Joining Forces Blog

  • Austin’s Warrior Playroom: A New Space for Families at Walter Reed

    Posted by Nikki Sutton on September 6, 2011 at 4:22 PM EDT

    Tomorrow is the grand opening of Austin's Warrior Playroom, a great new addition to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Austin's Playroom is a space for young family members of wounded warriors to play and relax while their parents attend to medical needs.

    Austin’s Warrior Playroom at Walter Reed Medical Center

    The Austin’s Warrior Playroom located in the newly-established Warrior Transition Unit on the campus of the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.

    Mario Lemieux, the current owner and former NHL player who led the Pittsburgh Penguins to two consecutive Stanley Cups, and his wife Nathalie Lemieux helped make Austin's Warrior Playroom possible as an initiative of the Mario Lemieux Foundation. Before the grand opening they received a preview of the playroom and Nathalie Lemieux had this to share:  

    Recently, my husband, Mario, and I were given a “sneak-peek” at the Austin’s Warrior Playroom located in the newly-established Warrior Transition Unit on the campus of the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.  While not scheduled to officially open until September, our dreams for this special playroom are nearly complete.

    The 2,000 sq. ft. playroom will accommodate children from six weeks up to 12 years. The room is equipped with the newest toys and games including video gaming systems, creative and imaginative play areas and an interactive kiosk.  From our personal experience, this room will give children a space to call their own while parents attend to medical needs, but will also allow them to remain together as a family.  We believe providing an environment that is cheerful, safe and comfortable for children and patients is an essential complement to medical treatment when addressing the quality of a child and families’ hospital experience.

    When we began Austin’s Playroom Project in 2000 as an initiative of the Mario Lemieux Foundation, I never dreamed it would grow so large.  Our son, Austin, was born profoundly pre-mature at Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and with two young daughters, it was difficult to manage our time together.  It was then that we dreamed of someday helping future families who find themselves in similar situations.  Since that time, we have established 22 playrooms throughout western Pennsylvania, with six more scheduled to open by the end of 2012.

    Austin’s Warrior Playroom marks a new initiative in the Austin’s Playroom Project.  The Mario Lemieux Foundation is proud to join forces with the US military to establish an Austin’s Playroom in the new Medical Center to bring joy and happiness in what otherwise will be a very difficult and stressful situation.  We hope this playroom provides comfort, warmth and love for these very special families. 

    Learn how you can support military families at JoiningForces.gov and check out more preview photos of Austin's Playroom at Walter Reed Medical Center:

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  • Leveraging National Resources to Reduce Suicide in the United States

    Posted by Jane Pearson on September 3, 2011 at 12:21 PM EDT

    Ed. Note: Champions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and helping our country rise to meet the many challenges of the 21st century.

    NIMH

    Suicide is a major public health problem that affects every sector of society. It is the third leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24. In the United States alone, more than 30,000 suicides occur every year—roughly twice the rate of homicides. Most suicides are thought to be associated with untreated mental illness, such as major depression.

    An important goal of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is to prevent suicide. But it takes communities dedicated to working together to address the complex problem of suicide and to translate research into practice. One way we help to facilitate this is by leveraging the resources, knowledge and experiences of a nationwide network of partner organizations dedicated to helping those with mental disorders. These partners—more than 80 at the national level and 55 partners in every state, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico—serve as the “eyes, ears and feet” of NIMH.  About half of these partners work actively to prevent suicide in their local communities, many of which are underserved rural areas. For example, the NIMH Outreach Partner in Montana used NIMH data to educate immigrants from India about depression and suicide prevention in the aftermath of two suicides among Asian American college students. Our Missouri and South Carolina partners have developed strong partnerships with faith-based organizations to train clergy in Hispanic and African American communities to recognize the symptoms of depression and warning signs for suicide. These churches are then able to link members in crisis to mental health services.

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  • Recognizing Service to Military Families

    Posted by Brad Cooper on September 2, 2011 at 3:19 PM EDT

    Joining Forces is focused on rallying energy and action from every sector of our society to give veterans, service members, their spouses and children the support they have earned. I was fortunate to be present at a recognition ceremony honoring organizations that are TRULY embracing this concept – and making a marked and significant difference in the lives of our military families.

    Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provided remarks at the twelfth annual Newman’s Own Award Ceremony at the Pentagon Hall of Heroes today as awards totaling $75,000 were presented to six non-profit organizations for their innovative programs that are improving military quality of life.

    Knights of Heroes Summer Camp, a program run by the Knights of Heroes Foundation, received the highest honor and the corresponding $15,000 award. Knights of Heroes Summer Camp aims to provide a wilderness adventure camp that empowers boys and girls who have lost a parent in military service through positive mentorship, character development and lasting friendships. The bonds created at the camp last throughout the year. "Knights of Heroes" kids meet throughout the year at programs such as TAPS and Snowball Express. Many kids stay in touch with their camp mentors throughout the year, knowing that there is someone available on whom they can rely.

    Newman’s Own, Fisher House Foundation and Military Times Media Group sponsored the competition, which seeks to reward ingenuity and innovation for programs that benefit service men and women and their families. Six judges evaluated each entry based on the organization’s impact to their respective communities, as well as each program’s creativity and innovation.

    A total of 186 entries were received for the 2011 program. This is an astounding number, but what makes working on military family issues so rewarding is that I know this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are great organizations around the country that are following the example of the Knights of Heroes Foundation and are making a difference for military families in their own communities. Each of us has a role to play, and the means by which we can all reach out to and support our military families is only limited by our imaginations.  

    The First Lady and Dr. Biden have repeatedly seen examples of great programs like these, and they want to recognize what other organizations are doing to help our veterans and military families. That is why they launched the Joining Forces Community Challenge. Check it out and nominate someone you know who deserves to be recognized for their efforts today!

    Brad Cooper is Executive Director of Joining Forces in the Office of the First Lady

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  • Empowering Military Families and the Civilian Community to Work Together

    Posted by Pamela Stokes Eggleston on August 31, 2011 at 5:22 PM EDT

    Ed. Note: Champions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and helping our country rise to meet the many challenges of the 21st century.

    Blue Star Families

    In 2009, I helped to create Blue Star Families with a group of dedicated military spouses to support, empower and connect military families to each other, to their communities and to decision makers.  As the Army spouse of an OIF combat wounded warrior, I feel a close kinship with this dynamic group of military spouses and families who experience similar issues. All too often, the greater community does not understand our sacrifices and our service to this nation. As such, Blue Star Families’ strategic focus is to bridge the gap between the military and civilian communities.  In doing so, our primary aim is to promote and foster healthy military families through the collaborative sharing of information and quality of life resources.

    To be sure, Blue Star Families has exceeded its own expectations. We have struck a chord, not just with military family members hungry for support and empowerment, but also with elected officials, military leadership and corporate America seeking to hear unfiltered feedback related to “on the ground” issues that are impacting us. As military families, we appreciate the momentous sacrifice of others in our shoes; subsequently, we regularly conduct our Military Family Lifestyle Survey to glean what today’s military families truly need. From its results and our personal familiarity, we set the stage for our pioneering programming platform with novel projects like Operation Honor Cards and our groundbreaking public service announcements (PSAs) to help prevent military family suicides.

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  • President Obama Salutes the Extraordinary Decade of Military Service by the 9/11 Generation

    Posted by Darienne Page on August 30, 2011 at 1:10 PM EDT

    President Obama today praised the extraordinary decade of service rendered by the 9/11 Generation of our military, the more than five million men and women – all of whom voluntarily joined the armed forces over the past ten years. He also paid special tribute to the more than 6,200 Americans who have given their lives in this hard decade of war.

    Read the Transcript  |  Download Video: mp4 (328MB) | mp3 (32MB)
     
    Watch President Obama at the American Legion Conference, here. 

    Speaking before the American Legion National Convention today in Minneapolis, the President said that America’s military is the best it’s ever been, and highlighted the ways in which this new generation has changed the way America fights and wins our wars:

    They're a generation of innovators, and they’ve changed the way America fights and wins at wars.  Raised in the age of the Internet, they’ve harnessed new technologies on the battlefield. They’ve learned the cultures and traditions and languages of the places where they served.  Trained to fight, they’ve also taken on the role of diplomats and mayors and development experts, negotiating with tribal sheikhs, working with village shuras, partnering with communities.  Young captains, sergeants, lieutenants -- they've assumed responsibilities once reserved for more senior commanders, and reminding us that in an era when so many other institutions have shirked their obligations, the men and women of the United States military welcome responsibility. 

    The President touched on some of the most extraordinary achievements of the past ten years, in Iraq and Afghanistan, including “our greatest victory yet in the fight against those who attacked us on 9/11—delivering justice to Osama bin Laden in one of the greatest intelligence and military operations in American history.”

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  • Focusing on Licenses for Veterans and Military Families

    Posted by Brad Cooper on August 15, 2011 at 5:20 PM EDT

    Over the past few weeks, I have had the wonderful privilege of traveling with the First Lady and Dr. Biden around the country, and we've felt the tremendous outpouring of support for our military families. In the coming weeks we will continue to build on the Joining Forces initiative by focusing on employment, education, and wellness.

    As the First Lady recently highlighted in her U.S. News Op-Ed, veterans and military spouses are not always the highest priority for employers when it comes to filling an open position--even though they are among the strongest, most resilient candidates in the talent pool. To address this disparity, we are working on a number of initiatives that increase job training opportunities and ease licensing reqirements for veterans and military spouses.

    Focusing on Jobs for Veterans and Military Families:

    • In response to the President's challenge to the private sector to hire or train 100,000 unemployed veterans and military spouses by 2013, companies such as Siemens, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin and Accenture have committed to facilitate the transition of service members from military to civilian life. In addition, JP Morgan Chase has committed $7.5 million to provide seed funding for the creation and launch of a “first-of-its-kind” Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University.
    • The Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) between the Department of Defense and 72 Fortune 500 companies is off to a great start. Of equal importance, a significant number of companies have committed to retaining our military spouses within the same company after their husband or wife’s move.
    • Chamber of Commerce Hiring Fairs: Back in April, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce committed to 100 hiring fairs throughout the nation in the next year – these hiring fairs are dedicated to veterans and military spouses. The Chamber has already conducted 15 hiring fairs -- including one in Los Angeles with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge -- with more than 15,000 veterans and military spouses participating. As of last week, they have up’d the ante – they will also call on their federation of 2,500 state and local chambers and industry associations and more than 3 million businesses to significantly expand the scale and scope of their nationwide hiring campaign -- to several hundred additional cities in 2012 and beyond!

    Licensing Help for Military Spouses: I had the opportunity to talk to the Council of Governors about this issue last month in Salt Lake City – the Council supports legislation to expand state coverage. The First Lady also addressed this issue in a recent trip to New Hampshire and we are teaming with the great efforts that DoD and our many Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) have been undertaking for years. As a bottom-line, we’re paying attention to this issue and are encouraging state leaders to make it easier for military spouses to transfer their licenses between states. The goal here is for all 50 states to hear this message – and take action – to make your transitions easier.

    Licensing and Credentialing Help for Transitioning Service Members: Only 4 of 50 states have enacted legislation that facilitates the crediting of military education, training and experience toward the licensing requirements in an equivalent civilian occupation. The Department of Defense is working hard on behalf of Service members and Veterans to expand state support.

    Brad Cooper is Executive Director of Joining Forces in the Office of the First Lady.

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