Military Families
SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • Money

    Enjoy the holiday season and New Year confidently with a trusted loan solution

    Always ready, always there for the National Guard, that’s AFBA.

    Always ready, always there for the National Guard, that’s AFBA.

    Serving those who serve

    Serving those who serve

    US VetWealth Founder

    US VetWealth founder creates order out of chaos 

  • Education
  • Career
    Retired Coast Guard officer mentors prison inmates

    Retired Coast Guard officer mentors prison inmates

    2019 Official White House Christmas Ornament honors military history

    2019 Official White House Christmas Ornament honors military history

    Life after deployment

    Life after deployment

    A war refugee’s journey to the US Army

    A war refugee’s journey to the US Army

  • Travel
    To Bavaria with love

    To Bavaria with love

    Military families redefine home for the holidays

    Military families redefine home for the holidays

    5 affordable fall activities for any military kid

    5 affordable fall activities for any military kid

    Choosing to homeschool my military kids

    Choosing to homeschool my military kids

  • Health
    Air Force wife marks 1000 days of sobriety

    Air Force wife marks 1000 days of sobriety

    Adoption brings hope to military family facing infertility

    Adoption brings hope to military family facing infertility

    I left my family so I wouldn’t lose my mind

    I left my family so I wouldn’t lose my mind

    Mental health triggers of deployment

    Mental health triggers of deployment

  • Military Life
    • Military News
    • Relocation
    • Deployment
    • Military Spouses
    • Veterans
  • Resources
    • Veteran Transition
    • Military Travel Discounts
    • Military Scholarships
    • Military Spouse Employment
    • 2019 Shopping Guide for MilFams
  • About us
    • Advertise with us
    • Our Authors
    • Write for us
    • Submit your story
    • Print Magazines
    • Digital Magazines
    • Monthly Giveaway
    • Participating Nonprofits and CFC Charities
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Military Families
  • Money

    Enjoy the holiday season and New Year confidently with a trusted loan solution

    Always ready, always there for the National Guard, that’s AFBA.

    Always ready, always there for the National Guard, that’s AFBA.

    Serving those who serve

    Serving those who serve

    US VetWealth Founder

    US VetWealth founder creates order out of chaos 

  • Education
  • Career
    Retired Coast Guard officer mentors prison inmates

    Retired Coast Guard officer mentors prison inmates

    2019 Official White House Christmas Ornament honors military history

    2019 Official White House Christmas Ornament honors military history

    Life after deployment

    Life after deployment

    A war refugee’s journey to the US Army

    A war refugee’s journey to the US Army

  • Travel
    To Bavaria with love

    To Bavaria with love

    Military families redefine home for the holidays

    Military families redefine home for the holidays

    5 affordable fall activities for any military kid

    5 affordable fall activities for any military kid

    Choosing to homeschool my military kids

    Choosing to homeschool my military kids

  • Health
    Air Force wife marks 1000 days of sobriety

    Air Force wife marks 1000 days of sobriety

    Adoption brings hope to military family facing infertility

    Adoption brings hope to military family facing infertility

    I left my family so I wouldn’t lose my mind

    I left my family so I wouldn’t lose my mind

    Mental health triggers of deployment

    Mental health triggers of deployment

  • Military Life
    • Military News
    • Relocation
    • Deployment
    • Military Spouses
    • Veterans
  • Resources
    • Veteran Transition
    • Military Travel Discounts
    • Military Scholarships
    • Military Spouse Employment
    • 2019 Shopping Guide for MilFams
  • About us
    • Advertise with us
    • Our Authors
    • Write for us
    • Submit your story
    • Print Magazines
    • Digital Magazines
    • Monthly Giveaway
    • Participating Nonprofits and CFC Charities
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
SUBSCRIBE FREE
Military Families
No Result
View All Result

A review of military spouse advocacy on Capitol Hill

Jennifer Barnhill
by Jennifer Barnhill
September 23, 2019
Kaine is for spouse advocacy

Sen. Tim Kaine has positioned himself as a leading Capitol Hill advocate for the military spouse community. Photo by Maddie Dolan.

In order to see where military spouses rank politically, it is important to examine where spouse advocacy is financially, politically and socially. 

In a highly-politicized world, it is easy to shy away from taking an active role in partisan politics. Military spouses are an especially vulnerable demographic. From day one, active duty spouses are taught to avoid engaging in politics while in their military member serves. This has led many to take a step back from the political process, relying on outside entities to advocate on their behalf.  

Advocacy can be looked at as an underrated catalyst of change. Sometimes it starts small, with local communities raising their voices towards a common goal. There is not one person who lights the flame, but many. When support is broken down, people must look at attention given, actions taken and dollars spent in order to understand military spouse advocacy. 

Nonprofits 

Raezer's spouse advocacy
Joyce Raezer spoke at the 2019 Homefront Rising and was a leading force in military spouse advocacy throughout her career with NMFA. Photo by Maddie Dolan.

Just as there are countless military service organizations, there are countless groups fighting for military-related causes in Washington. Blue Star Families, the USO and others advocate by conducting surveys or providing resources to elected officials, service members and their families. Among them is the Military Family Advisory Network, a well-known resource for many policy makers.  

Rather than proactively promoting an agenda, MFAN focuses on “educating those in decision making roles about real, authentic experiences of military families through providing scientific research,” said MFAN Executive Director Shannon Razsadin. 

The 501 (c)(3) recruits a diverse advisory board that mirrors the military spouse community. Board members serve a two-year term and connect the organization to military spouse communities across the country. MFAN disseminates information from the Department of Defense to the military community, while keeping its finger on the pulse of military community contentment. 

When discontent builds, organizations, like the National Military Family Association, step in. 

“We spend a fair amount of time helping families get help from their chain of command. [If] there is not a solution under current policy, we need to address that in a broader fashion. Not everything has to go to Congress,” said Joyce Raezer, retired executive director of NMFA.   

“We try whenever possible to solve a problem at the appropriate level, but we are not shy about going to their boss, whoever that is, when action doesn’t happen at the level it is supposed to,” Raezer continued.   

When NMFA sees successes at the command or federal level, their advocacy work is not over. 

“We then press whoever is responsible to implement that law,” Raezer emphasized. This includes military leaders as well as elected officials.   

If it’s broke, let’s fix it. 

Perhaps the most familiar form of advocacy is legislative. This process requires political support. 

Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia is considered by many to be a military spouse advocate. Kaine, also a military parent, cosponsored the Military Spouse Employment Bill of 2018. The majority of the bill was passed as part of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act in August 2018, just over six months after it was introduced to the Senate, a rare occurrence in Washington. 

“I’m happy to report that these have not been partisan issues,” said Sarah Peck, Kaine’s communications director. “In such a supercharged partisan time, one word of encouragement is that people on both sides of the aisle want to help find solutions.”  

In other words, Washington politicians want to be perceived as supporting military issues, allowing for cooperative and timely decision-making.    

It can be intimidating to connect to political representatives. This hesitancy is exacerbated when people are unsure if they should call representatives from their home of record, where they are a resident or where they are currently stationed. Peck encourages plugging-in to local communities in addition to where people are registered to vote. Even if someone is not a constituent, their military issues affect the local community and are worth hearing. 

Show us the money. 

Sen. Kaine & Barnhill
Author Jennifer Barnhill and Sen. Tim Kaine pictured together, who has positioned himself as a leading Capitol Hill advocate for the military spouse community. Photo by Maddie Dolan.

In 2019, the federal government budgeted $100 million dollars for military spouse employment. This represents .01% of the $686.1 billion DOD 2019 budget. 

Military spouse employment appeared as its own line item in 2010 DOD budget, the same time that the My Career Advancement Account program was relaunched with adjusted eligibility requirements. While getting a named budget line item is significant, the total dollar amount is less so. 

The federal budget has not increased military spouse education spending for nine years. In 2010, 1.4% of total spending was allocated, setting aside $100 million out of $708.2 billion. With inflation, these numbers have not just stagnated, but decreased. In order to keep up with an average inflation of 2% per year, this budget amount would need to be closer to $119.51 million to break even.   

Section 574 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act that was passed in August 2018, required the DOD to study the efficiency of the money spent on MYCAA within 180 days. Findings have yet to be reported. Being included in the budget and legislation is important, but effective spending and implementation is vital. 

As more and more military family issues are brought to light, now is the time for military spouses to step up and take action. Finances are flowing. Advocacy organizations are researching. Politicians are listening. Change starts with one small step in the right direction.

Editor’s Note: This is article two of a three-part series about military spouse advocacy by Jennifer Barnhill. Visit “Future military spouse clubs must change to survive” to view part one.

Read comments
Tags: Blue Star FamiliesJoyce RaezerMilitary Family Advisory Networkmilitary retentionMilitary Spousemilitary spouse advocacyMilitary Spouse Employment BillNational Defense Authorization ActNational Military Family AssociationSen. Tim Kaine
Jennifer Barnhill

Jennifer Barnhill

Jennifer is a juggler. She balances freelance writing, graduate studies, a full-time job and caring for three kids and a husband. Throughout her 12 year marriage to a Naval aviator, she has PCSed to FL, NV, Japan (twice) and CA (thrice). She attained a B.A. in English - Professional Writing from the College of New Jersey. She is currently studying Public Service and Administration at Texas A&M University to further her pursuit of military spouse advocacy.

Related Posts

Retired Coast Guard officer mentors prison inmates

by Jessica Manfre
Dec-05-2019
0
Retired Coast Guard officer mentors prison inmates

Retirement after 36 years in the Coast Guard looked a lot like fishing, maybe some teaching, and doing something to...

Read more

7 ways to keep the end-of-the-year holidays special during deployment

by Jordan Benton
Dec-03-2019
0
7 ways to keep the end-of-the-year holidays special during deployment

Deployment is an expected part of military life, but enduring those days apart never get easier, especially around key dates...

Read more

Air Force wife marks 1000 days of sobriety

by Crystal Kupper
Dec-02-2019
0
Air Force wife marks 1000 days of sobriety

“Alison?” Knock, knock. “Alison!”   Through her haze in the front seat, Air Force wife Alison Evans slurred the pieces together. She and her three young children...

Read more

What should you do with those Thanksgiving leftovers?

by Amy Pottinger
Nov-27-2019
0
What should you do with those Thanksgiving leftovers?

After you get done with the big feast, what are you going to do with all of those Thanksgiving leftovers?...

Read more

2019 Official White House Christmas Ornament honors military history

by Tiffany Lawrence
Nov-26-2019
0
2019 Official White House Christmas Ornament honors military history

Since 1981 the White House Historical Association has released a new Official White House Christmas Ornament for the holiday season. It sequentially recognizes our nation’s presidents and tells a historic story...

Read more

To Bavaria with love

by Jessica Evans
Nov-25-2019
0
To Bavaria with love

In March, my husband and I will be heading back to the U.S. after two and a half years in...

Read more

Discussion about this post

Connect with other Military Families

Military News, delivered to your inbox

Get weekly news updates, unsubscribe anytime.

Military Families

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Contact us
  • Digital Magazines
  • Advertise with us
© 2019 Military Families by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW.

Thank you for your interest in Military Families Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in Military Families Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in Military Families Magazine!

No Result
View All Result
  • Money
  • Education
  • Career
  • Travel
  • Health
  • Military Life
    • Military News
    • Relocation
    • Deployment
    • Military Spouses
    • Veterans
  • Resources
    • Veteran Transition
    • Military Travel Discounts
    • Military Scholarships
    • Military Spouse Employment
    • 2019 Shopping Guide for MilFams
  • About us
    • Advertise with us
    • Our Authors
    • Write for us
    • Submit your story
    • Print Magazines
    • Digital Magazines
    • Monthly Giveaway
    • Participating Nonprofits and CFC Charities
    • Contact

© 2019 Military Families by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW.