[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10369-10370]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    MILITARY SPOUSE APPRECIATION DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SUE WILKINS MYRICK

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 9, 2010

  Mrs. MYRICK. Madam Speaker, on May 7, 2010, we recognized Military 
Spouse Appreciation Day. On this day, I received a letter from Mrs. 
Anthony Massey, the wife of a diver in the United States Navy. Her 
letter is attached, and it very eloquently talks about the sacrifice, 
support and dedication provided by military spouses to our men and 
women in uniform.

               Have You Thanked a Military Spouse Today?

       In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated the Friday 
     before Mother's Day as Military Spouse Appreciation Day, a 
     day set aside to recognize the many contributions and 
     sacrifices military spouses make in support of military 
     members and our country.
       Yesterday, President Obama made this declaration:
       When Americans answer the call to serve in our Armed 
     Forces, a sacred trust is forged. Our men and women in 
     uniform take on the duty of protecting us all, and their 
     spouses and families also help shoulder this important 
     responsibility . . . At the heart of our Armed Forces, 
     servicemembers' spouses keep our military families on track. 
     They balance family life, military life, and their careers 
     all while supporting other military families and giving back 
     to their communities . . . Today, let us honor the spouses 
     and families who support our servicemembers and, in doing so, 
     help defend our Nation and preserve our liberty.
       For many military spouses, we have essentially no idea what 
     it means to be a ``military spouse'' when we say, ``I do''. 
     We, like many, simply make a pledge that day to support our 
     loved one through good times and bad. However, it quickly 
     becomes apparent that military life is unlike anything we 
     have experienced. When standing at the alter, whether we know 
     it or not, we are making a commitment to serve our country, 
     many times forsaking our desires for a greater cause.
       Rarely, will you ever see a military spouse seeking the 
     approval of others for the hat he or she wears. Rarely, will 
     you ever hear a military spouse ask for ``Thank Yous'' after 
     he or she has kissed their loved one for the last time for 7 
     months (or longer). Rarely, will you ever witness a military 
     spouse demand compensation for raising their children as a 
     single parent while their loved one deploys for the fourth 
     time in five years.
       In just really is not our style.
       When you say, ``I do'' to a Sailor, Marine, Soldier, 
     Airman, or Coast Guardsman, you are immediately inducted into 
     a special society of spouses . . . one that is built on a 
     legacy of those who have sacrificially dedicated their life 
     to the service of their country. A legacy that only 
     understood by those who have walked the walk and talked the 
     talk. From this legacy, we are inspired, encouraged, and 
     supported. We know many before us and along side of us have 
     gotten through it, have overcome the challenges, and 
     persevered when the going gets tough.
       We know that there is at least one spouse who has 
     celebrated an anniversary alone and one spouse who watched 
     their child graduate from preschool/high school/college 
     alone. We know there is at least one spouse who moved from 
     one state to another alone. We know there is at least one 
     spouse who has given birth to their first, third, or sixth 
     child alone.
       Nevertheless, we are quick to remember that we are never 
     alone. For me personally, Jesus is always by my side. 
     However, for all of us, every military spouse, past or 
     present, is standing side-by-side with us as we continue to 
     overcome the challenges of daily life.
       There is a joy like no other when your Sailor, Marine, 
     Solider, Airman, or Coast Guardsman comes home from 
     deployment or training. There is an excitement that wakes you 
     up at all hours of the night and keeps you from falling back 
     asleep in the days leading up to their return home. There is 
     a sense of relief as soon as they are in your arms that you 
     have defeated the odds.
       These moments make it worthwhile. That first eye-to-eye 
     contact . . . that first embrace . . . that first kiss all 
     remind you why you fell in love with them the first time. It 
     is the overwhelming sense of pride you feel when you see them 
     in uniform as they step off the plane or ship that reminds 
     you that the hat you wear is worth it. It is that first 
     morning that you wake up in their arms that gives you the 
     strength to begin preparing for the next separation.
       Military spouses are a breed like no other. While the 
     United States Military has no official authority over us, 
     they really do because they tell us when our loved one will 
     work, when they will stand watch, when they will deploy, and 
     to where we will move next. Their system can be archaic and 
     rigid at times . . . but without it, our loved one's life is 
     at risk. We grow to appreciate this rigidity. We learn to 
     communicate in a language based on acronyms. Moreover, we 
     learn to roll with the punches.
       Before we got married, Andy told me that military life is 
     like the tide, frequently changing on a daily basis. There 
     are no certainties to military life other than constant 
     change. Frequently, deployment dates move up and return dates 
     are pushed back. Departure times become earlier and arrival 
     times get later. To be a successful military spouse, you must 
     be resilient because without resiliency, you crack. We are 
     stretched to our limits and then some, with little power to 
     change the situation.
       Military spouses are woven together with the same strand of 
     thread when we accept this responsibility with a gracious 
     heart and sacrificial love for our Sailor, Marine, Airman, or 
     Coast Guardsman. And for the military spouses whose loved one 
     has paid the ultimate price in service to our country, we, as 
     a nation, are forever indebted to them for the price they 
     paid as a military spouse.
       I write this out of the pride I have to be ND1 Massey's 
     wife. Pride in him as a Mighty Man who serves an Awesome God 
     first and our country second. Pride that reduces me to tears 
     whenever I think of him.
       So if you know one, thank one. While they may react humbly, 
     chances are it will mean a great deal to them. Our Sailors, 
     Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen are so 
     frequently the ones who are thanked . . . and they should be. 
     They are the ones that leave their families at home to fight 
     for a cause they may not always support. However, every once 
     in a while, when we are thanked for wearing this hat, it 
     reassures us that we are remembered and appreciated and it 
     encourages us to face the next challenge head on.

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