[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 16, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 31143-31144]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10540]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 94 / Tuesday, May 16, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 31143]]

                Proclamation 10576 of May 11, 2023

                
Military Spouse Appreciation Day, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The English poet John Milton wrote, ``They also serve 
                who only stand and wait.'' Today, we honor the nearly 
                one million military spouses who serve and strengthen 
                our Nation alongside their loved ones in uniform. While 
                navigating the many demands of life in a military 
                family, they remain strong, caring, and resourceful--
                representing the very best of who we are as Americans.

                Like our service members, military spouses know what it 
                means to make sacrifices for our values and freedoms--
                stepping up every day to shoulder the unique burdens 
                that come with military life. They selflessly care for 
                others, often balancing their responsibilities at home 
                and work while praying that their spouse returns home 
                safely. They bring their diverse talents to all sectors 
                to provide for their families and communities, even in 
                the face of demanding and difficult circumstances. They 
                strive to make birthdays and holidays special, even 
                when there is an empty seat at the dinner table. And 
                during some of life's toughest moments, military 
                spouses are there for each other--forging lasting 
                friendships grounded in support, service, and 
                selflessness.

                Our Nation has many obligations, but we have only one 
                truly sacred obligation: to prepare those we send into 
                harm's way and to care for them and their families 
                while they are deployed and when they return home--
                including our military spouses. My Administration is 
                working to ensure we meet this obligation, including 
                through the First Lady's Joining Forces initiative, 
                which is committed to supporting military and veteran 
                families, caregivers, and survivors. We have broadened 
                pathways to Federal careers for military spouses and 
                started a new program to connect military spouses with 
                private sector employers through paid fellowships. We 
                have expanded scholarship opportunities for many 
                military spouses so they can get professional licenses, 
                certificates, or associate degrees and find good jobs. 
                We are broadening parental leave for service members 
                and increasing access to affordable and dependable 
                child care--including making it easier to save for 
                child care and working to make pre-kindergarten 
                universal at all Department of Defense Education 
                Activity Schools. And as we continue working to ensure 
                military spouses have the resources they need to thrive 
                in all aspects of life, we call upon more communities 
                to hire and support military spouses, harnessing their 
                unique skills, strengths, and experiences.

                We have asked so much of our military spouses for so 
                long. Yet every time Jill and I meet with spouses, we 
                are struck by their extraordinary commitment and 
                fortitude. They are the solid steel spine that bears up 
                under every burden and the courageous heart that rises 
                to every challenge, even while their service and 
                sacrifice too often go unsung. Today we pause to lift 
                up their stories, invest in their abilities, and ensure 
                they have the support they need to achieve their 
                aspirations. May God bless our military spouses and 
                families, and may God protect our troops.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 12, 2023, 
                as

[[Page 31144]]

                Military Spouse Appreciation 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 
                eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-10540
Filed 5-15-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P