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News & Events

Prout Continues to Advocate for Veterans and Their Families

Posted: 7/14/2026

Kathy Prout, widow of ’66 Classmate Jay Prout (1st Company) was again recognized for her incredible advocacy for military spouses and families in a front page article of the July 9 Coronado Eagle & Journal.

Click HERE for story.

Prout was also quoted in the July 2026 issue of “Military Officer”, the magazine of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). “It is our job to educate them (Congress) about the issues. There are too many bills for any one person to know about all of them,” said Prout. The organization led a recent campaign on the Hill that included several MOAA members and staff among the advocacy teams meeting with legislative leaders. “Everyone should have the opportunity to see how democracy works,” said Prout, who was honored this year as one of MOAA’s 2025 Changemakers. “I feel so fortunate to be able to participate in our government through grassroots advocacy.”

The article lists three priorities of the Gold Star Spouses of America (GSSA) – each backed by MOAA.

  • The Love Lives On Act (H.R. 1004 | S. 410). This bill would allow surviving spouses to maintain certain benefits, including DIC and Survivor Benefit Plan payments, regardless of the age at which they remarry. Current law revokes these benefits if the spouse remarries before age 55, leaving many young spouses a stark choice: Restore a two-parent household or maintain financial security. [TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmakers to Support the Love Lives on Act]
  • The Caring for Survivors Act (H.R. 2055 | S. 611). Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) rates for survivors of those who die in the line of duty, or of veterans who die of service-connected ailments, have been only minimally adjusted since 1993. They now rest at 43% of a 100% disabled veteran’s compensation; this bill would raise that rate to 55%, resulting in about $450 more per month and matching the compensation percentage offered by similar federal programs.
  • The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act (H.R. 6047). This bill would increase the rate of DIC to provide additional financial support for survivors and increase the rate of Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) to boost financial support for catastrophically service-connected disabled veterans.

A list of resources for Gold Star families can be found at https://americasgoldstarfamilies.org/about/resources-for-gold-star-families, and additional support can be found at https://www.goldstarspouses.org/ and https://www.navygoldstar.com/.

Prout’s advocacy Facebook group for military widows can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilitarySurvivingSpouses/, along with the Facebook group for Gold Star Spouses of America at https://www.facebook.com/groups/3429626710655087/.


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