Good Morning and Welcome to the Military Community Members of DailyKos(MCM) Monday Open Thread. In case you are new to this group, here's what MCM is all about:
This is the gathering place for all military community members including veterans and their families. Our goal is two-fold: to publish diaries that help explain military life, especially family life, to civilians and to produce material that shows the military is not only culturally but politically diverse. Active duty family members are in a unique position, as we can freely express our political opinions whereas our active duty members are more likely to keep their mouths shut. That said, all opinions expressed in these diaries are not the opinions of our active duty family members.
In Monday Open Thread the diarist briefly highlights one topic and then leaves the floor open for discussion on any topic(s) you choose to share.
This morning I chose to introduce the recent unveiling of a new initiative in support of military families, but before I delve into it I wanted to share some of my personal background. My husband served in the US Navy for 20 years and retired in December of 1989. We were married almost a year into his enlistment, in August of 1970. I have badges and battle scars that prove the truth to the adage "Navy Wife - the toughest job in the Navy".
Just a few short years before my husband's retirement, the Navy (and the other branches of the armed forces) was finally acknowledging the existence of the military spouse/family and providing some small measures of support to them. Prior to that time the statement, "Your wife wasn't issued in your sea bag" was the beginning and the end of the conversation. No exaggeration there folks, they literally Did. Not. Care. The life of a military spouse/family is much improved from those days, but there is more to be done as military life remains far from easy and far from perfect.
Last week the White House announced a new initiative, Joining Forces which is described by this press release:
The initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of our society – citizens, communities, businesses, non-profits, faith based institutions, philanthropic organizations, and government – to ensure military families have the support they have earned.
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden embarked last week on a three day tour of military bases to spotlight Joining Forces. Before leaving, Ms Obama was asked if she has detected raised anxiety among military families over Libya and the prospect of deeper U.S. involvement in one more war in the Middle East.
"You know families don't say that. Soldiers don't say that," she said. "They say 'Where am I needed? What do I need to do? I'm ready to go.'
"That's the beauty of these families," she continued. "They're proud to serve and they're trained to serve. Now that doesn't mean we can take advantage of that (or) ignore the ramifications of long deployments."
All Americans need to be more aware, she added, that when conflict happens and troops respond, there are families impacted who need support.
~ Source
It is expected that many high profile faces and companies will be lining up in support of Joining Forces, in fact some already have:
Will.i.am is Joining Forces, Will u?
MythBusters Team Up for Joining Forces
Only 1% of Americans are serving in our military today and the other 99% need to be made more aware of the sacrifice placed on them and their families. Here again is the link to Joining Forces where you can find more information, share your stories, find ways to help, and stay involved.
Thank you for reading and now the words you have been waiting for: