Double duty: Standing up for the military spouses that serve too

This week in Washington, D.C., USAA convened the spouses of Department of War leaders to inform and accelerate the Association’s military spouse advocacy strategy. The influential group joined a breakfast discussion facilitated by USAA President and CEO Juan C. Andrade and retired Army Maj. Gen. John Richardson, Senior Vice President and Head of Policy & Alliances. The event provided the opportunity for candid, solutions-focused conversations about the challenges facing military families.

Eleven senior military spouses representing all service branches shared their unique perspectives, which will help USAA shape future policies, partnerships and advocacy initiatives as part of Honor Through Action. This bold collaborative effort prioritizes the financial security of military families, meaningful employment opportunities for military spouses and veterans, and overall military community well-being.

At USAA, taking care of our military families means understanding the realities they face every day – including the career sacrifices many military spouses are forced to make because of frequent moves and childcare gaps. These families serve alongside those in uniform, and they deserve meaningful support, real opportunity and policies that help them build long-term stability. That is why we are working alongside partners across government, nonprofit and industry sectors to help them remove those barriers and create lasting change.”

— Juan C. Andrade, USAA President and CEO

Advocating for Policy and Systemic Change

An important area of discussion was the disruption caused by Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves, which often require spouses to leave behind hard-earned jobs. During PCS moves, access to childcare presents a significant barrier for spouses, regardless of whether they retain their current employment or seek new opportunities. To help address this, USAA recently announced an innovative childcare initiative with Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA), allowing military spouses to pursue their careers without compromising family care. This partnership highlights how creative, community-level collaboration—between nonprofits, military installations and businesses like USAA — can solve acute challenges for relocating families.

The group also discussed the need for more comprehensive state policies to support military spouse licensing reciprocity. A prime example of this systemic change is Maryland’s recent passage of the Modernizing Civil Relief for Service Members Act, which USAA supported and championed. By enabling universal licensing reciprocity, the new law removes state-specific barriers so active-duty service members and their spouses with occupational or professional licenses can seamlessly resume their professions after a move.

"Military spouses are the backbone of every military family and helping them thrive lifts up the entire family. It is incredibly valuable to have their frontline perspective as we decide how to craft our advocacy agenda. Their knowledge and experiences are essential to driving meaningful policy change for all military families."

— Major General John Richardson, U.S. Army, Retired, USAA Head of Policy & Alliances

Collaborative Solutions for the Employment Crisis

The senior military spouse leadership breakfast followed several other events in Washington, D.C., last week focused on the private sector’s role in addressing the military spouse employment crisis. Alongside Blue Star Families and other leading financial institutions, USAA announced the release of a new Corporate Employment Playbook and a three-year longitudinal study, the results of which were showcased at the Milken Institute. (To hear more insights from the study, watch this video featuring Tami Cabaniss, USAA Chief Human Resources Officer and Chair of the Honor Through Action Alliance's Meaningful Careers roundtable).

USAA leaders also took the stage at the Hiring Our Heroes (HoH) Military Spouse Employment Summit 2026, sharing their expertise across multiple panels. In a session focused on overcoming childcare hurdles, Corporate Impact Director Danielle Lankford spoke alongside Honor Through Action Alliance partner Amazon to highlight their collaboration in the ASYMCA initiative. In other sessions, James Honea, retired Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy and current Principal on USAA’s Policy & Alliances team, addressed readiness and spouse employment, while Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, Head of Corporate Impact, explained the way forward in the decade-long effort to maximize military spouse talent.  

USAA is a proud, longtime sponsor of the Summit and HoH — a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation initiative helping military-connected talent find meaningful employment. Through the HoH Corporate Fellowship Program, since 2019 USAA has hosted 430 transitioning service members and military spouses, equipping them with vital workforce skills. Of those fellows, 263 have been hired full-time to serve USAA’s 14 million members. Among them is Lindsey Sorenson, Executive Director in Risk Management, who shares more about her journey in this video.

Inspiring Action

As the nation observes Military Appreciation Month in May, these initiatives demonstrate that true appreciation requires more than words — it requires tangible, systemic support. While there is still much work to be done, the growing collaboration between the military community, corporate partners and policymakers is a vital step toward ensuring military families have full access to the resources they need, from career opportunities to long-term financial and personal well-being.