The White House today held an event formally announcing the Joining Forces program, the umbrella title for the family policy push that we wrote about yesterday and earlier this year.
"This is about the responsibility that we each have to one another as Americans," First Lady Michelle Obama said at the event. "Working together we're going to make sure that our military families are never forgotten."
Calling the initiative "one of my defining missions as First Lady," Mrs. Obama outlined a plan to rollout military programs within federal agencies, partner with state and local governments, use celebrities and Hollywood to raise awareness of military family issues through public service announcements, step-up spouse education, assist with military family mental wellness and partner with businesses to assist spouses and veterans with finding and keeping work.
Those partnerships, she said, are only a slice of the push. The rest focuses on engaging everyday Americans with reaching out and helping military families in their communities, just like we've said needs to be done.
"If you ask any military family they will tell you sometimes its the smallest things, these simple gestures, that say thank you," she said. "This is about joining forces as Americans and we can do it right where we live or work."
The White House has rolled-out a new website to assist with this push. JoiningForces.gov aims to link civilians with ways to serve military families. You can also follow updates on Twitter via @joiningforces.
This evening we'll be attending a blogger's roundtable with Mrs. Biden. We hope to have more details on spouse education and employment initiatives after that!
You can learn more about military spouse education programs here.
