In an op ed piece that appears in today's print edition of USA Today, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden urge Americans to support active troops, military families, and veterans, and welcome them home, following the end of the combat mission in Iraq."Our military families are strong, resilient and proud to serve their country. Nonetheless, they don't always feel that the rest of the country is part of the war effort," Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden write.
"We've met National Guard families who feel isolated because they are the only members of their communities experiencing the deployment of a loved one. We've heard from military kids who struggle in school while their parents are deployed."
Every citizen can show support for those who are making the biggest sacrifice of all, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden continue:
"We're challenging every sector of American society to support and engage our military families. ...Every American can do something...In every community, every day, we can find concrete ways to show our military families the respect and gratitude that each of us holds for them in our hearts."
President Obama announced the end of the combat mission on Tuesday during an Oval Office address, and to date, more than 100,000 US troops have come home. On Tuesday morning, he met with soldiers to say a personal thanks during a visit to Fort Bliss.
Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden, a Blue Star mother, have worked exhaustively on military family issues, and have also met frequently with members of the armed forces. Dr. Biden celebrated Independence Day with troops in Iraq this year, with Vice President Joe Biden. Mrs. Obama's most recent visit with troops was in Mississippi in July to christen the Coast Guard cutter NSC Stratton. In the First Lady, she visited Camp Pendleton, in San Diego, California, and daughters Malia and Sasha were there, too, because supporting our troops should be a family affair, right? (Above: Mrs. Obama addressing the troops at Camp Pendleton)Say thanks by cooking...
As has been mentioned here before, a really easy way to say thanks and show support is to cook for service members, vets, and military families, something Mrs. Obama herself has suggested. Recipes from the White House kitchen are all easy to do, and most are highly transportable (check the sidebar for a full listing). Of course, there are plenty of other ways to show support and welcome, and Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden detail that in their op-ed:
The Troops Need Us
By Michelle Obama and Jill Biden
This has been a summer of homecomings. In marking the end of the American combat mission in Iraq, we have now welcomed home nearly 100,000 of our troops from that war. Across the country, family and friends have honored these returning heroes. Spouses have been reunited, and military moms and dads have held their children once again.
But while America's combat mission in Iraq has ended, America's commitment to our troops and their families goes on. All of us are called to an ongoing mission: to support our troops, veterans and their families, whether they are here at home, serving in Afghanistan, or supporting the Iraqi people as they forge their own future.
Stepping up
As a country, we have come a long way in how we support our veterans and military families. In our travels to base communities from Fort Bragg to Camp Pendleton, we have seen employers creating innovative programs to support military families, classrooms adopting deployed units, faith communities providing prayers and support, and countless other acts of kindness.
Yet there is still more work to be done.
Our military families are strong, resilient and proud to serve their country.
Nonetheless, they don't always feel that the rest of the country is part of the war effort. We've met National Guard families who feel isolated because they are the only members of their communities experiencing the deployment of a loved one. We've heard from military kids who struggle in school while their parents are deployed.
Remarkably, these same families still find time to serve their communities every day. They are troops who come home from a long deployment and coach Little League or mentor a child. They are children who tutor their younger siblings, and spouses who balance their families with jobs, school, community service — or all of the above. They are wounded warriors, survivors and veterans who continue to give so much to our country.
Guided by their stories, the Obama administration has made one of the largest investments in a generation in our veterans and military families. This includes building a 21st century Department of Veterans Affairs, improving care for traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, strengthening military family readiness programs, helping hundreds of thousands of veterans get a college education, and combating the tragedy of homelessness among veterans.
But government can only do so much.
That's why we're challenging every sector of American society to support and engage our military families. You don't have to come from a military family, have a base in your community, or be an expert in military issues to make a difference. Every American can do something.
'We can do this'
Businesses and organizations of all kinds can expand job opportunities and connect the work they're already doing with the needs of military families. There are so many ways to help, and you can get started by visiting www.serve.gov to see how other Americans are helping in their communities.
One percent of our population is doing 100% of the fighting, but we need 100% of Americans working to support our troops and their families. We can do this. In every community, every day, we can find concrete ways to show our military families the respect and gratitude that each of us holds for them in our hearts. They deserve our support long after the welcome home ceremonies are over.
That's the spirit that defines us as Americans, and it's who we need to continue to be in the months and years ahead.
Michelle Obama is the first lady of the United States. Jill Biden is the wife of Vice President Biden.
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Related: This is Mrs. Obama's second op-ed since becoming First Lady. Her first, A Food Bill We Need, about child nutrition legislation, appeared in the Washington Post on August 2.
Top photo by Reuters; second by Obama Foodorama
