First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, launched a national initiative on Tuesday,calling on all sectors of society to support and honor America’s service members and their families.
The initiative is intended to educate, challenge and spark action among citizens, communities, businesses,nonprofits, faith-based institutions, philanthropic organizations and the government, according to the Department of Defense.
In remarks at the initiative’s launching, President Obama reminded the Cabinet members, congressional leaders, military brass and advocates in attendance that "Americans in uniform have never served alone."
"Behind every American in uniform stands a wife, a husband; a mother, a dad; a son or daughter; a sister or brother. These families — these remarkable families — are the force behind the force," he said. "They are the reason we have the finest military in the world."
Dr. Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, who directs the Military Family Research Institute, was an invited guest to the White House event. Read more at the Department of Defense website.