NMFA’s 2025 Year in Review
From our humble beginnings at a kitchen table in 1969, the National Military Family Association (NMFA) has grown into a leading voice advocating for the well-being of service members and their families. This year highlighted the strength and unity of our community as we continued our mission to serve and support military families nationwide.
Advocacy: Military Families Lead the Way
On the Hill and in communities around the world, military families are making sure their voices are heard. Throughout 2025, NMFA’s advocacy team worked directly with military families so they could share their own stories with policy makers and legislators and drive the change our families need.
In early May, more than 20 military spouses joined NMFA for our inaugural Operation Advocacy activation on Capitol Hill. They learned how to shape and share their stories, and then they met with staff from 20 Members of Congress to explain how important supporting military spouse employment is not just for the spouse and their own career, but also for the financial stability of their military family. Advocates championed for the Military Spouse Hiring Act, which would make military spouses an eligible subgroup under the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. These military spouses explained how important it was to share their challenges and feel like their elected officials were listening; among them Rep. Don Beyer, one of the House Co-leads for the bill.
Advocates joined us on the Hill again in October to help elected officials and their staff understand the broader implications of shutdown on military families and the financial stress it caused. At the same time, 113,000 military families shared their stories through our Military Family Action Center, sending letters to their Senators and Representatives to share just how the shutdown affected their families. These stories became the central focus of news coverage throughout the shutdown and were shared on NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, BBC News, the Associated Press, Reuters, and more.
Throughout the year, families used the Military Family Action Center to send Congress over 130,000 letters urging them to adopt improvements to the PCS process, increase military spouse employment opportunities, expand IVF access through TRICARE, extend dependent health coverage to age 26, protect military pay during government shutdowns, and recognize pregnancy as a qualifying life event under TRICARE.
NMFA experts weighed in on the Hill year-round. In addition to our regular meetings with elected officials and their staff, NMFA and the American Legion co-hosted a Congressional staff briefing in March focused on legislative priorities and our research on military teens. In November, NMFA joined a round table hosted by Rep. Mark Takano, Ranking Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, to discuss the experience of veterans involved in the justice system. Chief Impact Officer Raleigh Duttweiler shared the unique and often overlooked impact this has on military families, offering recommendations for how the VA, DoD, and non-profits can better support families during these difficult circumstances.
All year long, our advocates work on ensuring military families’ needs are represented in the omnibus defense bill that funds everything from new fighter pilots and healthcare to DoDEA schools and on-base libraries. We were pleased to see that the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) also brought some important wins for military families. These included the extension of the in-home childcare pilot program, a pilot to increase childcare payments in high-cost areas, increased DoD Impact Aid for school districts serving military-connected children, more access to relocation and education resources under the ANCHOR Act, and authorization of dual enrollment programs for DoDEA students.
Programs that Support Families
NMFA’s programs supported thousands of families throughout 2025. Over 3,500 military kids joined us this summer for Operation Purple® programming. Nearly 3,900 military kids applied for Operation Purple Camp, and 1,193 attended camps across the country where they learned to swim, kayak, stretch themselves on high ropes courses, and express themselves through art. Through the Operation Purple Summer Challenge, 1,329 families registered for the virtual eight-week program with 2,622 total military kids joining us to explore STEM projects and building resiliency skills through fun activities wherever the military has sent them.
Older kids were not left out of the fun. Bloom, NMFA’s teen-lead initiative to create content and build community, continued to grow. With 52 active Bloom creators and 104 engaged alumni, these young leadersreached thousands of military teens through original stories, content, and art. Bloom members also shared their stories and experiences with adults in our community, speaking at the Military Interstate Compact Children’s Commission Annual Business Meeting; Purple Star USA’s National Convening of Schools and Communities. Bloom also celebrated its fifth birthday this year!
NMFA invests in military spouses with as much intention as it does for military kids. Through our Joanne Holbrook Patton military spouse scholarship program, 662 military spouses were selected for a scholarship (out of 9,816 applicants), totaling $833,675 in funding in 2025 alone. In doing so, we celebrated a huge milestone: In September, NMFA awarded its 10 millionth scholarship dollar to its 10 thousandth military spouse at the Military Influencer Conference, where CEO Besa Pinchotti and CIO Raleigh Duttweiler were recognized for their work empowering military families as part of the Mighty 25.
The State of the Military Family® Summit and Operation Advocacy
The State of the Military Family Summit continued to be NMFA’s signature, annual event. Military spouses, advocates, leaders, and changemakers gathered in Washington, D.C. to celebrate Military Spouse Appreciation Day and discuss the most pressing issues facing military families. Speakers examined the current environment and its impact on military communities. In the afternoon, NMFA launched its first Operation Advocacy training for military spouses, with stories advocates from our community sharing trade secrets with those just getting started, Armed Services Arts Partnership lead participants in a storytelling workshop, and a panel of longtime staffers from the Hill provided tactical advocacy training. We’ve come a long way from the kitchen table, but NMFA was thrilled to launch this event to honor our roots and empower our future.
More Than A Spouse
Our award-winning More Than A Spouse initiative celebrates the achievements of military spouses who are shaping their careers, building businesses, and leading within their communities. Supported by Lockheed Martin, NMFA highlighted these spouses through blogs, videos, and social posts, which reached thousands of military-connected followers and inspired them to recognize the leaders in their lives and find the courage to pursue their own dreams, too.
Honoring Champions in Congress
At NMFA’s 2025 Congressional Reception, the Support of Military Families Award was presented to Rep. Sara Jacobs of California and Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia. Both represent heavily military-impacted districts and have championed legislation that directly improves quality of life for military families while working with NMFA to ensure that military families’ experiences and challenges remain at the forefront of defense and quality of life conversations on the Hill. The reception brought together supporters, defense leaders, advocates, and elected officials to recognize their leadership for military families.
Looking Ahead
Since 1969, NMFA has worked hand in hand with military families to understand their needs and champion meaningful solutions. That mission continues into 2026 and beyond. Together, we will continue to identify and solve the unique needs of military families because Together, We’re Stronger®.
