Military Spouse Day, 2019

Proclamation 9881 of May 9, 2019

Military Spouse Day, 2019

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Military spouses share an admirable legacy of
unwavering devotion to their loved ones in uniform and
to the cause of freedom. Wives and husbands stand
faithfully beside their beloved service members and
play a critical role in their ability to safeguard our
country. They shoulder tremendous burdens and
responsibilities and face demands that most families
will never endure. Military spouses earn no rank or
compensation, yet their contributions to our military
might are invaluable. On Military Spouse Day, we honor
our Nation's military spouses and express our deep
appreciation for all that they do.

The nomadic nature of military life places tremendous
pressure on military families. Frequent relocations,
which require leaving behind the familiar--home,
school, work, church, and friends--are commonplace.
Military spouses nevertheless find ways to improve
their communities, on and off the base, and to thrive
in spite of the numerous hardships. Military spouses
also demonstrate sacrificial love and provide essential
support and encouragement to their service members
during deployments. They comfort fearful and anxious
children, balance work and school demands, and keep
things going on the home front with uncommon grace and
resourcefulness, despite the loneliness and anxiety
that often accompany an extended absence.

Frequent relocation also imposes substantial economic
costs on our military families. For example, it results
in unemployment and underemployment of military
spouses. My Administration, therefore, is committed to
enhancing opportunities for our Nation's military
spouses. Last year, I was pleased to sign an Executive
Order requiring Federal agencies to promote the use of
existing military spouse noncompetitive hiring
authority to the greatest extent possible, providing
significantly greater opportunity for military spouses
to be considered for Government positions. The
Department of Defense's Military Spouse Employment
Partnership has brought together more than 390
companies and organizations committed to recruiting,
hiring, promoting, and retaining military spouses.
Since the initiative's inception in 2011, these devoted
partners have hired more than 130,000 military spouses.
Employers who hire these spouses benefit from the
tremendous talent, breadth of experience, and
determination these men and women have learned from
navigating the demands of military life.

I encourage all who enjoy the blessings of freedom--
preserved and defended by our Nation's military and
their families--to find ways to support our incredible
military spouses. I applaud local government officials
who have helped advance workforce freedom and mobility
for military families. I encourage States and
occupational licensing boards to build on these efforts
and do more to improve license portability, removing
barriers to military spouses remaining in the workforce
following a change in duty station. Community leaders
can also raise awareness about programs like Military
OneSource, a one-stop resource for information,
support, and referrals on every aspect of military
life. And in neighborhoods nationwide, families can
reach out, in word and deed, to spouses who are working
to meet the unique challenges of military life.

Military spouses are among our country's unsung heroes
and are at the heart of our Armed Forces. They embody
strength and resilience, and represent the best of
American patriotism, courage, character, and pride. As
a Nation, we must ensure our military spouses receive
the unparalleled and unwavering support they deserve.
On this Military Spouse Day, Melania and I salute the
extraordinary women and men who serve as military
spouses and offer our prayers, respect, and gratitude
on behalf of a grateful Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim May 10, 2019, as
Military Spouse Day. I call upon the people of the
United States to honor military spouses with
appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand
nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States
of America the two hundred and forty-third.