The National Military Spouse Network Sets May 12 for its Annual 'NMSN National Day of Advocacy'

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May 01, 2023, 08:38 ET

Community Members to Meet With Legislators to Discuss Issues Vital to Military Spouse Employment

LORTON, Va., May 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Military Spouse Network (NMSN), the premiere organization supporting the professional growth and development of the nation's military spouses, has set Friday, May 12, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, for its annual "NMSN National Day of Advocacy (#NMSNAdvocacy) initiative to raise awareness among legislators about important issues affecting the nation's military spouse community. NMSN community members will be headed to Capitol Hill and local legislative offices around the country to meet with congressional representatives and staff to advance the group's priorities.

Challenging for military spouses is that they face limited professional work opportunities due to frequent moves, relocation to remote locations where work opportunities are scarce and don't meet their professional needs, as well as a range of federal restrictions on their employment options.

"The upcoming Day of Advocacy provides the military spouse community with the opportunity to speak face-to-face with congressional leaders and their staff about issues important to military spouses and their families," said NMSN Founder and President Sue Hoppin, a leading advocate for military spouses in the U.S. and across the globe.

During the meetings, NMSN members will discuss the key points in the 2023 National Military Spouse Network White Paper presented by USAA. The latest report, "Solving the Military Spouse Employment Puzzle," looks back at five years of advocacy on behalf of military spouses and provides a status report on the group's ongoing work along with seven recommendations for advancing the organization's objective of removing the barriers to military spouse employment.

NMSN's recommendations include:

Compiling and streamlining access to critical career information needed by military spouses to make informed decisions about their careers as they relocate from one duty station to the next
Modernizing military spouse employment programs, resources, and delivery systems for today's military spouses
Creating one comprehensive tool or resource to help military spouses manage their careers from the time they enter the military lifestyle to at least 2-3 years after the service member's transition from the military
Increasing the number of military spouses working in the federal government
Creating military spouse fellowships in congressional offices
Developing a shared lexicon and facilitating clearer communication within communities as well as among service providers, advocates, and lawmakers who support the military community
Removing barriers that prevent public and private partnerships, particularly around federal, state, and local regulations, to enhance effective collaboration

Hoppin and the NMSN team have worked tirelessly with legislative leaders to raise awareness of military spouse employment issues to help improve career opportunities for spouses while preserving the ranks of military service members. NMSN is advocating for common sense solutions such as the Military Spouse Hiring Act.

The proposed bill is universally popular bill on both sides of the aisle and within the broad-based military community, including The Military Coalition, which is comprised of 35 organizations representing more than 5.5 million members across uniformed services – active, reserve, retired, survivors, veterans – and their families. The Military Spouse Hiring Act is designed to address the stubbornly high military spouse unemployment rate that remains way above the overall U.S. average and which negatively impacts the financial security of military families. The legislation would treat miliary spouses as a target group that qualifies for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit that employers could use to hire more people, helping them find meaningful employment.

The Day of Advocacy is an opportunity for legislators to hear directly from the military community in face-to-face meetings where community members can discuss how important the Military Spouse Hiring Act is to this dedicated and service-oriented constituency. Military families represent a nation in which less than 1% of the population serves in the armed forces.

About National Military Spouse Network

Founded in 2010, the National Military Spouse Network (NMSN) delivers ongoing personal and professional development for military spouses by providing quality content, mentoring, networking opportunities and resources, including a monthly newsletter and free bi-annual digital magazine. NMSN creates a community of military spouse professionals, businesses, academics, and media to share expertise and craft innovative solutions on both balancing a viable career with the military lifestyle and laying the foundation for a successful career post military life. For more information on NMSN, visit www.nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org. Follow NMSN on Twitter at @NMSNetwork or join the Facebook community at www.facebook.com/NMSNetwork.

Press Contacts:
Laura Liebeck, 845-440-7974, [email protected]
Gabrielle Torello, [email protected]

SOURCE National Military Spouse Network