Military Spouse Day, 2017

Vol. 82

Wednesday,

No. 94

May 17, 2017

Part II

The President

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Proclamation 9608--Military Spouse Day, 2017

Proclamation 9609--Mother's Day, 2017

Proclamation 9610--National Defense Transportation Day and National
Transportation Week, 2017

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 9608 of May 12, 2017

Military Spouse Day, 2017

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On Military Spouse Day, we honor military spouses for
their invaluable contributions to the defense of this
great Nation. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan first
recognized this day with a proclamation, honoring the
exemplary service and immeasurable sacrifices of our
Nation's military spouses. This long overdue tribute
gives thanks to those who, since the formation of our
Republic, have served our country with selfless
support. Military spouses have been, and continue to
be, a steady, strong presence on the home front and in
the hearts of our military men and women.

Most military spouses hold no rank and wear no uniform,
yet humbly serve our Nation with distinction. They
endure deployments for weeks, months, and years at a
time, sometimes with little warning, and they must
brace themselves for the uncertainty that comes with
goodbye. When duty calls, they shoulder the full day-
to-day responsibilities of managing a household and
often of parenting--many times with little or no
support. They face frequent relocations, which
interrupt their careers and educational pursuits and
require them to leave churches, homes, and friends.
Most difficult of all, military spouses live with
constant worry about the daily risks our military
forces take for our country. Military spouses navigate
these and other challenges with uncommon grace and
inspiring strength.

My Administration will focus on supporting and
increasing opportunities for military spouses. I urge
American businesses to create opportunities for hiring,
training, and promoting military spouses, and to
identify ways to keep them employed following
relocations. These women and men have skills and
experiences valued by employers and coworkers alike.
They give so much of themselves to our country, and
they deserve our enduring respect and appreciation in
return. I have pledged to our Armed Forces to have
their backs, and that means providing for our military
spouses as well.

On this Military Spouse Day, we recognize the
exceptional women and men who have shared their loved
ones with our country. We honor them for their service,
praise them for their sacrifices, and offer them our
gratitude and prayers 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 12, 2017, 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
twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
first.