Military spouses “are among our country’s unsung heroes, serving as the heart of the home front and providing tremendous strength to our Armed Forces,” stated President Donald Trump, in a proclamation designating today as Military Spouse Day.
“Their individual stories, interests, and talents are unique, but military spouses share the common bonds of selflessness, strength of character, and faithfulness” to their soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, Coast Guard member, or Space Force member, he wrote.
He urged Americans to extend their gratitude to military spouses on this day. It’s been 36 years since President Ronald Reagan designated the first Military Spouse Day in 1984, to recognize the sacrifices spouses make on the homefront.
Trump highlighted the challenges military spouses in pursuing employment, and noted steps the administration is taking to address some of the issues, such as holding business summits at the White House resulting in participating companies’ pledges to improve employment opportunities for spouses. He also highlighted the Defense Department’s long-standing partnership with companies and federal agencies to recruit, hire, train, retrain and support military spouses. He cited recent legislation which addressed obstacles of some spouses in getting employment, such as increasing reimbursement to $1,000 to defray costs for licensing and recertification following a permanent change of station move.
“The abiding capacity of our nation’s military spouses to balance the many demands of military life reflects their unwavering spirit, fortitude, and grace. They support loved ones who have answered our country’s call to duty, raise children far from extended family, and invest in their communities through volunteer service,” Trump wrote.
“At the same time, demonstrating their loyal devotion to a cause greater than self, many of them pursue their own educational and career goals and routinely face the stress and uncertainty of frequent moves, as well as the heartache and loneliness of deployment.”
“Our nation’s military spouses bring considerable talent, expertise, and experience to the workplace, and their employment is critical to military recruitment, retention, and readiness,” Trump wrote.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
