(A version of this article originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of Military Officer, a magazine available to all MOAA Premium and Life members who can log in to access our digital version and archive. Basic members can save on a membership upgrade and access the magazine.)

Surviving spouses and currently serving spouses make up two very important and distinct groups within MOAA’s community. Serving both these groups is among our top advocacy and education missions. After all, when the nation promises to take care of our servicemembers, there’s a promise made to take care of their families as well.

A recent Military Officer article provides a detailed look at benefits available to survivors such as lifetime health coverage, life insurance, and inflation-adjusted income. Survivors can find even more resources on our website, including articles about financial and retirement planning.

You might not know one of the most important benefits of being a MOAA Life member is that your membership is transferred to your spouse in the event of your passing, provided we have your spouse’s information in our records. If you are unsure, please reach out to our Member Service Center.

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We are grateful to our large, active surviving spouse population, representing 13% of our total membership. Surviving spouses have a voice on our board of directors and MOAA’s Surviving Spouse Advisory Council. And we have surviving spouse liaisons across the country, serving in critical volunteer roles in our councils and chapters to support survivors in their community in the days immediately following the loss of their spouse.

Advocacy efforts this year have included support for the Love Lives On Act (H.R. 1004/S. 410), a bill that would protect a surviving spouse’s right to remarry before the age of 55 and keep their Dependency and Indemnity Compensation and Survivor Benefit Plan payments. Current law revokes these benefits for a military spouse who loses their loved one due to combat, service-related illness, or suicide if they remarry before age 55. This leaves many — especially those  with young children — without crucial support. The Love Lives On Act allows these spouses to remarry at any age without losing their benefits.

The latest findings from the annual Blue Star Families survey highlight top concerns for the currently serving spouse community. One troubling statistic: Only 37% of active duty family members said they would recommend military service to a young family member.

In today’s environment, retaining servicemembers, maintaining readiness, and ensuring a future volunteer force requires that we take care of the family. The survey identified the following challenges as top among the currently serving spouse community: unemployment, child care affordability and access, and food insecurity.

Our Currently Serving Spouse Advisory Council, comprising spouse volunteers from across the services, helps to guide our advocacy agenda and identify concerns in the community.

One of MOAA’s top goals for this Congress is to pass the Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act (H.R. 6231/S. 3265). This bill modernizes the work opportunity tax credit, a nonrefundable tax credit employers can take for hiring target group members during the employee’s first year on the job, by increasing the credit and adding military spouses to the target group list (veterans are already included).

[TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmakers to Support Military Spouse Employment]

Education and advocacy efforts are just part of our broader mission to ensure both these distinct communities receive the stability and opportunities they deserve.

We know this mission is never over.

By advocating for meaningful policy, providing trusted resources, and amplifying the voices of spouses across our community, we can create better financial stability for uniformed service families and surviving families.