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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth pledged Monday to strengthen the Pentagon’s communication with Gold Star families as the War Department convened the first meeting of its newly formed Gold Star Advisory Council.
The council is designed to give families who have lost loved ones in military service a direct channel to Pentagon leadership. Among its focus areas are potential shortcomings in the Casualty Assistance Program and in the process for notifying relatives of service member deaths.
“For far too long — especially in our generation — there was just a big gap between what ‘right’ looks like and what reality was,” Hegseth said during the meeting. “Whether it’s husbands or wives or fathers or mothers, the whole casualty assistance and Gold Star process was broken. Our charge here is that there’s a lot of things that are broken [and] a lot of things that need to change.”
Hegseth announced the creation of the council in May, stating that it would help identify reforms to ensure that grieving families receive the dignity and support they deserve. He credited previous Pentagon leaders with caring deeply about the program but argued that systemic problems remained unresolved.
“It was just not enough concentration on forging that solution that really works and really shows the humanity to a process that is ultimately a human process,” Hegseth said.
The secretary appointed Undersecretary of War for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata and Gold Star wife Jane Horton, a senior adviser to Hegseth, as co-vice chairs of the panel.
“Gold Star Families are vital to our military community and our mission,” Tata told Fox News Digital.
“Their strength and resilience are truly inspiring and emblematic of the warrior ethos that we strive to promote throughout the Total Force. The Gold Star Advisory Council is a testament to their enduring service to our nation,” he added.
The council plans to meet twice a year and issue policy recommendations designed to enhance support for Gold Star families. Members also pledged to hold the Pentagon accountable if concerns are not addressed.
Gold Star families, long regarded as a symbol of sacrifice in military tradition, have frequently raised issues with how the military communicates in the aftermath of tragedy. Hegseth said he hopes the council will help close those gaps and restore confidence.
