Military Family Month, 2012

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 8895 of November 1, 2012

Military Family Month, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Since our Nation's earliest days, courageous men and
women of all backgrounds and beliefs have banded
together to fight for the freedoms we cherish. Behind
each of them stands a parent, a sibling, a child, a
spouse--proud family members who share the weight of
deployment and make profound sacrifices on behalf of
our country. During Military Family Month, we honor our
military families and recommit to showing them the
fullest care and respect of a grateful Nation.

In our military families, we see the best our country
has to offer. They demonstrate the virtues that have
made America great for more than two centuries and the
values that will preserve our greatness for centuries
to come. With loved ones serving far from home,
military spouses take on the work of two. Their
children show courage and resilience as they move from
base to base, school to school, home to home. And even
through the strain of deployment, military families
strengthen the fabric of each community they touch and
enrich our national life as shining examples of
patriotism.

We each have a solemn duty to serve our Armed Forces
and their families as well as they serve us. Through
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining
Forces initiative, we have worked to fulfill this
obligation by mobilizing all Americans to give service
members and their families the opportunities and
support they have earned. Last year, we challenged
American businesses to hire or train 100,000 veterans
and military spouses by the end of 2013. To date, they
have already exceeded that challenge, hiring over
125,000 veterans and military spouses. From helping
military children succeed in the classroom to
increasing support for those who care for our wounded
warriors, Joining Forces will keep fighting to ensure
the well-being of our troops and their families.

When a young woman signs up to defend our Nation, her
parents are enlisted as well. When a father deploys to
a combat zone, his children are called to serve on the
home front. And when the men and women of our military
serve far from home, their families feel the strain of
their absence. In that absence, let us stand together
as one American family. Let us honor the brave patriots
who keep our country safe, and let us forever hold
close the memories of those who have perished in the
line of duty. This month, we reaffirm that we will
always lift up our military families--not just when
their loved ones are away, but also long after the
welcome home ceremonies are over.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 November 2012 as
Military Family Month. I call on all Americans to honor
military families through private actions and public
service for the tremendous contributions they make in
support of our service members and our Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
first day of November, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.