WASHINGTON – Jennifer Hegseth will take charge of President Trump’s commission to help military spouses address the challenges families face, including housing and unemployment. 

She, her husband, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, and a few dozen military spouses joined the president in the Oval Office on Monday when he signed an order creating the first-ever Presidential Military Spouse Commission.

“This commission will provide recommendations for improving the quality of life for military spouses, so that we can better support both our military families,” Trump said.

“The commission will develop suggestions to address particular challenges in housing, employment, healthcare, education, child care, and just about everything else you can think of.”

Hegseth said she’s traveled the world speaking to military spouses about the unique challenges they face, particularly as they move their families from posting to posting.

She gestured to the group of women with her, standing around the president at the Resolute Desk, and said: “We have the most amazing women here who have decades of experience as military spouses themselves to take a look at it. There’s really nothing we’re going to find that they haven’t experienced, and so between what they’ve experienced and what they know, we’re going to really tackle these things.”

Military spouses have struggled with unemployment rates above 20%. Military families move, on average, every two to three years. Military children typically move between 6 and 9 times between kindergarten and high school graduation.

When Trump asked Jennifer Hegseth where the commission would meet, she told him the White House. And he jokingly offered her use of the Oval Office.

Secretary Pete Hegseth joked after his wife spoke: “I can’t top that, Mr. President.”

“No you can’t,” Trump agreed.

The commission’s work will include recommending to the president “practicable actions to help ensure the overall well-being of military spouses and to improve the quality of life of military spouses,” according to a White House fact sheet.

Other members of the Commission include: Christie Mullin, the wife of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, along with 20 other military spouses representing the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and each branch’s senior enlisted leader and service secretaries.

Caine praised the group, telling the president: “You think we’re strong? American military spouses are ten times stronger.”