If national defence is a whole-of-government, whole-of-nation effort to harness national power, then the government and private sector should work together to support the sustainable employment of defence families, particularly the spouses or partners of Australian Defence Force members and veterans. Current threats to Australia’s security heighten the need to ensure all available national resources, including the national workforce, can respond should conflict occur. Defence partners work in a wide variety of occupations and industries, but several features of the military lifestyle disincentivise partner employment. They were identified in Sue Hamilton’s 1986 report on problems facing defence spouses, and reiterated in the latest ADF Families Survey and by the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Supporting ADF families not only provides a strong foundation for a strong defence force; it also builds a foundation for a strong and resilient society.