Military spouses are raising awareness about key issues affecting local communities as part of the National Military Spouse Network’s Day of Advocacy.
Held in conjunction with Military Spouse Appreciation Day, the National Day of Advocacy happens annually on the Friday before Mother’s Day. Military spouses, who are specially trained by NMSN, meet with lawmakers to discuss pertinent issues — like military spouse unemployment — and press for action. The result is often new legislation meant to assist the nation’s 1.1 million husbands and wives of U.S. service members.
“How amazing is it that this group of dedicated volunteers are going to come together and advocate for their entire community,” Sue Hoppin, NMSN’s president, said. “Every year, I am most excited about seeing all those military spouses coming together from different walks of life for one day to work on everyone’s behalf.”
This year, the Day of Advocacy falls on Friday, May 6. Approximately three dozen men and women from the U.S. and Europe completed NMSN’s two-hour training, Hoppin explained, and have scheduled appointments both in-person and virtually with state and national politicians.
“Veterans and their causes often get attention, which is great, but their spouse’s needs often fall by the wayside,” said Hoppin, the wife of a retired airman. “I think we can also focus on military spouse issues, too.”
That focus led Hoppin and the NMSN team to create the National Day of Advocacy in 2019. They wanted a way to help military spouses but “didn’t just want to hand out certificates of appreciation or throw another luncheon.” Hoppin, who has a background in public policy and grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, is familiar with Capitol Hill and its orbit. Why not teach others to harness the power of American politics, she said.
The group’s focal point sharpened to military spouse unemployment rates. Already worse than their civilian counterparts, joblessness among spouses deteriorated further during COVID lockdowns. In 2021, for example, experts estimated that more than one in three military spouses could not find steady work.
“I was so frustrated by that,” Hoppin said. “It’s insane that we keep doing the same things over and over, expecting a different result.”
NMSN crafted a white paper on the topic. It not only points out problems, Hoppin said, but offers solutions.
“For example, expanding the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include military spouses would undoubtedly help remove barriers to employment, just as providing these tax incentives to employers that hire military veterans helped reduce veteran unemployment,” it reads.
Spouses can use the highlighted talking points when speaking to legislators and media outlets.
Hoppin hopes that even spouses who did not receive training will act on May 6. NMSN staffers regularly post videos teaching how to contact lawmakers, schedule appointments and other related topics on its YouTube channel. Even leaving a simple voicemail, like “Hi, I am a local military spouse, and I’m concerned about the military spouse unemployment rate” can make a difference, Hoppin added.
“It’s really important to remain civically engaged as a military spouse,” she said. “Even if it’s just one day out of the year, it’s important for all of us to know how to be a part of this process ― because it gives our lawmakers the opportunity to support us in the future.”
Visit the National Military Spouse Network’s website for more information on advocating for your community. For National Day of Advocacy updates, connect with NMSN on Facebook and Instagram.
