[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 58295-58296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23295]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 77 , No. 182 / Wednesday, September 19, 2012 
/ Presidential Documents  

[[Page 58295]]


                Proclamation 8864 of September 14, 2012

                
National Employer Support of the Guard and 
                Reserve Week, 2012

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                During the 236 years since our fundamental rights to 
                life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were first 
                put to paper, ordinary citizens have always stood ready 
                to defend them as members of the United States Armed 
                Forces. Today's service members represent the latest in 
                the long line of heroes who have answered their 
                country's call, and their exceptional service in a 
                post-9/11 world has secured their place alongside the 
                greatest generations. As essential components of our 
                military, the National Guard and Reserve have helped 
                carry that legacy forward. This week, we honor their 
                service and sacrifice, give thanks to their employers, 
                and reaffirm our commitment to giving our troops, our 
                military families, and our veterans the opportunities 
                and support they have earned.

                Of the more than 2 million Americans who have gone to 
                war since September 11, 2001, many have been members of 
                the Guard and Reserve. Deployment after deployment, 
                these men and women demonstrate the utmost courage and 
                distinction in the line of duty, putting themselves in 
                harm's way while knowing all too well the full cost of 
                conflict. Members of the Guard and Reserve also serve 
                here at home, stepping in to keep our communities safe 
                when emergencies or natural disasters threaten our 
                security. For their extraordinary sacrifice, our Nation 
                must serve them as well as they have served us--from 
                ensuring they have our fullest support on the 
                battlefield to helping them find good jobs when they 
                come home.

                Businesses across America are helping us meet that 
                obligation by hiring and retaining members of the Guard 
                and Reserve, and by creating a culture of military 
                support in the workplace. These employers help keep our 
                service members' civilian careers moving forward, and 
                many demonstrate their invaluable support by ensuring 
                our men and women in uniform--and their families--get 
                the flexibility and care they need during deployment. 
                At a time when our Nation has asked so much of our 
                troops and military families, businesses nationwide are 
                helping them meet the challenges they face and defend 
                the country they love.

                America shares a sacred trust with all those who serve 
                in our Armed Forces, and my Administration remains 
                committed to honoring that trust. As part of First Lady 
                Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces 
                initiative, we have striven to expand employment 
                opportunities for veterans and military spouses, and to 
                help workplaces create environments that support 
                military families. Within the past year, 2,000 
                companies have hired or trained more than 125,000 
                service members and military spouses through Joining 
                Forces. With tools like our online Veterans Job Bank, 
                we are connecting veterans to businesses that will put 
                their skills to work. I was proud to sign the VOW to 
                Hire Heroes Act, which created new tax credits to 
                encourage employers to hire veterans. And this July, we 
                announced an overhaul of our transition assistance 
                program that will give departing service members the 
                training they need to find their next job or advance 
                their education and skills.

[[Page 58296]]

                During National Employer Support of the Guard and 
                Reserve Week, let us pay tribute to the brave men and 
                women who keep our Nation safe and celebrate their 
                devoted employers, whose support is vital to the 
                strength of our military.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim September 16 through 
                September 22, 2012, as National Employer Support of the 
                Guard and Reserve Week. I call upon all Americans to 
                join me in expressing our heartfelt thanks to the 
                members of the National Guard and Reserve and their 
                civilian employers. I also call on State and local 
                officials, private organizations, and all military 
                commanders, to observe this week with appropriate 
                ceremonies and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fourteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2012-23295
Filed 9-18-12; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F2-P