Angie Perryman - who's married to Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman - explained that spousal employment is near and dear to her.

"I've been a full-time federal employee with the Department of War for almost 20 years as a licensed clinical social worker, and I know firsthand that military spouse employment is not simply about finding a job; it's about preserving a career," Angie Perryman said.

She noted the importance of allowing spouses to maintain their jobs despite frequent changes of location.

"My goal is to help make military-directed moves as close to career-neutral as possible through portable work, remote work, meaningful license, portability, and employment policies that allow spouses to build careers that move with their families," she further explained.

Katrina Isom, the wife of the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, explained that experiencing numerous moves over her husband's nearly 40-year career has led her to focus on the quality of military housing.

"During our time in the military, I've seen and experienced firsthand the struggles of increasing costs of housing, and the challenges of ensuring [the basic allowance for housing] meets the needs of our service members. As a member of this commission, I look forward to helping ensure that we are doing everything possible to ensure the housing needs of our military members is adequately met," Isom said.

Following all the introductions, the secretary of war had high praise for the quality of talent among the commission members, as well as the 544 years combined of active-duty spouse experience the members share.

"What an incredible background of human beings - Americans who gave the entirety of your lives to the whims of where the government sent your family," he said. "And the least we can do is try to look back on that [time] and give."

The commission is scheduled to meet monthly at the White House.