Posts Tagged ‘Michelle Obama’
Supporting Our Military Families
The First Lady is asking 100 percent of Americans to support the brave men and women in uniform and their families back home. Here are some things you can do in your community to get started:
- Stay informed about the activities and concerns of military families in your community and across the nation;
- Take time out to get to know and express appreciation to military families;
- Help ensure military families have the opportunity to share their stories and voice their concerns in your community;
- Help ensure the places where you work, worship, and participate in community life connect their activities to addressing military families’ unique challenges; and
- Identify opportunities in your communities to tap into the unique skills, experience and commitment to service our military families display each day.
Today, the First Family will host more than 1,200 military heroes and their families for a Fourth of July celebration at the White House. Tune in for the Second Annual “Salute to the Military” USO Concert, featuring The Killers, Brandi Carlile, Cedric “The Entertainer,” and “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band. The evening wraps up with a viewing of the fireworks on the National Mall. You can watch the whole thing live on WhiteHouse.gov/live starting at 7 PM EDT. Happy Independence Day! …more
The First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden Discuss Military Families
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden met at the White House today with Leadership 18, a coalition of national non-profit chief executive officers, to discuss military family matters. They were joined by Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his wife Deborah Mullen, Dr. Cliff Stanley, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and other White House officials. The First Lady and Dr. Biden have issued a national call to action to address the unique challenges facing military families, build stronger civilian-military community ties, and engages and highlights the service and sacrifice of military families. The meeting today provided an opportunity to discuss ways to build a lasting national commitment to support and engage military families.
Leadership 18 is a coalition of the some of the country’s largest and most well respected human development non-profit CEOs. Altogether, the 22 member organization serves more than 87 million people annually and has more than 5.5 million staff and volunteers. The coalition represents long established charities, faith-based organizations, and nonprofits focusing on social and health issues supporting and promoting the safety, health, well-being, social and economic development of individuals and families. …more
First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Presidential Directive on Military Families
First Lady Michelle Obama today announced that President Obama has directed the National Security Staff to lead a new 90-day review to develop a coordinated Federal government-wide approach to supporting and engaging military families. Building on work and expertise by the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs, the review will involve nearly twenty federal agencies as well as the White House Domestic Policy and National Economic Councils and the Offices of the Vice President, the First Lady, and Dr. Biden.
Specifically, the review will:
- Set strategic military family priorities for the next ten years and identify key military family concerns and challenges;
- Review a cross section of public and private programs to identify the most promising ideas and programs that positively support military families;
- Develop options for departments to integrate military family matters into their strategic and budgetary priorities;
- Examine opportunities for Federal policies and programs to stimulate new and support existing state and local efforts achieving military family readiness goals and meeting military family priorities;
- Identify opportunities to leverage the skills and experience of military family members in national and community life; and
- Strengthen existing feedback mechanisms for military families to voice their concerns and views on the effectiveness and future direction of relevant Federal programs and policies.
First Lady Honors Military Women, Vets
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2009 – First Lady Michelle Obama today cited Army Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger, one of 13 killed during the shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, as an example of the determination and courage that has characterized women’s service to the military throughout U.S. history.
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Obama, who hosted about 130 military women and veterans to tea at the White House today, remembered Krueger’s response when her mother told her she could not track down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden singlehandedly.
“Watch me,” replied Krueger, who enlisted in the Army after the 9/11 terror attacks.
“That phrase, ‘Watch me,” sums up the spirit of our women in uniform throughout our history,” Obama told her guests.
“When others doubted you, or dismissed you, or questioned whether you could endure the training or complete the mission, that was your response, ‘Watch me,” she said. “Watch me succeed. Watch me risk everything I have for the country I love. Watch me do my part to protect this nation and protect this union. Watch me.”
Obama joined Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, in honoring military women, many who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and others whose service dates back to World War II.