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Military Spouse Appreciation Day: "Army Spouses: The Strength of Our Soldiers"

Friday, May 8, 2015

What is it?

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed the first proclamation officially recognizing Military Spouse Appreciation Day. The Department of Defense then standardized the date by declaring the Friday before Mother’s Day every year as Military Spouse Appreciation Day. In 1999, Congress officially made Military Spouse Appreciation Day a part of National Military Appreciation Month. This year the commemoration falls on May 8, 2015, and the theme is Army Spouses: The Strength of Our Soldiers. The theme showcases how spouses are vital to the strength, resilience and readiness of the Army.

What is the Army doing?

In celebration of Military Spouse Appreciation Day, garrisons Army-wide will hold a variety of programs and special events to celebrate military spouses. Program coordinators in Army Community Service and Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation will plan events such as luncheons, educational workshops, spouse employment fairs, socials and spa nights. These events are opportunities for the Army to show their gratitude and support for military spouses.

What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future?

The Army promises to take care of Families through the promotion of many Army strategic campaigns such as Ready and Resilient, which includes the Army Family Action Plan, and Total Army Strong. The Army understands that providing high quality of life programming to Families is crucial to building a strong and resilient community.

Why is this important to the Army?

The Army recognizes the important role that spouses play in today’s Army. After more than a decade at war and multiple deployments, spouses continue to support America’s Army by serving in multiple roles as community leaders, mothers, fathers and Soldiers. Through mission, deployment, reintegration and reset, military spouses are the backbone of the Families who support the Soldiers. They are essential to the strength, resilience and readiness of the nation.

Resources:

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