The Unsung Heroes

President Reagan proclaimed Military Spouse Day the Friday before Mother's Day in 1984. It is a day of profound importance of spouse commitment to the readiness and well being of military members.

While husbands and wives took an oath and signed on a dotted line as they joined the military, spouses were enlisted through the back door with the vows they took on their wedding day. They know, or learn, there is a limited length of time to set down roots before it is time to up and pack again. For many, the constant moving would discourage them from connecting with the local community. For the the military spouse, the opposite is true. Adversity just makes them stronger.

As the spouse returns home from a warzone, the military spouse may find themselves as the caregiver if they return home wounded in some way, either physically and mentally. This can create stress and trauma to not only those that have served but to the also the spouse. Yet they remain steadfast in their conviction and they often need support knowing they are doing the right thing.

Providing care and support to our veterans can be challenging, yet options and solutions are more readily available then ever before. Once in a while they may glance at their diplomas on the wall and wonder what if. Yet they know what must be done, because they signed for a lifetime of better or worse. The spouses of all those in uniform deserve our thanks. We salute your strength, patriotism, and support. You help make the mission possible. Military spouses, past and present, are an extraordinary group of individuals and are our nations unsung heroes.