WHITEHOUSE NEWS7

First Lady Cites Military Children's Resilience

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

ARLINGTON, VA, April 8, 2011 - Melissa Howland, a high school senior, was diagnosed with a blood-clotting disorder the year her Navy father deployed to Iraq.

First Lady Michelle Obama thanks military children for their contributions during her remarks at Operation Homefront's 2011 Military Child of the Year award ceremony in Arlington, Va., April 7, 2011. (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Unable to pursue the sports she loved, and with her father away, Melissa easily could have become discouraged. Instead, the 17 year old refocused her efforts on community service.

Last year, she donated nearly 500 volunteer hours to 12 causes, including the hospital where she was treated.

Howland was one of the five military children –- one from each service -- honored last night for their resilience, strength of character and leadership during Operation Homefront's 2011 Military Child of the Year award ceremony here.

First Lady Michelle Obama, keynote speaker for the event, called Howland and the other recipients "shining examples" of what youth can accomplish with "a little will, a little passion, and a little determination."

Obama said Howland could have chosen to feel sorry for herself, instead, "she decided –- and these are her words -– 'You can't go wrong giving back.'"

"Each of you young people already knows that your families are proud of you. You know that your communities are proud of you. Your parents' services are proud of you," the first lady said. "But tonight I want you to know that my husband and I are proud of you -- very proud."

Obama said she and her husband know of the honorees' achievements in school -– "they're amazing" -- and the countless hours they've spent volunteering in their communities and caring for their families.

"I'm here tonight because I want our country to know about you all, as well," she said. "I want our country to know about the five of you and about all the military kids and families all across this country."

Obama said it's time for every American to step up and show gratitude for military families. Next week, the first lady and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, plan to launch a nationwide campaign that will call on all Americans to honor, recognize and support military families.

"Our message is very clear: It's that every American has the ability -- and the obligation -- to give something back to our military families," she said.

Obama said she and Biden will hit the road in the coming months to highlight the nation's stand-out businesses, nonprofits and community efforts.

"We're going to be doing everything that we can to tell the stories of our military families," she said.

Most people are aware of the sacrifices military members make, Obama said, but may be less aware that the military force is "largely a force of families." More than half of the active-duty force is married, she noted, and there are nearly 2 million military children.

"A lot of folks don't realize that when our troops are called to serve, their families serve, too," she said. "A lot of folks simply don't know the stories of our military families and their kids."

Obama shared the story of 17-year-old Nicole Goetz, the Air Force's Military Child of the Year. Goetz tutors her younger brother, cheers him up while their father is deployed, and has performed 500 hours of community service -- all while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average, the first lady said.

Obama pointed out that the teen's father, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Michael Goetz, traveled here from Afghanistan to see his daughter get her award in person.

Military children shoulder additional responsibilities not only when their parents are deployed, but when they return home as well, the first lady said.

"And when a parent comes home wounded, the result can be a real role reversal," she said. "It can mean taking care of Mom or Dad who once took care of you; taking on responsibilities that would be overwhelming for most adults, let alone for most kids."

That's exactly what 17-year-old Taylor Dahl-Sims, the Marine Corps' Military Child of the Year did, Obama said.
Dahl-Sims' baby brother was injured at birth and her house flooded –- all while her stepfather was on his fifth deployment. She helped care for the baby, clean up the house and, when her stepfather returned home with a traumatic brain injury, she continued to pitch in to care for her family.

"So when we talk about service to our country, when we talk about all that sacrifice for a cause, when we talk about patriotism and courage and resilience, we're not just talking about our troops and our veterans," Obama said, "we're talking about our military families, as well."

And military children, she said, "play their own very unique role in keeping our country safe and preserving the freedoms that we all hold dear.

"I think we could learn a thing or two from a couple of our honorees tonight," she added.

Following the first lady's remarks, top military leaders presented an award to their service's award recipient. The recipients include:

-- For the Army, 16-year-old Kyle Hoeye, of Tucson, Ariz., who worked to help other military children become more resilient during each of his father's three deployments. He's one of only two teens in Arizona certified to teach military kids how to use advanced technology through the 4-H program. He was instrumental in putting together Operation Military Kid's Hero Packs and has handwritten hundreds of letters to local military children, thanking them for their service.

-- For the Navy, Howland, of Millis, Mass., volunteers in the local hospital's maternity ward every Sunday. Her father was deployed to Iraq in 2009 and stationed, unaccompanied, in California in 2007 and 2008. Howland keeps her spirits up during her father's absences by doing community service. In 2010, she donated 498 volunteer hours to 12 causes.

-- For the Air Force, Goetz, of Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., volunteered at the local youth center, her church, veterans and nursing homes, and joined a variety of high school clubs. She also organized 21 local schools to create and send hundreds of homemade Christmas cards, cookies and care packages to troops overseas. At home, she helps her 10-year-old brother with his school work. And when he's feeling down and missing their dad, who is deployed in Afghanistan, she takes him to the movies.

-- For the Marine Corps, Dahl-Sims, of Oceanside, Calif., helped her mother with her baby brother's medical care after an injury. Her stepfather returned home from his fifth deployment with a traumatic brain injury and, again, she stepped in to help during his recovery. She also pitches in with her parents' nonprofit, The North Star Group, helping to host baby showers on base and provide pampering for pregnant spouses whose husbands are deployed.

-- For the Coast Guard, 17-year-old Margaret Rochon, of Jacksonville, N.C., organized a seminar about the stresses of wartime deployment on students and the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on families. The seminar was required for all teachers in her county and included a panel of six nationally known experts, including a retired major general. School administrators taped the session and have made it part of the formal annual training for teachers in her county.

A committee of active-duty service members, family readiness support assistants, teachers, military mothers and community members chose the award recipients. The winners received $5,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C., for the ceremony.

First Lady, Dr. Biden to 'Shine Light' on Military Families

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2011 - First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden said they have spoken with countless military families in their travels and have heard some "breathtaking" stories of service and sacrifice.

First Lady Michelle Obama urges all Americans to show their support for service members and their families during the launch of "Joining Forces" an initiative to raise awareness about the challenges facing military families. DOD photo by Linda Hosek (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

They've talked to wives dealing with fourth and fifth deployments, to children stepping up to care for their families, and to caregivers who walked away from jobs and homes to care for a wounded loved one.

It's now time, they said, for the rest of the nation to hear these stories.

"There isn't a citizen on the face of this nation who wouldn't be moved by [their] fortitude," the first lady said. "These aren't stories of sadness -- they're stories of success, triumph .... These are the stories the country needs to be motivated by."

Obama and Biden plan to spotlight these stories in the coming months through their nationwide initiative, called "Joining Forces." Joined by President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, they announced today the launch of this campaign, which aims to bring together every sector of this nation -– from individuals and communities to businesses and nonprofits -– to support and honor service members and their families.  

Last week at the White House, the first lady  and Dr. Biden sat down with American Forces Press Service to discuss what they feel are military families' biggest challenges and to outline the steps they plan to take to address them.

Obama and Biden said the first step in this journey will be to raise awareness of military families and to "shine the light on their voices."

"These families, and the men and women who serve, represent the best of this country," the first lady said. "They struggle and have challenges, but are succeeding in the face of some devastating circumstances in some instances, and they are patriotic and dedicated and ready to do it again."

Now, "I want the rest of the nation to meet them," she added.

Obama and Biden said they plan to focus on three key areas in their campaign -- education, employment and mental health and wellness. Based on their conversations with families, these areas reflect the issues families most frequently face, they said.

As a long-time teacher, Biden said education issues are particularly close to her heart. Military families -- who move up to six or seven times over the course of a military career -- must tackle the ongoing challenges of multiple school transfers, dealing with everything from records transfer delays to struggling to meet grade requirements.

Employment is an area of longstanding concern for military spouses, the first lady noted. Military spouses -- who are "highly skilled professionals in their own right" -- move so often that it's tough to build up a consistent work history or to maintain certifications and licenses that vary from state to state, she said.

Above all, the nation "needs to make sure families are healthy ... and have all the care they need," the first lady said. After a decade of multiple deployments and related stressors, troops and their families need support that isn't stigmatized and is confidential and effective, she added.

"This has to be hard," Obama said of the struggles that troops and their families face, "emotionally, physically, financially, you name it."

Obama and Biden said they're particularly concerned for the nation's nearly 2 million military children. In recent years, studies have revealed the impact of deployments on these children –- from their performance in school to their psychological well-being.

Biden recalled a story she heard while visiting troops in Iraq last summer. An officer told her about a child who attended a musical play. When "Ave Maria," was sung, the child burst into tears, she said. The teacher rushed over and asked her why she was crying.

"That's the song they played at my daddy's funeral," the little girl told the teacher.

"That made me realize that teachers need to be aware of the kids in their classroom that are military children," Biden said. "They need to know what these kids are going through and that they are under additional stress."

The nation needs to step up care for these children, who are serving in their own way alongside their military parents, the first lady said.

"They're doing it quietly, maybe not even indicating what they're going through unless there's a song played or something triggers it," Obama said. "We should know ahead of time; we shouldn't wait for those triggers."

Military families are strong, they said, but this strength can sometimes translate into a reluctance to ask for the support they need.

"They don't complain and they won't ask for help," the first lady said. "They feel they should be handling this burden."

Families living on military installations often lean on each other. But it's often tougher for National Guard and Reserve families, Obama noted, who may live away from a base and the readily available support systems there.

Biden said she recently got together with a group of women to deliver baby gifts to a wife of a deployed service member who was about to have a baby.

"They're not asking for this; they're proud, resilient," she said. "Be we as Americans need to appreciate the sacrifice they're making for us."

Throughout the campaign, Obama and Biden said they'll ensure these stories are heard, and afterward, they'll put forth a call to action that will encompass all sectors of society.

"It's that call to action that I think this country will respond to positively –- to say let's step up and care for these families, these veterans," the first lady said.

"Let's end homelessness among veterans once and for all," she continued. "Let's take care of military children and make sure they have everything they need to pursue their dreams and more."

Obama and Biden will be calling on all Americans to help, whether it's with an offer of child care, shoveling a driveway or cooking a family a meal.

"We're asking [Americans] to find their strength, find out how they can help, to show their appreciation," Biden said.

Obama and Biden said they hope to generate so much support through their campaign that military families won't ever have to ask for it.

They'll know "they live in a country that's grateful for the sacrifices they already make," the first lady said.

Biden agreed. "I hope we never ever have again a military family who says ... I just don't think Americans appreciate what we do," she said. "I want them to know and feel they're appreciated."

The greatest testament to their efforts will be a  continuation of support for military families, they said.

"This can't be an initiative that's just about wartime," the first lady. "Because the truth is the challenges these families face will just begin when a conflict is over and will continue for the rest of their lives.

"We must be prepared for a sustained effort and support and I hope that this campaign will support this role, that it will become part of the fabric of this country," she added, "and when we're long gone and the next president has taken office, this is just something we do, that all sectors of society have figured out how to incorporate this into their mission now and forever."