Our nation is indebted to our resilient Gold Star Spouses. When I deployed to Afghanistan as a bomb technician, my wife knew the risks. She knew that I might not come back. That’s a reality faced by the family of a soldier, sailor, Airman, and marine when they watch their loved one take the oath of service.

And they do it with a strength we will never understand. Yesterday was Gold Star Spouses Day, but for the surviving spouses of fallen service members, it’s a lifetime.

We owe them more, and it starts with making sure they know the resources available for them. Surviving spouses may be eligible for VA home loan benefits, monthly compensation through Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, education benefits including the Fry Scholarship, and more. If you or someone you love has lost a military spouse, find out more here. You can also contact my office for assistance. 

To Gold Star spouses and their families: your loved one’s legacy lives on every single day in the freedoms we will never take for granted. It’s an honor to serve all of you in Congress.