Advocating for Military Families: NMFA and The American Legion Co-Host Congressional Briefing

On Thursday, April 24, 2025, NMFA and The American Legion joined forces to host the “Supporting Military Families’ Quality of Life Congressional Briefing” on Capitol Hill. Together, we emphasized a vital message: supporting military families is not only a matter of compassion—it’s a matter of national security.

The briefing brought together Congressional staffers, military family advocates, and veteran service organizations to discuss improvements made to military family quality of life, highlight ongoing challenges, and underscore the importance of sustained legislative support. The event built on the momentum created by the House Armed Services Committee Quality of Life Panel during the last Congress, which helped deliver significant wins for military families, including targeted pay increases and expanded benefits.

Mario Marquez, Executive Director of Government Affairs at The American Legion, opened the event by drawing a direct connection between military readiness and the stability of servicemembers’ home lives. “Without a sustainable and resilient military force that is continuously ready and ready to operate without having to worry about issues on the home front, then it’s a matter of national security,” he stressed.

Following Marquez’s remarks, NMFA CEO Besa Pinchotti framed the conversation by reminding attendees why military families must always be included in national security discussions. She reflected on NMFA’s founding in 1969, when a group of military spouses marched to Capitol Hill to advocate for their military community. “Military family life and military family transition doesn’t just happen to the servicemember—it happens to the entire military family,” Pinchotti said, emphasizing that family readiness is a pillar of mission readiness.

Eileen Huck, NMFA’s Acting Director of Government Relations, then outlined key victories for military families in the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Among the successes she highlighted were targeted pay increases for junior enlisted servicemembers, expanded eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance, and fully funded childcare fee assistance programs. However, Huck made it clear that there is still important work ahead.

“We can’t expect our service members to focus on their vital work defending our country if they are worried about the well-being of their families back at home,” Huck said. She pointed to critical priorities for the FY2026 NDAA, including access to OB-GYN care without a referral for female servicemembers, ensuring BAH fully covers housing costs for military families, expanded TRICARE fertility coverage, extending regular TRICARE coverage for young adult dependents through age 26, and recognizing pregnancy as a Qualifying Life Event through TRICARE.

Raleigh Smith-Duttweiler, NMFA’s Chief Impact Officer, turned the spotlight to the next generation of military families by sharing troubling data from NMFA’s 2024 Military Teen Experience Survey. Her remarks underscored that military teens face significant mental health challenges compared to their civilian peers:

• More than twice as many military teens report self-harm.

• Over half of military teens surveyed expressed worry about their family’s financial stability.

• A concerning 35% of military teens reported low well-being—a figure notably higher than in the general teen population.

Smith-Duttweiler also highlighted how deeply military life shapes future service. “More than half of military teens surveyed told us they plan to serve,” she said. “It’s our job—all of us here—to make sure that when they do put that uniform on, they are as strong and ready as possible to serve as our next generation of military members and leaders, and the next generations of veterans after that.”

Throughout the briefing, speakers from both NMFA and The American Legion emphasized that addressing military family quality of life issues—such as access to affordable childcare, healthcare, stable housing, and food security—is essential not just during a servicemember’s time in uniform, but throughout their transition to veteran life.

The partnership between NMFA and The American Legion was a key strength of the event, demonstrating a unified front in advocating for comprehensive, long-term solutions. Both organizations have spent decades listening to military families, visiting bases, gathering data, and using that knowledge to drive legislative change.

The engagement from Congressional staffers was particularly encouraging, with many asking thoughtful questions about how to better support military families through transition and beyond. NMFA is hopeful that the insights shared during the event will pave the way for continued legislative improvements.

NMFA and The American Legion look forward to building on this strong partnership to keep military family needs at the forefront of national policy conversations.

Together We’re Stronger®