Posts Tagged White House
Obama Urges Americans to Salute Families
Posted by in Family Matters on August 31, 2010
Go to the White House website for four ways you can join President Barack Obama in saluting servicemembers' service in Iraq. White House photo by Pete Souza, April 7, 2009
by Elaine Wilson, AFPS
elaine.wilson@dma.mil
Aug. 31, 2010
The combat mission in Iraq may have ended today, but the gratitude of a nation for the service and sacrifice of U.S. servicemembers and their families lives on.
President Barack Obama is inviting all Americans to show their appreciation and support for our troops and their families by posting text and video messages on the White House site, “Saluting Service in Iraq.”
President Obama posted a video message of his own in which he thanks servicemembers who have served in Iraq and those who are currently serving there.
“Your dedication, your bravery, your courage has made America safer and has helped stand up democracy in Iraq,” he said.
November is ‘Military Family Month’
Posted by in Family Matters on November 2, 2009
U.S. Marine Capt. Justin Sharpe, the executive officer for Comanche Company, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, hugs his wife and looks in amazement on how big his 8-month-old son has grown throughout the battalion's deployment to Iraq during their homecoming at Victory Field, Twentynine Palms, Calif., Sept. 8, 2009. U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Monica Erickson
By Elaine Wilson
Nov. 2, 2009
Elaine.wilson@dma.mil
Last week, President Barack Obama declared November Military Family Month, a month-long celebration of military families and a commemoration of their extraordinary service and sacrifice.
“No one pays a higher price for our freedom than members of our nation’s military and their families,” the president said in his proclamation. “As sons and daughters, husbands and wives, and mothers and fathers are deployed, military families endure with exceptional resilience and courage. They provide our troops with invaluable encouragement and love, and serve our nation in their own right.
“Ensuring that military families receive the respect they deserve and the support they have earned is a top priority for my administration,” he said.
The Defense Department and the individual services will be marking this time with special events and commemorations and I’ll do my best to pass on some of these to you.
I’ll also be commemorating this month by spotlighting several military families who have persevered despite tremendous challenges, such as wounds of war, and have become stronger for it. And I’ll continue to highlight the information and resources that I hope will be useful and relevant to military families in their everyday lives.
Read the rest of this entry »
Obama Urges Families to Stay Engaged
Posted by in Family Matters on September 28, 2009
Lt. Matt Martin greets his wife and son during a homecoming celebration for the Raptors of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron July 5, 2009, at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Rialyn Rodrigo)
By Elaine Wilson
Elaine.wilson@dma.mil
Sept. 28, 2009
I’m often tempted to turn on the TV in a quest for a quiet, argument-free evening meal. But I always hesitate, not wanting to lose out on a chance to talk to my kids without distraction or interruption.
Turns out my TV-free dinners may offer another major benefit: they may help keep my kids drug free.
Today’s Family Day, a national effort to encourage families to spend time together as a way to combat substance abuse. In his Family Day proclamation, President Barack Obama praises America’s families for their dedication and their efforts in keeping kids drug free.
Read the rest of this entry »
Jill Biden Urges Support for Military Families
Posted by in Family Matters on September 23, 2009
Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, hugs Theresa Martel, whose husband, Army 1st Sgt. Joseph Martel, is deployed with the New York National Guard’s 206th Military Police Company in Basra, Iraq, as Susan Taluto, wife of Army Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Taluto, the New York National Guard adjutant general, looks on in Latham, N.Y., Sept. 21, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Lt. Col. Paul Fanning
By Elaine Wilson, AFPS
Elaine.wilson@dma.mil
Sept. 23, 2009
I always appreciate it when senior leaders turn their attention toward military families and I’ve noticed a recent outpouring of support from the White House.
This week, Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, met with New York National Guard personnel and their families. She visited with the family members of deployed servicemembers and the professionals who support them.
During her visit to New York, Biden pledged her support for military families and noted that her efforts are, in part, personal. The Bidens’ son, Joseph “Beau” Biden III, is a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard, and is currently deployed to Iraq.
Read the rest of this entry »