Obama, Biden Wives Join Forces for Troops

Many times when my husband wears his Navy uniform out in town we are stopped by someone who wants to shake his hand and say “thank you." When the frustrations and stresses of being a military family begin to mount up this small gesture goes a long way in confirming to us that we are appreciated and supported. 

Most American civilian families want to support military families, but they just don’t know how.  First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, have created a platform called Joining Forces to help Americans support the families of service members. Joining Forces is described as a comprehensive national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned.

The First Lady and Biden have met with military families and have gotten to know them, their children, their challenges and their needs. Joining Forces seeks to educate the civilian world and help them to put actions to their desire to support military families by making those challenges and needs known.

The strengths, skills and workforce potential of military spouses and their enormous contribution to the communities in which they live are also brought to light. Community organizations, businesses, faith organizations, non-profits and government are encouraged to think of military families in their communities as huge assets. Joining Forces encourages employers to create military family friendly workplaces and expands employment and career development opportunities for military spouses and veterans.

The education of military children is also something that Joining Forces hopes to improve. We have experienced this challenge first hand as our own children have endured five second-semester moves over the past seven years. We have been frustrated by credits that don’t transfer, required testing on material that our children were not present for, teachers who aren’t motivated to help our children adjust to new schedules, new rules and new classmates and a general lack of flexibility to our unique situation. Joining Forces seeks to help schools become more responsive to the needs of military children and families by supporting schools that expand education opportunities for military children and those that make transfers easier.

You don’t have to be a school, a business or a non-profit to support a military family. Regular, everyday Americans are encouraged to find creative ways to support the military families in their communities. Offering to help prepare for a move or baking brownies to welcome a new military family into your neighborhood are great ideas. Because many military families are several hundred miles from their friends and family something as simple as a play date for the children or an invite to a mommy group can help a military mom ease into a new community and feel supported. Recently, I was gifted a facial by a wonderful woman who just wanted to give back to military wives. She used her profession to take the stress off of my day and to make me feel greatly appreciated.  This is the heart of what Joining Forces is trying to accomplish. 

Through Joining Forces, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden challenge Americans to give back to military families who have given so much to them. Communities, businesses and American citizens who are making a difference in the lives of military families by supporting them are being highlighted by Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden. For more information on how you can get involved in Joining Forces and to watch a video about Joining Forces visit joiningforces.gov.