Beech Grove, IN, (May 11, 2018) VRI — Today, the Friday
before Mothers Day, marks the continued tradition of honoring the other half of
the military: the spouses.
With Military Spouse Day, the spouses of troops
are honored for their great sacrifices and contributions to our military. According to a recent article on Military.com, there were 689,060
soldiers who were listed as married in 2017.
President Donald J. Trump Proclaims May 11, 2018, as
Military Spouse Day
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Since the founding of our Republic, military spouses have
served alongside their loved ones and played vital roles in the defense of our
country. Their selfless support,
volunteer spirit, and significant contributions have left indelible marks on
our military and communities. On
Military Spouse Day, we pay tribute to these remarkable patriots, past and
present, including the incredible women and men who currently serve, in
steadfast support of America’s Armed Forces, as our Nation’s military spouses.
Military Spouse Day is an opportunity to thank the
inspirational men and women who are the foundation of our Nation’s military
families. Their countless sacrifices and
tireless devotion to this country, and to those who defend her, are invaluable
and irreplaceable. Military spouses
shoulder the burdens of a challenging and demanding lifestyle with pride,
strength, and determination. They
demonstrate uncommon grace and grit, and although most military spouses do not
wear a uniform, they honorably serve our Nation ‑‑ often
times without their loved one standing beside them.
We ask so much of our military spouses: frequent moves; heartbreaking separations; parenting
alone; incomplete celebrations; and weeks, months, and sometimes years of
waiting for a loved one’s safe return from harm’s way. Time and time again, however, military
spouses respond with resilience that defies explanation. Our service members are often praised as
national heroes, but their spouses are equally worthy of that distinction.
My Administration is committed to taking care of our Armed
Forces and ensuring that our military is equipped to defend our country and
protect our way of life. This mission
also includes caring for the unique needs of military spouses, whose service to
our Nation cannot be overstated.
Too often, military life can interfere with the aspirations
and dreams of our military spouses. For
example, frequent and often unexpected moves can impair career and academic
goals. Even as our economy prospers,
military spouses continue to face an unemployment rate far higher than the
national average, up to 16 percent in 2017.
Further, data from the 2016 American Community Survey indicates that
military spouses suffer from underemployment at a greater rate than Americans
more broadly, at an estimated 31.4 percent compared to 19.6 percent
overall. All of these are added and
unnecessary burdens on military families.
We can and will do better, which is why my Administration
will continue to focus on enhancing employment opportunities for military
spouses. On May 9, I signed an Executive
Order to enhance opportunities for military spouses looking for employment in
the Federal Government. This action
promotes the use of an existing hiring authority for military spouses and seeks
to provide significantly greater opportunity for military spouses to be
considered for Federal Government positions.
Beyond the Federal Government, I encourage every American
business, large and small, to find ways to employ military spouses, and keep
them employed as they relocate ‑‑ sometimes every 2 or 3 years ‑‑ to new duty stations. More
than 360 employers with regional and national footprints have made this
commitment through the Department of Defense’s Military Spouse Employment
Partnership. In less than 7 years, these
patriotic partners have hired more than 112,000 military spouses. We are grateful for these employment
opportunities and hope to see many more businesses participate in this
important initiative.
In addition, many military spouses encounter unnecessary
delays remaining in the workforce following a change in duty station. These spouses are more likely than other
workers to face barriers to employment due to the impact of occupational
licensing laws, since they frequently move across State lines and are
disproportionately employed in occupations that require a license. Existing State laws regarding license
portability are insufficient. States and
occupational licensing boards can and must do more to improve the license
portability to facilitate career continuity and ease financial burdens on our
military families.
As we observe Military Spouse Day, we salute generations of
military spouses for their leadership, courage, love, patriotism, and
unwavering support for the courageous men and women of our Armed Forces. On this day, Melania and I offer our deepest
respect and gratitude to every person who has embraced this noble calling in
proud service to our Nation as a military spouse.
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 11, 2018, 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 tenth
day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.
DONALD J. TRUMP
SOURCE: Whitehouse.gov
