Joining Forces Blog

  • Math, Science, and Military Families

    Posted by Rick Weiss on April 15, 2011 at 9:59 AM EDT

    Cross-posted from the Office of Science and Technology Policy blog

    First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a Math and Science Bowl

    First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a Math and Science Bowl at Fountain-Fort Carson High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 14, 2011. The First Lady and Dr. Biden attended the event to help bring awareness to the need for advanced placement courses in math and science at schools like Fountain-Fort Carson, which serves many military children. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

    It’s the ultimate military family battle, and it’s happening today at Fountain-Fort Carson High School in Colorado Springs. On one side are the parents—military personnel based at nearby Fort Carson. Challenging them are their kids—students at the high school, where about half the student population consists of military family children. And overseeing the battle—actually a parents-against-kids math and science competition—are First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, with a few scholarly pyrotechnics thrown in by Jamie Hyneman and Grant Imahara from the Discovery Channel program MythBusters.

    The event, sponsored in part by National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), is part of a new White House initiative, Joining Forces, aimed at supporting and honoring America’s service members and their families. Launched at the White House on Tuesday, the initiative is focusing on a number of key areas including: beefing up science and math education at schools heavily populated by students from military families; improving health for military families; and focusing on training and jobs for members of the military and veterans.

    First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a Math and Science Bowl at Fountain-Fort Carson High School

    First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a Math and Science Bowl at Fountain-Fort Carson High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 14, 2011. The First Lady and Dr. Biden attended the event to help bring awareness to the need for advanced placement courses in math and science at schools like Fountain-Fort Carson, which serves many military children. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

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  • Watch Live: The First Lady and Dr. Biden Host a Military Families Event in Columbus, Ohio

    Posted by Kori Schulman on April 14, 2011 at 2:33 PM EDT

    Joining Forces is a national initiative to support and honor America’s service members and their families.  The initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of our society – get involved at JoiningForces.gov.

    Join First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden in Columbus, Ohio on the final stop of their national Joining Forces tour to support America's military families. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden, along with the USO and Sesame Street, will host a special community event to honor National Guard members and their families, with performances by Nick Jonas and Sesame Street. The event will also recognize local organizations doing great work in their communities to support military families.

    Watch the event live on Thursday, April 14 at 6:00 PM EDT on WhiteHouse.gov/live.

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  • Joining Forces with the Colorado Rockies

    Posted by Frances Starky on April 14, 2011 at 2:04 PM EDT

    The First Lady and Dr. Biden ended day 1 of their national tour to promote Joining Forces, an initiative encouraging all sectors of society to act in support of our military families, in my hometown last night - Denver, CO. They were there to join forces with the Colorado Rockies and Coors Field to support and honor Colorado's strong military family community.

    Families from across the state's military installations were invited to take over Coors Field for a night, a dream for someone like me who spent her summers in the stands watching the Rockies play. Kids were running the bases, playing catch in the outfield, munching on hotdogs and peanuts.

    As the First Lady told the crowd last night, Coors Field and the Rockies stepped up to create a special evening just for these families because its our duty, and our honor.  I couldn't be more proud of my home team, or my hometown.

    First Lady and Dr. Biden with Jessica Simpson at Coors Field

    First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden visit Coors Field in Denver, Colo., for a military families event. Jessica Simpson, left, performed during the event and members of the Air Force Academy baseball team practiced with military children from across Colorado. April 13, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

    First Lady at Coors Field

    First Lady Michelle Obama greets kids during a military families event at Coors Field in Denver, Colo. During the event members of the Air Force Academy baseball team practiced with military children from across Colorado. April 13, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

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  • Joining Forces Hits the Road

    Posted by Matt Flavin on April 14, 2011 at 11:20 AM EDT

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    Watch Joining Forces at Camp Lejeune, here. 

    I hope this initiative is worthy of your sacrifice...

    After launching Joining Forces on Tuesday at the White House in front of senior military leaders, Cabinet Members, CEOs, heads of non-profits, and military families, the First Lady and Dr. Biden hit the road to talk about the campaign.

    The first stop was Camp Lejeune, NC to thank our military and their families for their extraordinary service. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden spoke to a crowd of Marines, sailors and even some soldiers who drove in from Ft. Bragg before delivering gifts to expectant mothers.

    It is always great to get out of DC and even better when you get to spend time with Marines and their families.  As the First Lady said to the crowd, their ordinary is extraordinary. From the families who help our wounded warriors heal, to the spouses who comfort others in their time of grief, their faith, courage and perseverance embody the best of America.

    It was an extraordinary start to the trip, and, as a veteran, I am grateful to see this initiative in action.  I hope all Americans will Join Forces and help serve our military families.  For their service and sacrifice, kind words are not enough.  Please help make this initiative worthy of our military families.

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  • San Antonio: A Community Joining Forces

    Posted by Kirsten White on April 14, 2011 at 10:45 AM EDT

    Yesterday afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden spent time with family members of wounded warriors at the Warrior & Family Support Center in San Antonio, Texas.  As part of their nation-wide Joining Forces kickoff tour, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden spent the morning with Marines and their families, and then traveled to Texas to visit with wounded warriors at Brooke Army Medical Center.

    Later in the afternoon, they toured the Warrior & Family Support Center, a facility that gives families of injured service members a sense of comfort and home while their loved ones heal and rehabilitate. The Warrior & Family Support Center was started by members of the San Antonio community who wanted to express their gratitude for the military in their community. As the First Lady said during the visit, "And the thing that is amazing and one of the reasons why we wanted to come to this facility is because...all of this that you see around is donated by the community -- 100 percent of every salary of every brick of every piece of wood, of every bit of food. This is all done by the community."

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  • The First Lady and Dr. Biden Visit Operation Shower at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

    Posted by Kori Schulman on April 13, 2011 at 6:03 PM EDT

    During their visit to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden stopped by a special Operation Shower event for soon-to-be moms whose husbands are serving. The non-profit organization provides unit-wide baby showers for military families to help ease the burden of deployment.

    Operation Shower

    First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden arrive at an Operation Shower baby shower for expecting military families at Ball Center in Camp Lejeune, N.C., April 13, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

    The First Lady and Dr. Biden brought White House onesies and an assortment of gifts collected through an Operation Shower gift drive held at the White House. Mrs. Obama explained that Operation Shower is one example of how communities can come together to support military families, and truly what Joining Forces is all about:

    It’s asking every sector of this society to step up and support you all, because you all are serving in your own way.  And the children that will be born will be serving, too.  They’re serving right now this country, because if they’re born healthy and happy, their dads who are deployed are going to be able to focus on their mission and do a better job, because they know their families are safe.

    So we want to ask the rest of the nation to look at this.  This is a fun way to give back.  And we did this at the White House.  We brought you guys White House onesies and blankets.  We took up a drive.  We had boxes all over the West Wing and the East Wing.  People wrote checks.  We brought -- I mean, this was fun.  And any business, any community, any school can do this for a military family, for an expectant mom.  All you have to do is find them.  And all you all have to do is ask and reach out.

    And we’re going to be making it easier for people around the country to connect.  We’ve got a new website, joiningforces.gov, where people can get online, find out what's going on in their own communities, learn more about Operation Shower and how to get involved, and how to do something like this in their own communities.

    Find opportunties to get involved at JoiningForces.gov and visit OperationShower.org to learn more about supporting military families through baby showers.

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