Military Spouse Appreciation Day, 2014

Proclamation 9119 of May 8, 2014

Military Spouse Appreciation Day, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Our military spouses embody ideals we cherish:
strength, loyalty, and commitment. They stand beside
those who stand behind our flag, giving their all and
making tremendous sacrifices. They shoulder the burdens
of countless moves and stressful deployments, and they
uphold their end of the bargain. On Military Spouse
Appreciation Day, we celebrate the force behind the
force and show these homefront heroes the full support
of a grateful Nation.

My Administration is working to fulfill our sacred
obligation to our veterans, service members, their
spouses, and their families. We are helping military
families avoid foreclosure and predatory lending, and
we are investing in their education. We are easing
burdens by supporting childcare and assisting with
career training. And because our men and women in
uniform and their spouses are partners not only in
love, but also in law, we are doing everything we can
to ensure all married couples receive the benefits they
deserve--regardless of their sexual orientation.

Through the Joining Forces initiative, First Lady
Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are expanding
employment opportunities for veterans, transitioning
service members, and their spouses while advocating for
new legislation to bolster professional development
services. And they are forging stronger connections
between military and civilian families and engaging us
all in the push to give military families the
opportunities, resources, and support they have
earned--not only today, but every day. To learn more
and get involved, visit www.JoiningForces.gov.

As service members board planes for deployments to
foreign lands, they need to know their country will be
there for their loved ones. As mothers and fathers take
on the work of two, they need to know their neighbors
will lend a hand. And if called to make the ultimate
sacrifice, troops must know their Nation will honor
their memory and care for their family. After
everything military spouses have done for America, for
one another, for our wounded warriors and the families
of the fallen, we must stand beside them. We must make
good on our debt of gratitude. May each of us serve our
military spouses and their families as well as they
serve us.

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 May 9, 2014, as
Military Spouse Appreciation 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
eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand
fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States
of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.