First Lady to Travel to Minnesota for 'Joining Forces'

Will Meet with National Guard Families and Community Leaders 

As part of her Joining Forces initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama will travel to Minnesota on Friday, March 16, to meet with National Guard families and local community leaders who are dedicated to supporting military families. 

Last month, the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden announced 20 finalists as part of their Joining Forces Community Challenge, an effort to recognize and celebrate citizens, communities, and organizations that have demonstrated a deep commitment to service by improving the lives of military families and veterans.  

In a roundtable discussion about Minnesota’s best practices that can be replicated nationally, the First Lady will join military family members, representatives from Serving Our Troops, and three Joining Forces Community Challenge finalists from Minnesota – the Armed Forces Service Center, Defending the Blue Line and GreenCare for Troops. 

First Lady, Dr. Biden to Unveil Report on Military Spouse Employment

Report Highlights Best Practices that States Can Adopt to Break Down Barriers 

Washington, D.C. – First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will join Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Neal Wolin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, on Wednesday, February 15th at 3:00 p.m. at the Pentagon to unveil a new report outlining opportunities and best practices for states to better support military spouses serving in professions with state licensure requirements.

The report, “Supporting our Military Families: Best Practices for Streamlining Occupational Licensing Across State Lines,” explains that military spouses move from state to state far more often than the general population as they accompany their service member on assignment to military bases around the country and overseas in the service to our nation.

As a result of the frequency of moves associated with military life, spouses serving in professions that require state licenses or certification bear disproportionally high financial and administrative burdens because credentials from one state do not always transfer to another state. This burden negatively impacts employability for more than 100,000 military spouses.

Among the nearly 50 professions impacted by state licensure requirements are teachers, nurses, speech pathologists, dental hygienists, physical therapists, counselors, marriage and family therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, physician assistants, emergency medical technicians and dieticians.

Eleven of 50 states presently have enacted legislation that supports portability for military spouses with occupational licenses.

Nearly half of America’s men and women in uniform are married and the Department of Defense views military spouse employment as an important component of maintaining a high quality, all-volunteer force well into the future.

Military spouses throughout the country have said that their employment plays a key role in the financial and personal well-being of their families and is a definite factor in their family’s decision to remain in the military.

This report is the direct result of President Obama’s Presidential Study Directive released in January of 2011, calling on all Executive Branch Agencies to find new ways to provide military families with the support they deserve.

Image courtesy of http://www.clipartmonsterclub.com.

Shine, Give, Share: Honoring Military Families for the Holidays

Go inside the White House and the Naval Observatory, the official residence for the Vice President, for the holiday season as we honor military families and their service to our nation.

http://whitehouse.gov/holidays

The First Lady Previews the 2011 White House Holiday Decorations

First Lady Michelle Obama welcomes military families for a first peek at the White House holiday decorations.

The First Lady Receives the 2011 White House Christmas Tree

The First Lady is presented with the White House Christmas Tree, which will be displayed in the Blue Room of the White House and decorated to honor military families.

Cuomo: 'Today We Honor the Sacrifice and Service of Our Nation's Veterans'

Statement by Governor Andrew Cuomo

"Today we honor the sacrifice and service of our nation's veterans who have defended our country and fought for the values and freedom we enjoy today. Over the last ten years since the September 11th attacks devastated our state and nation, a new generation of Americans has answered the call of duty, and on this Veterans Day we reaffirm our commitment to give our veterans and their families the support they need as soldiers return from the battlefield. New York State is home to more than 900,000 veterans and on behalf of all New Yorkers, I thank each of them for their courage and sacrifice. As we gather this Veterans Day weekend, let us continue to keep our service members, their families, and those who have lost loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, and remember the extraordinary service they have given to New York and America."

Trick-or-Treat with the President and First Lady

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcome area students and the children of military families to the White House for trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Joining Forces at Naval Air Station Oceana

First Lady Michelle Obama visits Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana and tours NAS Oceana's youth program summer camp. Also, as part of the Joining Forces Movie Series, Mrs. Obama welcomed local military families to a special screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2.