News From the Cause
First Lady, Dr. Biden to Launch Troop-support Campaign (DOD NEWS)
March 01, 2011
First Lady, Dr. Biden to Launch Troop-support Campaign
By Elaine Wilson American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2011 – First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, plan to launch a campaign next month that’s designed to rally citizens, businesses and nonprofit organizations to provide support for U.S. service members and their families.
“We’re very excited about this initiative because we think that this will not only help our troops and their families, but it will help us as a nation link together and be even stronger,” the first lady said.
The campaign, Obama explained, will focus on four main areas: employment, education, wellness and public awareness.
“We’re going to be working with businesses and nonprofit organizations to improve career opportunities for veterans and military spouses,” she said. “There are a lot of wonderful models, companies that are already doing great things. We want to raise up those models and encourage other businesses to find a way to do the same.”
They’ll also work with education groups to better accommodate military children, Obama said, and encourage Americans to “simply step up as individuals.”
It’s evident that Americans care for the nation’s troops, she said. However, “Oftentimes we just don’t know what to do. And our hope is that through this public awareness campaign, we can funnel that energy, we can galvanize it, and we can direct it in a way that’s going to be most helpful for our military families.”
The first lady praised sweeping efforts already under way. President Barack Obama unveiled last month a new whole-of government initiative to support military families. Federal agencies have made nearly 50 commitments to improving military families’ quality of life, she said.
It’s an important step, she noted, but military families’ needs can’t be met by government efforts alone.
Families need employers willing to hire them and who understand the unique employment issues that military spouses face, she said. They need schools that recognize there are military children in their midst and understand how to address their unique needs as they cope with multiple deployments and moves.
And, “They need communities that show gratitude for the sacrifices they’re making -- not just with words, but with deeds,” the first lady said.click here to view more
