[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 14, 2019)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 21685-21686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10130]



[[Page 21683]]

Vol. 84

Tuesday,

No. 93

May 14, 2019

Part VI





The President





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Proclamation 9881--Military Spouse Day, 2019
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  Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 93 / Tuesday, May 14, 2019 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 21685]]

                Proclamation 9881 of May 9, 2019

                
Military Spouse Day, 2019

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Military spouses share an admirable legacy of 
                unwavering devotion to their loved ones in uniform and 
                to the cause of freedom. Wives and husbands stand 
                faithfully beside their beloved service members and 
                play a critical role in their ability to safeguard our 
                country. They shoulder tremendous burdens and 
                responsibilities and face demands that most families 
                will never endure. Military spouses earn no rank or 
                compensation, yet their contributions to our military 
                might are invaluable. On Military Spouse Day, we honor 
                our Nation's military spouses and express our deep 
                appreciation for all that they do.

                The nomadic nature of military life places tremendous 
                pressure on military families. Frequent relocations, 
                which require leaving behind the familiar--home, 
                school, work, church, and friends--are commonplace. 
                Military spouses nevertheless find ways to improve 
                their communities, on and off the base, and to thrive 
                in spite of the numerous hardships. Military spouses 
                also demonstrate sacrificial love and provide essential 
                support and encouragement to their service members 
                during deployments. They comfort fearful and anxious 
                children, balance work and school demands, and keep 
                things going on the home front with uncommon grace and 
                resourcefulness, despite the loneliness and anxiety 
                that often accompany an extended absence.

                Frequent relocation also imposes substantial economic 
                costs on our military families. For example, it results 
                in unemployment and underemployment of military 
                spouses. My Administration, therefore, is committed to 
                enhancing opportunities for our Nation's military 
                spouses. Last year, I was pleased to sign an Executive 
                Order requiring Federal agencies to promote the use of 
                existing military spouse noncompetitive hiring 
                authority to the greatest extent possible, providing 
                significantly greater opportunity for military spouses 
                to be considered for Government positions. The 
                Department of Defense's Military Spouse Employment 
                Partnership has brought together more than 390 
                companies and organizations committed to recruiting, 
                hiring, promoting, and retaining military spouses. 
                Since the initiative's inception in 2011, these devoted 
                partners have hired more than 130,000 military spouses. 
                Employers who hire these spouses benefit from the 
                tremendous talent, breadth of experience, and 
                determination these men and women have learned from 
                navigating the demands of military life.

                I encourage all who enjoy the blessings of freedom--
                preserved and defended by our Nation's military and 
                their families--to find ways to support our incredible 
                military spouses. I applaud local government officials 
                who have helped advance workforce freedom and mobility 
                for military families. I encourage States and 
                occupational licensing boards to build on these efforts 
                and do more to improve license portability, removing 
                barriers to military spouses remaining in the workforce 
                following a change in duty station. Community leaders 
                can also raise awareness about programs like Military 
                OneSource, a one-stop resource for information, 
                support, and referrals on every aspect of military 
                life. And in neighborhoods nationwide, families can 
                reach out, in word and deed, to spouses who are working 
                to meet the unique challenges of military life.

[[Page 21686]]

                Military spouses are among our country's unsung heroes 
                and are at the heart of our Armed Forces. They embody 
                strength and resilience, and represent the best of 
                American patriotism, courage, character, and pride. As 
                a Nation, we must ensure our military spouses receive 
                the unparalleled and unwavering support they deserve. 
                On this Military Spouse Day, Melania and I salute the 
                extraordinary women and men who serve as military 
                spouses and offer our prayers, respect, and gratitude 
                on behalf of a grateful Nation.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 May 10, 2019, as 
                Military Spouse Day. I call upon the people of the 
                United States to honor military spouses with 
                appropriate ceremonies and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand 
                nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and forty-third.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2019-10130
Filed 5-13-19; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F9-P