Trump creates commission to improve quality of life for military families

President Trump on Monday created a commission aimed at improving the quality of life for military spouses and families while also bolstering military readiness.

The commission will work to address the challenges facing military families, including childcare, spousal employment, housing, healthcare, education and the demands of multiple employees. It will also serve as a direct line between military families and the White House.

Jennifer Hegseth, wife of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, will chair the commission, which will meet monthly at the White House. The commission will include 20 other military spouses representing service secretaries, Joint Chiefs of Staff and each branch.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s wife, Christie Mullin, will also serve on the panel.

“The commission will ensure we continue to give military spouses our very best, so our military can continue to be the strongest military anywhere in the world,” Mr. Trump said at an Oval Office ceremony in which he signed the executive order creating the commission.

“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,” Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Hegseth said taking care of service members’ families is critical to ensure “troops are prepared and ready on behalf of the nation.”

“If your family’s not taken care of, then it causes hesitations and complications for the war fighters up front,” he said. “No member of the joint forces services alone.”

Blue Star Families, an organization formed in 2009 to assist military families, reported that child care and spousal employment are the biggest concerns for service members. It released a poll last year that labor participation among active-duty spouses has increased from 59% in 2020 to 71% in 2024, while unemployment remains high at 23%.

The poll also found that 77% of military families say they need two incomes to make ends meet.

In addition, 64% of military spouses cited the cost and availability of child care as a barrier to finding employment, with 39% relying on babysitters, while 35% use off-base child care.

Roughly 1 million children have at least one parent serving on active duty, according to Military One Source, a government website.

During Mr. Trump’s first term, he expanded access to remote and flexible work for military spouses and made it easier for those whose jobs require a license or certification to transfer their accreditation across states.