Karen Pence, the vice president’s wife, opened a campaign last week to help military spouses get the support and services they need.
Mrs. Pence said one of the biggest frustrations that some spouses have told her about is getting a new professional license to continue in careers that require one every time they relocate, which can happen every few years for military families.
In a speech to a gathering of military spouses, she pointed out that they are now eligible to be reimbursed by the federal government for relicensing or recertification costs under a defense bill that President Donald Trump recently signed into law.
“Licensing is expensive,” she said in a speech at the Army’s Fort Carson in Colorado.
Mrs. Pence also highlighted an executive order Trump signed this year to promote the hiring of military spouses by the U.S. government, and she named several private businesses that she said are working to help military spouses.
Mrs. Pence, whose son is in Marine flight school, said, “In the Trump administration, we feel it is imperative we support our military spouses and children. Spouses do so much and ask for so little.” She referred to them as the “backbone” of their families.
In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this week, she said the challenges facing military spouses, including finding child care, can affect military readiness. Unhappy spouses can lead to unhappy service members, and they may eventually quit.