VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — First Lady Michelle Obama brought the national “Joining Forces” initiative onboard Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach by visiting the Child and Youth Programs summer camp, July 21, 2011.
During the visit, Obama participated in an arts and crafts project; observed children creating claymation; read “Where the Wild Things Are” in the Kinder Room, watched children perform a song and dance routine from the musical “Annie;” and introduced the movie “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2” for military family members. As she said with excitement, “It’s some of the best stuff I get to do!”
“I try to get around to as many military facilities as possible. As many people know, we’ve launched an initiative called Joining Forces where we’re trying to rally the country to support military families because of the sacrifices they make for us,” Obama said. “The country, all of us, need to step up. So today is an example of one of the many reasons why we need to step up. I’m here visiting a summer camp and seeing the kids, who were just tremendous, and we’re going to be screening Harry Potter.”
A number of studios in Hollywood have stepped up to the call. A program was created called, “Joining Forces Movie Series,” which offers screenings of first-run films in military bases all around the country.
Joining Forces focuses on several key things heard from military families: education, employment and wellness.
“We’re calling on everyone – businesses, non-profits, community groups and individuals – to find ways,” she said. “Our motto is, ‘Everyone Can Do Something.’”
The most important thing people can do on the ground is to be aware of military families in local communities.
“Many of our families live on bases, like this, wonderful communities where they know one another, they have ready-made support systems, terrific Family Readiness Groups, wonderful camps for kids … people that understand the challenges that these families face everyday,” she explained, “but there are many of our military families who live out in communities that are not military communities, and in many ways, they’re invisible. We’re asking our community to find those families in their churches, in their schools and figure out ways that they can help them large and small … make families feel that America has not forgotten and appreciates their service.”
The Joining Forces initiative has taken on a personal meaning for the First Lady.
“These families touch me. I had the privilege of meeting with several spouses when I was campaigning for my husband several years ago and their stories moved me,” she said. “I was probably like most Americans – I didn’t come from a military family – and because one percent of our country serves and protects the freedoms of 99 percent of us, many of us don’t even know they are out there. But the minute you hear their stories and you understand the sacrifice they make – I don’t have anything to complain about. My challenges and stresses and issues are nothing compared to what these families are going through and they’re doing it with courage, with honor, without complaint. So, I vowed at that time if I had the honor of being First Lady, that I would be a light to help shine on them. To help their stories be amplified around the country.”
Obama isn’t alone in touting that message.
“Fortunately, my husband picked a great vice president, who’s married to a terrific woman, Jill Biden, who has also been committed to this issue,” she said. “She is a military family member, she is a Blue Star Mom, so this has been her issue forever … we hope that families feel these efforts on the ground. That’s really our goal. It’s to make sure that families all over the country know that this country appreciates them. So, we want families to feel that impact directly in their lives.”
The problems that military families face are many.
“I don’t think there is only one problem. I think that families are concerned about education and the challenges that come with moving several times. When I spend time with military kids, you realize that many of them have transferred schools six, seven, nine, 10, 16 times, and the challenges that come with moving your child every few years and making sure that their education stays on track,” she said. “We’re working with the Math and Science Initiative, an organization that’s made a commitment to increase advanced placement courses for kids in military facilities.”
Employment for military spouses is also a tremendous issue.
“It’s very difficult for a spouse who is moving every couple of years to develop a solid employment record. And we want to educate the employment community to understand how to interpret a military spouses’ résumé and not to see multiple moves as a red flag, but as the flexible, diverse set of skills that these individuals uniquely can bring, because of their experiences,” she said. “Sears, Home Depot and Walmart have stepped up in that way. They are creating employment initiatives that are targeting military spouses and military families.”
Multiple deployments add stresses to family life that most civilians can never imagine.
“It doesn’t end when the service member comes home. These issues impact families forever, they impact the children forever. As a country we need to be able to rally around and provide support to these individuals in ways that makes sense for them,” she said. “The challenges are many and we want military spouses to feel that they have a voice, that they don’t have to tackle these issues alone or in silence.”
“…but they shouldn’t have to be the ones asking, because they’re not going to ask – that’s the training – you don’t ask, you just get it done when you’re in the military,” she continued. “So we have to be that voice for them and that’s what we hope to do through Joining Forces.”
Local businesses and communities are urged to get involved too.
“People don’t have to recreate the wheel of what they do to help. If you are an accountant, find military families and offer pro-bono accounting services, if you are a small business and you have an opening somewhere, find a way to hire a military kid for the summer or maybe offer part-time work to a military mom, or offer discounted services, or have a military family appreciation day,” she said.
For community groups it’s the same thing.
“One of the things we are doing through Joining Forces is trying to highlight the many, many wonderful examples of how communities and individuals are already rallying around military families, because people are doing it already. We just want to provide an example to the rest of the country that they can model,” Obama explained. “There’s no one size fits all, that’s the beauty of this. Our military families are so grateful and so appreciative, anything that shows that people know what they’re going through and they care will make a difference in theses families’ lives.”
For more information on Joining Forces or to take action to serve America’s military families, visit www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces. Follow “Joining Forces” on Twitter for updates and ideas on how you can get involved. Like “Joining Forces” on Facebook and join the conversation on how to support service members and their families.
| Date Taken: |
07.21.2011 |
| Date Posted: |
07.22.2011 20:05 |
| Story ID: |
74174 |
| Location: |
VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, US |
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This work, First Lady promotes Joining Forces, shares compassion for military families, by David Todd, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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