Military Family Month, 2014

Proclamation 9200 of October 31, 2014

Military Family Month, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

For more than two centuries, members of our Armed
Forces have defended our country with unyielding
courage. In our Nation's times of need, these brave
patriots step forward to answer America's call, leaving
behind everything they know and love. And as they help
secure our freedom and democracy, their families
sacrifice alongside them. During Military Family Month,
we recognize every spouse, parent, sibling, child, and
loved one who stands with our service members, and we
reaffirm our solemn vow to serve these families as well
as they serve us.

The selflessness of our military families tells a story
of unfailing duty and devotion. Through long
deployments, difficult separations, and moves across
the country and overseas, spouses and partners put
their careers on hold and children take on extra
responsibilities. With grace and resilience, families
endure the absence of loved ones and shoulder the
burdens of war. And when battle ends and our service
members return home, their families support their
transition and recovery.

To fulfill our sacred promise to our service members
and their loved ones, my Administration continues to
make supporting our military families a top priority.
This year, we launched the Veterans Employment Center,
an interagency resource to connect transitioning
service members, veterans, and their spouses to
meaningful career opportunities. We are also committed
to fostering partnerships with organizations that help
military caregivers and making consistent and effective
family services available, including mental health care
and counseling, deployment and relocation assistance,
and child care and youth programs. Through their
Joining Forces initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama
and Dr. Jill Biden are working to ensure members of our
Armed Forces, veterans, and their families have all the
opportunities and benefits they deserve. And since
2011, their efforts have encouraged businesses to hire
more than 500,000 veterans and military spouses.

Every day, our military families at home and abroad
inspire us and remind us of our obligation to take care
of those who do so much for our country. As a grateful
Nation, we pay tribute to the women and men who have
made our military the finest fighting force the world
has ever known, and we honor the enduring strength and
dedication of their families.

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 2014 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
thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.