President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month creating the President’s Military Spouse Commission to recommend improvements in housing, employment, healthcare, childcare and education for military families. The initiative addresses longstanding problems that can undermine family stability and military retention.
“Their support and contributions to our Armed Forces are crucial to mission success,” Trump wrote in the order. Frequent relocations and deployments, he acknowledged, can limit employment opportunities and leave spouses managing households alone.
Employment remains a major challenge. The Pentagon’s 2024 survey estimated unemployment at 20% among civilian spouses of active-duty personnel participating in the labor force. That was not a statistically significant improvement over 21% in 2021. The measure excludes spouses who are not working or actively seeking employment.
The city of San Antonio is now proposing to cut the funding to the Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Fellowship Program, an initiative managed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
This program connects military spouses with local employers for 12-week paid professional fellowships, with the city previously covering the stipend costs. City staff recommended eliminating this funding as part of a broader effort to close a looming $158 million structural budget deficit over the next two fiscal years
Childcare is also an issue that persists with military spouses. In a poll of military spouses 30% identified caring for children who were not in daycare or school as their main reason for not seeking work. The survey also found that recent military moves increased the likelihood of unemployment.
Potential remedies include making professional licenses easier to transfer between states and expanding flexible employment. Government Accountability Office research has documented licensing barriers and spouses’ difficulties finding jobs that accommodate military moves and family responsibilities.
For some military spouses, the financial strain extends to putting food on the table. The Pentagon’s 2023 survey of Reserve component spouses found that 22% experienced food insecurity during the previous year. Among spouses of junior enlisted personnel, the figure reached 41%.
Many military spouses report relying on food pantries and help from extended family to put food on the table.
Housing presents another documented hardship. In an October 2024 report, the Government Accountability Office found that some service members faced long commutes, took on debt or left their families in other states because suitable housing near their assignments was unaffordable. Housing allowances did not eliminate those difficulties.
Investigators also heard complaints about persistent maintenance problems, moisture damage and possible mold in privately operated military family housing.
Federal investigators have recommended better identification of housing shortages, stronger inspections and clearer assistance for tenants challenging unresolved problems.
The Pentagon has introduced tenant advocates and a formal dispute process, although GAO’s 2023 review found shortcomings in training and implementation. Military OneSource also identifies connecting eligible families with nutrition assistance and financial support as ways to address household hardship.
Extended deployments can place a heavy emotional burden on military spouses, who must manage daily responsibilities while worrying about their partner’s safety.
Parenting, paying bills and handling emergencies without a partner at home can contribute to stress, anxiety and exhaustion. Communication across time zones may be unpredictable, and uncertainty about a deployment’s length can make it difficult to plan or maintain a sense of stability.
Frequent military moves can deepen that isolation by separating spouses from relatives, friends and established support networks. Even after a service member returns, couples may need time to rebuild routines, renegotiate household responsibilities and reconnect emotionally.
Not every spouse experiences lasting psychological distress, but accessible counseling, reliable childcare and connections with other military families can help ease the strain.
Guests:
Robin Carter is the senior director of regional development at Operation Home Front.
Verenice Castillo is founder & CEO of Military Spouse Advocacy Network.
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