WATCH: Jocelyn Shares Experience as a Military Spouse, Vision for Stronger Veteran Support
Benson reflects on founding the Military Spouses of Michigan and honoring her husband’s service
In a new interview with WZMQ during National Military Appreciation Month, Secretary of State and gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson discussed her family's commitment to service, her experience as a military spouse when her husband served overseas, and how she will help ensure veterans can afford to live and thrive in every corner of the state as governor.
While her husband served in Afghanistan, Jocelyn founded the Military Spouses of Michigan to create community and foster support for fellow military spouses.
WZMQ: Benson reflects on husband’s military service, calls for stronger veteran support in Michigan
[Sophia Murphy, 05/15/2026]
“You feel that anxiety that comes with having to prepare yourself every day for that phone call,” Benson said during an interview for National Military Appreciation Month. “Walking through what you would do if that knock on the door comes.”
Her husband, U.S. Army Sgt. Ryan Friedrichs, enlisted in January 2011 after watching friends and fellow Americans answer the call to service following the September 11th terrorist attacks.
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“When Ryan was gone, I went through what a lot of military families do,” she said. “I felt isolated. I felt alone.”
Benson said that experience led her to help found Military Spouses of Michigan after connecting with other military spouses through a University of Michigan support and research program. The organization worked to create community networks for military families while also providing practical assistance to spouses facing housing instability, legal disputes, workplace conflicts, and financial hardship.
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Benson pointed directly to staffing shortages at VA facilities during the interview and argued states will increasingly need to help bridge gaps affecting veterans and military families.
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“It is easy to thank people for their service or remember them when they come home,” Benson said. “But it’s oftentimes a week or a month after where that isolation sets in again.”
Benson argued rebuilding trust with veterans requires both direct outreach and long-term investments in housing support, employment programs, apprenticeships, and mental health resources.
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Among the policies she discussed were expanding apprenticeship programs for veterans and incentivizing businesses to hire veterans and military spouses, something she said other states have already implemented successfully.
“And as governor, I’ll use every tool in my toolbox to make sure we’re showing up for that community and providing real economic support, housing support, and other types of ways that we can ensure the community’s not left behind,” she said.
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“I know how important it is to appreciate our service members, not just this month, but every month,” she said.
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