The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 11, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Biden at a Joining Forces Nurses Event

University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2:52 P.M. EDT

DR. BIDEN:  Thank you, Dr. Meleis, for that kind introduction.  I can see you're a great educator.

It's great to be here in Philadelphia to mark the one-year Joining Forces anniversary.  Many of you know that I'm a proud military mom.  One of the best parts of my role as Second Lady is spending time with so many veterans and military families.  And I've traveled around the country and the world, and I'm always inspired by the strength and resilience of military families. 

Our military families have done so much for our country, and each of us can do something in return.  That’s why the First Lady and I started Joining Forces last year -- so that every American can take action to honor and support our military families.  The federal government is doing its part.  And as we've seen all across the country this past year, companies, stores, churches, schools, individuals are all stepping up to support military families. 

We have asked a lot of our service men and women since September 11, 2001.  They and their families have responded to the need for more frequent and longer deployments.  As they have done in the past, these troops and their families have stepped up with no complaint. 

We know that some of our returning veterans and wounded warriors face significant challenges when they come home.  We have seen a growing number of veterans returning with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.  Making sure that they get the care they need is a priority for this administration and for Joining Forces.  That’s why I'm so pleased to be here today for this announcement.

Nurses represent America's largest health care workforce.  Many of you know that I'm a community college professor, and I've had the great privilege over the years of teaching countless nursing students -- and I have to tell you, they're always my A students.  I know just how dedicated nurses are to their profession. 

Nurses are on the front lines in providing life-saving care in nearly every community.  And this is critical, because only half of our veterans seek care through the VA system.  Nurses are vital to ensuring that all our veterans receive the care they need and deserve.  More than 500 nursing schools, and more than 150 nursing organizations are joining forces to make sure our nurses are prepared to meet the unique health needs of servicemembers, veterans and their families.

The leading nursing schools and nursing organizations have committed to educate current and future nurses on how to recognize and treat post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, depression and other combat-related issues.  This Joining Forces commitment means there will be more than 3 million nurses ready to meet the needs of our brave men and women.  This is absolutely essential to ensuring our returning servicemembers and their families receive the care they deserve.  Thank you, for this tremendous effort. 

Our military families deserve the very best efforts of each of us, to ease the burdens created by their service to our country.  It is our sacred obligation to show our military families that we truly appreciate their sacrifices on our behalf. 

Before I close, I want to give a special thank you to my good friend and partner in this effort, First Lady Michelle Obama.  She is a committed, caring advocate who has done so much for our military families.  Thank you, Michelle.  (Applause.)

And now, I am so pleased to introduce Lieutenant Commander Pamela Wall -- a nurse who understands firsthand the kind of wounds we are talking about today.  She joined the U.S. Navy Corps in 1996 as a nurse, and has served at military medical facilities around the world.  as a pre-doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania, her research is focused on traumatic brain injury.  Thank you, Pamela, for your service. 

And now, please join me in welcoming Lieutenant Commander Wall.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

* * * * * 

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you all so much.  (Applause.)  Thank you. 

AUDIENCE MEMBERS:  We love you, Michelle!  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  You all, thank you so much.  That’s very sweet, very sweet. 

Well, I can’t tell you what a pleasure it is to be here with all of you today, and to feel this enthusiasm.  This is good stuff.  (Laughter.) 

I want to start by thanking Dr. Meleis for her very kind introduction.  And I'd like to thank both her and Lieutenant Commander Wall for their outstanding leadership at this university, and for the work that they're doing on this effort.  And of course, I have to recognize my partner and dear friend, Dr. Jill Biden.  I mean, she has just been a tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform.  (Applause.)  She has been a tremendous partner for Joining Forces, and a tremendous voice.  And I am grateful to have her as a partner and as a friend.

I also want to recognize Mrs. Lisa Nutter, who is here -- was here representing both herself and her husband.  She had to run -- her husband Mayor Nutter.  Assume you'd know that.  But I was happy she was able to attend, and just want to acknowledge her today.

And I also know that my friend, Patrick Murphy, your former congressman and a veteran himself -- (applause) -- as well as a champion for veterans and military families -- he is here.  And I want to thank Patrick for being with us today. 

And most of all, I want to thank all of the nurses and all of the nursing students who are here with us today.  (Applause.)  Yes, absolutely.  Because whether we're in a hospital or a doctor's office or community health center, nurses are often the first people we see when we walk through that door.  And we often spend much more time with nurses than just about any other health professional.  And I have seen this again and again in my own life experiences -- especially as a mother. 

Now, I have been fortunate enough to have some terrific doctors, and I am grateful for every last one of them, but when my daughters were born, it was the nurses who spent the most time with me and my husband.  They were the first ones to notice when something wasn't right, or when we needed a little extra time and attention.  And as my girls started to grow and I took them to all those well-baby exams and checkups -- it's a lot of them -- the nurses always took the time to answer all of my crazy, anxious questions, and to put my mind at ease.

So quite simply, nurses are the front line of America's health care system.  Every day, with your hard work, with your skill, your compassion, nurses determine the quality of care that we all receive.  So when Jill and I launched Joining Forces and we first started thinking about how to improve health care for our veterans and military families, it was very clear that we needed to call on all of you -- America's nurses and nursing students.  And it is clear from today's announcement that you all have answered the call in a tremendous way.  I mean, you all are mobilized and organized.

And because of your hard work, 3 million -- and that number, 3 million -- nurses -- (applause) -- will get the training that they need to better support our men and women in uniform and their families.

Now, when you think about it, it's not surprising that America's nurses came through in this way.  Because we all know that nurses get things done.  Ask any doctor.  They don’t know what they're doing, do they?  (Laughter.) 

We are all so thrilled to be announcing this commitment as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Joining Forces.  This was excellent timing.  Because the fact is, your work is more critical for our veterans and military families than ever before.  As all of you know, and have heard from our speakers, that while the majority of our troops and veterans return home with few or no mental health challenges at all -- and that’s important to note -- many do experience the so-called "invisible wounds of war." 

Since 2000, more than 44,000 of our troops have sustained at least moderate traumatic brain injuries.  And studies show that as many as one in six Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have reported symptoms of PTSD.  Similar numbers have reported signs of post-deployment depression.

Now, I want to be clear on this point:  These combat-related mental health challenges are natural, normal, human responses to the violence of war.  They are not in any way a sign of weakness, and they should never be a source of shame or a cause for stigma.  (Applause.)  But too often, these conditions are misunderstood or misdiagnosed.  And also, many of our veterans and military families don’t live in military communities, or they don’t have a VA hospital nearby.  So when they seek help, they often rely on local clinics and hospitals; places where health professionals don’t always have the information and training they need to provide the care that America's heroes deserve.

But we know that training exists.  We know that information is out there.  We know that high quality of care is possible, and we see examples every day, all across this country.  At the University of Detroit Mercy School of Nursing, nursing students are working with engineering students to design devices that will help veterans with disabilities return to the activities they love.  And they recently worked with a veteran who had trouble grasping objects and holding his arms steady.  With the device they built for him, he's been able to resume his favorite hobbies -- hunting and photography.  And that’s so important.  Nurses were right there.

At the San Diego State University School of Nursing, they're helping run a program for troops and veterans and their spouses.  During weekend retreats, they work with these couples on restoring their relationships after deployments.  And they cover everything from problem solving and communication skills to dealing with trauma and stress.

And at the University of South Florida College of Nursing, they're even testing a new therapy to treat PTSD.  And one of their patients is a veteran named Josh Thomas.  And since returning from Afghanistan, Josh had been suffering from insomnia, anxiety, nightmares, high blood pressure, depression.  But after just two therapy sessions, he saw dramatic improvements.  And as he put it -- and these are his words -- he said, "before the therapy, I didn’t feel I had any control over my life, or the sinking feeling of drowning.  But after the second session, I feel I have some control, and am actually swimming -- getting somewhere.  This therapy changed my life."  Those were his words.

And ultimately, that’s what this new initiative that we're announcing today is all about.  It's about insuring that nurses across this country have that kind of information; have the tools and also the training they need to change the lives of our veterans and military families.  And that is the least we can do for the men and women who have served this country so bravely. 

And I cannot say it again -- as Jill said before -- these people answer the call.  I know we have a number of these wonderful heroes with us today.  So to all of you, and our men and women in uniform all across the country who may be watching this, I want to send a very clear message to all of you, particularly on this issue:  No matter what you're going through, America will be there for you and your families.  That’s what this is about.  (Applause.) 

And Jill and I have seen it.  People are ready to step up for you.  So if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it -- because we also know that that’s your training too, you don’t ask for help, and you handle things so well.  But don’t be afraid.  If you know someone else who's struggling, encourage them to get the support they need.  Seeking help is not a sign of weakness; in fact, it's a sign of strength.  It can set an example for those who served alongside of you, and it can also help eliminate any remaining stigma that surrounds conditions like PTSD and TBI and post-deployment depression. 

And with the new commitment that we're announcing today, we'll be doing our part to ensure that no matter where you turn to for help, America's single largest health care workforces -- more than 3 million nurses -- will be ready to meet your needs. 

So ask for help.  We want to ensure that no matter where you live, you will find providers who make you feel comfortable.  That’s the first step -- we want you to feel comfortable.  People who understand your unique challenges and who will give you a level of care that honors your service and your sacrifice.  So thank you.

And to all of the nurses and nursing students here today and across this country, I want to be clear that we need your leadership, not just in this area -- in our hospitals and clinics and doctor's offices -- we need your leadership period.  Because in addition to being health professionals, you are also neighbors and friends, and active members of your schools and your communities, and we need you to be leaders in those capacities as well when it comes to this issue. 

We need you to educate people about the challenges that our veterans and military families are facing.  As you learn and grow, we need you to spread the word.  We need you to work with your employers to better support our veterans as they transition to civilian life.  We need you to work with teachers and coaches and youth group leaders to help them understand that our military kids are going through a lot as well.

All of you have a critically important role to play in this mission.  And it's not just because you are nurses, but because you all are good citizens, and you have that compassion.  That’s why we have made this new initiative a centerpiece of our work through Joining Forces.  Because with your expertise as nurses, we know that people will listen to you -- people will listen to you.  We know that people will trust what you have to say.  And we know that by joining forces with all of you and millions of nurses across this country, we can serve our men and women in uniform and their families as well as they have served this country.  That’s what this is all about.

So I want to, once again, thank all you and all of the nursing schools and organizations that are leading the way.  This is truly amazing, what you're doing.  And you're doing work that will have an impact.  I mean, just imagine the spouse or the military kid who walks into your office or your clinic, or into whatever environment, and they've got somebody who can listen.  They've got somebody who has training, somebody who has dealt in this world and can make them feel just a little safer.  That’s our duty.  That’s the sacrem -- sacred promise, as Jill said, that we have to these men and women in uniform.

So I look forward to working with all of you to ensure that our veterans and military families get the world-class care that they deserve.  And congratulations on all the work that you are going to do.  It is going to be fabulous.  I can't wait to see you there, especially the students.  So work hard.  Get good grades.  Stay out of trouble.  (Laughter.) 

Thank you all.  God bless.  (Applause.)

END
3:16 P.M. EDT

The First Lady and Dr. Biden Speak on the Joining Forces Anniversary

April 11, 2012 | 34:02 | Public Domain

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden speak about their Joining Forces initiative to support military veterans and their families at an event marking its first anniversary.

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Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Biden at the Joining Forces Anniversary event

South Lawn

11:13 A.M. EDT

DR. BIDEN:  What a great day for a celebration.  Thank you, General Dempsey, for that kind introduction and for all that you have done to support the Joining Forces initiative over the past year.  I also want to thank Deanie Dempsey, who's been a wonderful partner and a wonderful friend.  Thank you for your leadership.  (Applause.) 

To the Joining Forces Community Challenge finalists who are here, it was great to see you all yesterday, and we're delighted to have you here at the White House this morning. 

One of the best parts of my role as Second Lady is spending time with military veterans and families.  And I've traveled across the -- as I've traveled across the country and the world, I'm always inspired by the strength and the resilience of our military families.

While the troops serving our nation may be only 1 percent of the population, we want to make sure that 100 percent of Americans are supporting them.  Our military families have done so much for our country and each of us can do something in return.  That’s why the First Lady and I created Joining Forces to encourage all Americans to support and honor our military families. 

Since we launched Joining Forces a year ago, we have been so inspired by the many ways Americans all across the country are honoring, celebrating and supporting our military families.  Our partners in this effort are businesses, schools, churches, communities and individuals.  The Joining Forces Community Challenge finalists here today are shining examples of what we’ve seen.

Organizations like HeartsApart.org -- photographers volunteer their time to take photos of soon-to-be deployed servicemembers and their families.  And so that they can carry their loved ones when they are serving us, these beautiful photographs are printed on waterproof, durable cards that fit perfectly in the pocket of a battle dress uniform. 

Programs like GreenCare for Troops, which connects local green industry professionals with military families to provide free lawn and landscaping services while their loved ones are serving our country.

Or the city of Richfield, Utah, an entire community that has supported its local Army National Guard through four deployments since September 11, 2001.  They’ve organized a community-sponsored holiday party for the families of deployed troops.  The local newspaper delivers the hometown paper to deployed soldiers so that they can stay in touch with home.  And the community library ordered children’s books about deployment so that children will understand what their parents are doing while they are away.

These are just a few examples of what is happening all across our country.  If I had to sum up what we have seen since launching Joining Forces in one word, it would be “inspiring.”  These efforts aren’t always in the headlines, but they support our military families every single day in real and meaningful ways.  That's exactly what the First Lady and I set out to accomplish with Joining Forces. 

So please, let’s give a round of applause for all the Challenge winners who are here with us today.  (Applause.)

I am also proud to announce that after the wonderful response this first year, we will start another challenge later this year.  We look forward to seeing more of the creative ways that Americans are giving back to our proud and brave military families. 

And now it is my great pleasure to introduce an amazing, young woman.  I met Moranda Hern two years ago when she came to my office to tell me what it was like for her when her dad was deployed to Afghanistan.  She was going through all the challenges of being a teenager with the added burden of worrying every day about her father's safety. 

Moranda's dad is in the California National Guard, so she didn’t have the support of a military community and she felt disconnected from her peers.  When Moranda met another military teen, she realized she wasn’t alone.  The girls created a support network called The Sisterhood of the Traveling BDUs* -- to make sure other military girls had a way to share their experiences with one another.  Today the Sisterhood connects military girls through an online community and is expanding nationwide.

Moranda is here today as a military daughter and the founder of an initiative that has made a real difference in the lives of military children.  Now, as you can see, she wears a uniform herself.  She is pursuing her dream of becoming a pilot as a sophomore at the United States Air Force Academy.

I'm so proud to introduce Moranda Hern.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)
 
* * * * *

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, everyone.  Please be seated.  Welcome.  Welcome to the White House.  And happy anniversary.

I want to begin by thanking Moranda for that lovely introduction.  But she is the reason why we do this.  I mean, enough said.  There are thousands of amazing kids like her all over this country that need to have this light shined on them.  So we are so proud of you, so very proud of you -- and the others like you.  So keep it up.

I also want to recognize Tom Brokaw, who has been such an advocate for our men and women in uniform.  He has been amazing. And we are privileged to have him with us today and have his voice out there so passionately on behalf of families and troops.

Of course, I want to thank General Dempsey and Deanie.  They have just been amazing partners.  I think I spend more time with you all than I do my husband -- (laughter) -- which isn't bad, isn't bad, not too bad.  But they have just been tremendous.  And I can't thank you both enough for what you have done for this country, what you are doing and I know you will continue to do for the rest of your lives.  So we wouldn’t be here without you.

And of course, I want to thank my partner in crime, Dr. Jill Biden.  She is, as you know, a proud military mom, very passionate.  She is really just a tremendous friend, just a true inspiration for me.  This would not be as much fun if I didn’t have her by my side.  And she has done just an amazing job, and we need to give her another round of applause.  (Applause.)
 
And of course, I want to join Jill in congratulating the winners of the Joining Forces Community Challenge.  We are so happy that all of you have been able to come and travel here to D.C.  And you’ve been spending a little time in the city.  I understand that there was a wonderful reception and roundtable yesterday that I missed, but I hear was just wonderful.  And you’ve been able to get some tours around town.  I hope everybody has been nice.  And there’s going to be a luncheon for you all today.  So, hopefully, the food will be good. 

But we are just thrilled to have you in our nation’s backyard to congratulate and honor all that you’re doing.  So thank you again.

I also want to recognize Congressman Al Green who is here. San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro is here as well.  Thank you both for being here.  And, finally, I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to be here this morning.
 
We have many people in the audience.  We have our troops and military families here, but we also have government and military leaders, business and nonprofit leaders, leaders from our faith communities, our schools, our hospitals, our veterans’ service organizations and so many others.  And I am thrilled that all of you could be here today as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Joining Forces.
 
Now, I have to tell you that when Jill and I first started talking about launching this initiative to honor and support our veterans and military families, we knew that we were going to get a pretty good amount of support, because after all, every American is proud of our men and women in uniform.  So we knew that the emotion was there; we knew that the feelings were there.  So we knew we were going to get some support, because we all want to show our gratitude for their service.

But the outpouring of support that we have seen over this last year -- I mean, the hours logged, the services donated, the love and devotion and offers to help that have poured in from every corner of the country -- all of that has far surpassed even our wildest expectations.  And that’s a good thing.

And I tell military families all around, that’s really what we want you to know, is that you do live in a grateful nation, and when people are asked on your behalf they are stepping up and they are doing it gladly.  Over the past year, more than 1,600 businesses have hired more than 50,000 veterans and spouses, and they pledged to hire at least 160,000 more in the coming years.  And I know they’re going to do even more than that -- that’s just the pledges that we’ve gotten.

Technology and employment companies like Google, Monster and LinkedIn, they have stepped up to help connect veterans with good jobs.  We’ve had state leaders that are passing legislation to make it easier for military spouses to renew their professional licenses and get back to work as their families move from state to state.  And we hope that we’re going to see that kind of initiative throughout the country.

Medical schools are training our next generation of health care providers so that they can better care for our military families.  The Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Treasury, Labor, they have all made groundbreaking announcements to support our nation’s veterans, our wounded warriors, our caregivers and our military spouses. 

Associations of doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants and social workers, they’re working to improve the treatment that they provide for Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injuries. 

School professionals are reaching out to our military kids in ways that are so important.  High schools have -- with high numbers of military students -- are adding more Advanced Placement courses so that these kids have the opportunities they deserve to compete for college. 

If you watch TV, you’ve seen all of the activity on the airwaves.  TV shows like “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”, “Sesame Street” -- our favorites -- (laughter) -- and organizations like NASCAR, AOL, Disney, they’re all sharing stories of military families and using those stories not just to shine a light, but to encourage others to serve. 

You’ve got wonderful people like Tom Hanks, Oprah, Steven Spielberg -- they starred in a series of very powerful PSAs.  And then, of course, the episode that has made me a fan favorite in every household -- I am now more popular than the President  -- because I was on “iCarly.”  (Laughter.)  There are kids who probably didn’t know I was First Lady, but they know I was on “iCarly.”  (Laughter.)  And that episode -- they focused the entire episode on the experience of military children.  It was wonderful.  It really got the message out to young people in a way that we could never do on our own.

So over the past year, not a single person that we’ve talked to, that we have approached, has told us that they could not help -- not a single person.  We’ve asked; they said yes.
And the good thing is, is that once people get started, they just keep coming up with new ideas on their own.  We’ll present something, and they double it.  They want to do even more.  They just keep raising their goals even higher.  They just keep figuring out how to get more and more people involved.

A wonderful example is Operation Honor Cards.  It’s a wonderful initiative that asks Americans to honor our military families by pledging service of their own.  And when we first sat down with this organization last year, they set a goal of getting 3 million hours of pledge service from people all across the country.  But then what happened was that by June, they had already doubled that number; and then by November, they hit 10 million hours -- just by November.  And today, we can announce that we’re at 21 million hours pledged -- 21 million hours pledged -- with already 30 million total hours served.  (Applause.)  

Now, that's really the story of Joining Forces.  That's what we are celebrating today.  That's truly what is going on through Joining Forces.  It is the story of a wave of support that spreads across this country, and it’s reaching more communities every single day. 

But the real impact of Joining Forces over this past year truly cannot be measured just by a list of accomplishments.  It can't be explained with numbers or hours or dollar amounts.  The true measure of our success lies in the lives that we’ve helped to change -- all of us, everyone here -- those lives, all those moms and dads out there, all of those sons and daughters, like Moranda, all the grandparents who have felt the love and the support of a grateful nation. 

They are heroes like my good buddy, Johnny Agbi -- Sergeant Agbi.  He's quite a character; got to spend some time with him.  He was wounded in Afghanistan, and he's here with us today.  And thanks to Sears and Rebuild Together, who worked together to refit his house for his wheelchair -- and Jill and I got to write on his wall -- I hope our signatures are still there.  Are they there?  (Laughter.)  All right, that’s good.  We got to write on his wall.  But thanks to their efforts, Sergeant Agbi can now more easily get in his front door -- something as simple as that.  He can now move around his home more freely.  And hopefully, everything feels just a little bit more like home again.

They are spouses like Ann Wells, who Jill and I got to meet.  She's a nurse who, because of the licensing portability efforts in the states may not have to deal with so much bureaucracy the next time her family moves and she needs to recertify before she can get a job.

They are veterans like Joshua Rassi, from Beaverton, Oregon.  Now, in 2007, Sergeant Rassi joined the Army and was trained as a geospatial analyst -- you guys probably know what that is, right?  You Joint Chief types, right?  He was deployed to Iraq, where he was in charge of securing convoys, checking roads for IEDs.  He managed many, many soldiers, communicating detailed information throughout his unit.  But when he left active duty in May of 2010, he couldn’t find consistent work.  He couldn’t find consistent work back home.  For more than a year he was out of consistent work.  This highly trained soldier applied everywhere, but his searches ended in frustration.

Then last September, he went to one of the Chamber of Commerce's hiring fairs in Portland.  And the Red Cross liked what they saw at this fair.  And within a week, Sergeant Rassi had started a new job with the Red Cross as a lab technician.  And he has been working for six months.  And he is thankful not just for the income, not just because his skills are no longer idle, but because it gives him an opportunity to keep giving back to the country that he loves.

And, as he said -- and these are his words -- he said, "Part of the reason I joined the military was getting to serve, and at the Red Cross I’m doing the same thing.  My big thing in life is making a difference."  And that’s how deeply ingrained service is to our men and women in uniform.  That is the greatness that we all feel when we travel the country.  That’s why you guys hook us in.  It is that ethic of service.  It’s that commitment to this country that we want to honor through Joining Forces.

I always say if all of our young people could just get a little dose of what you all have, then they would be just fine.  Just fine.  This effort is about making an impact.  It is about repaying our debt to our veterans and military families.  It’s about giving these heroes the opportunities they deserve.
 
But I want to be clear that we are not here to pat ourselves on the back.  We’re not here just to throw a nice party or to list our accomplishments.  We’re here to really, truly make a difference for these families who have put everything on the line for all of us.  So while today is certainly a time for celebration, it’s also a time to renew our call of action.  That’s why we’d like to mark the sand with an anniversary, because it’s time to say this is what we’ve done, but there is so much more to do.  It’s time for us to redouble our efforts. 

So today, I want to challenge all of you here, and I want to challenge Americans all across the country, to keep raising the bar, just keep raising the bar.  Keep bringing more people into the fold -- the fold of Joining Forces, the fold of whatever it is you are doing, keep bringing people in.  Keep coming up with new ideas.

And one message to all of the military families here today and watching around the country:  I want you to know that these are not just words.  We are not giving out empty promises -- not on my watch, not on Jill’s watch.  We’re going to keep working until all of our veterans know that when they hit the job market, their skills be rewarded.  We’re not stopping until every military student gets an educational experience that honors their service.  We’re not calling it a day until all of our military spouses can rest assured that the next time their family is transferred, they won’t have to leave their job behind.

And we’re going to keep working.  We’re going to keep persuading.  We’re going to keep driving forward until all of our nation’s military families feel in real and concrete ways the love and support and gratitude that we all hold in our hearts.  That is our simple promise to you.  And it is one of the best things that we all do with our time. 

And as Tom said, this is a forever proposition.  This is not a blue state or red state proposition.  This is something that we want to make a part of the culture of the United States of America, that every citizen feels this level of gratitude and finds some way to give something back.  And if we can do our part by shining a light on this effort, then we will continue to do that.

So I want to thank you all for everything that you have done, for leading the way in your communities across this country.  Keep it going.  We are so proud of all of you.  We are grateful.  So God bless you all.  And God bless the United States of America.  Enjoy the rest of your time here in Washington.  (Applause.)

END  
11:39 A.M. EDT

Close Transcript

Michelle Obama's Message to Military Families: You Do Live in a Grateful Nation

Colleen Curtis
Colleen Curtis
April 11, 2012
02:31 PM EST

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden today marked the one year anniversary of the launch of Joining Forces with an event on the South Lawn of the White House, and Mrs. Obama used the occasion to renew her call of action, and challenged all Americans to keep finding new ways to show their support for military families.

The First Lady told the crowd that over the past year, as she and Dr. Biden reached out on behalf of our military families, "not a single person that we've talked to, that we have approached, has told us that they could not help -- not a single person.  We've asked; they said yes.

And the good thing is, is that once people get started, they just keep coming up with new ideas on their own.  We’ll present something, and they double it.  They want to do even more.  They just keep raising their goals even higher.  They just keep figuring out how to get more and more people involved."

And her message for all military families, is that "you do live in a grateful nation."

Related Topics: Service, Veterans, Arkansas, California, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Virginia

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 11, 2012

Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Biden at the Joining Forces Anniversary event

South Lawn

11:13 A.M. EDT

DR. BIDEN:  What a great day for a celebration.  Thank you, General Dempsey, for that kind introduction and for all that you have done to support the Joining Forces initiative over the past year.  I also want to thank Deanie Dempsey, who's been a wonderful partner and a wonderful friend.  Thank you for your leadership.  (Applause.) 

To the Joining Forces Community Challenge finalists who are here, it was great to see you all yesterday, and we're delighted to have you here at the White House this morning. 

One of the best parts of my role as Second Lady is spending time with military veterans and families.  And I've traveled across the -- as I've traveled across the country and the world, I'm always inspired by the strength and the resilience of our military families.

While the troops serving our nation may be only 1 percent of the population, we want to make sure that 100 percent of Americans are supporting them.  Our military families have done so much for our country and each of us can do something in return.  That’s why the First Lady and I created Joining Forces to encourage all Americans to support and honor our military families. 

Since we launched Joining Forces a year ago, we have been so inspired by the many ways Americans all across the country are honoring, celebrating and supporting our military families.  Our partners in this effort are businesses, schools, churches, communities and individuals.  The Joining Forces Community Challenge finalists here today are shining examples of what we’ve seen.

Organizations like HeartsApart.org -- photographers volunteer their time to take photos of soon-to-be deployed servicemembers and their families.  And so that they can carry their loved ones when they are serving us, these beautiful photographs are printed on waterproof, durable cards that fit perfectly in the pocket of a battle dress uniform. 

Programs like GreenCare for Troops, which connects local green industry professionals with military families to provide free lawn and landscaping services while their loved ones are serving our country.

Or the city of Richfield, Utah, an entire community that has supported its local Army National Guard through four deployments since September 11, 2001.  They’ve organized a community-sponsored holiday party for the families of deployed troops.  The local newspaper delivers the hometown paper to deployed soldiers so that they can stay in touch with home.  And the community library ordered children’s books about deployment so that children will understand what their parents are doing while they are away.

These are just a few examples of what is happening all across our country.  If I had to sum up what we have seen since launching Joining Forces in one word, it would be “inspiring.”  These efforts aren’t always in the headlines, but they support our military families every single day in real and meaningful ways.  That's exactly what the First Lady and I set out to accomplish with Joining Forces. 

So please, let’s give a round of applause for all the Challenge winners who are here with us today.  (Applause.)

I am also proud to announce that after the wonderful response this first year, we will start another challenge later this year.  We look forward to seeing more of the creative ways that Americans are giving back to our proud and brave military families. 

And now it is my great pleasure to introduce an amazing, young woman.  I met Moranda Hern two years ago when she came to my office to tell me what it was like for her when her dad was deployed to Afghanistan.  She was going through all the challenges of being a teenager with the added burden of worrying every day about her father's safety. 

Moranda's dad is in the California National Guard, so she didn’t have the support of a military community and she felt disconnected from her peers.  When Moranda met another military teen, she realized she wasn’t alone.  The girls created a support network called The Sisterhood of the Traveling BDUs* -- to make sure other military girls had a way to share their experiences with one another.  Today the Sisterhood connects military girls through an online community and is expanding nationwide.

Moranda is here today as a military daughter and the founder of an initiative that has made a real difference in the lives of military children.  Now, as you can see, she wears a uniform herself.  She is pursuing her dream of becoming a pilot as a sophomore at the United States Air Force Academy.

I'm so proud to introduce Moranda Hern.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)
 
* * * * *

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, everyone.  Please be seated.  Welcome.  Welcome to the White House.  And happy anniversary.

I want to begin by thanking Moranda for that lovely introduction.  But she is the reason why we do this.  I mean, enough said.  There are thousands of amazing kids like her all over this country that need to have this light shined on them.  So we are so proud of you, so very proud of you -- and the others like you.  So keep it up.

I also want to recognize Tom Brokaw, who has been such an advocate for our men and women in uniform.  He has been amazing. And we are privileged to have him with us today and have his voice out there so passionately on behalf of families and troops.

Of course, I want to thank General Dempsey and Deanie.  They have just been amazing partners.  I think I spend more time with you all than I do my husband -- (laughter) -- which isn't bad, isn't bad, not too bad.  But they have just been tremendous.  And I can't thank you both enough for what you have done for this country, what you are doing and I know you will continue to do for the rest of your lives.  So we wouldn’t be here without you.

And of course, I want to thank my partner in crime, Dr. Jill Biden.  She is, as you know, a proud military mom, very passionate.  She is really just a tremendous friend, just a true inspiration for me.  This would not be as much fun if I didn’t have her by my side.  And she has done just an amazing job, and we need to give her another round of applause.  (Applause.)
 
And of course, I want to join Jill in congratulating the winners of the Joining Forces Community Challenge.  We are so happy that all of you have been able to come and travel here to D.C.  And you’ve been spending a little time in the city.  I understand that there was a wonderful reception and roundtable yesterday that I missed, but I hear was just wonderful.  And you’ve been able to get some tours around town.  I hope everybody has been nice.  And there’s going to be a luncheon for you all today.  So, hopefully, the food will be good. 

But we are just thrilled to have you in our nation’s backyard to congratulate and honor all that you’re doing.  So thank you again.

I also want to recognize Congressman Al Green who is here. San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro is here as well.  Thank you both for being here.  And, finally, I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to be here this morning.
 
We have many people in the audience.  We have our troops and military families here, but we also have government and military leaders, business and nonprofit leaders, leaders from our faith communities, our schools, our hospitals, our veterans’ service organizations and so many others.  And I am thrilled that all of you could be here today as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Joining Forces.
 
Now, I have to tell you that when Jill and I first started talking about launching this initiative to honor and support our veterans and military families, we knew that we were going to get a pretty good amount of support, because after all, every American is proud of our men and women in uniform.  So we knew that the emotion was there; we knew that the feelings were there.  So we knew we were going to get some support, because we all want to show our gratitude for their service.

But the outpouring of support that we have seen over this last year -- I mean, the hours logged, the services donated, the love and devotion and offers to help that have poured in from every corner of the country -- all of that has far surpassed even our wildest expectations.  And that’s a good thing.

And I tell military families all around, that’s really what we want you to know, is that you do live in a grateful nation, and when people are asked on your behalf they are stepping up and they are doing it gladly.  Over the past year, more than 1,600 businesses have hired more than 50,000 veterans and spouses, and they pledged to hire at least 160,000 more in the coming years.  And I know they’re going to do even more than that -- that’s just the pledges that we’ve gotten.

Technology and employment companies like Google, Monster and LinkedIn, they have stepped up to help connect veterans with good jobs.  We’ve had state leaders that are passing legislation to make it easier for military spouses to renew their professional licenses and get back to work as their families move from state to state.  And we hope that we’re going to see that kind of initiative throughout the country.

Medical schools are training our next generation of health care providers so that they can better care for our military families.  The Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Treasury, Labor, they have all made groundbreaking announcements to support our nation’s veterans, our wounded warriors, our caregivers and our military spouses. 

Associations of doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants and social workers, they’re working to improve the treatment that they provide for Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injuries. 

School professionals are reaching out to our military kids in ways that are so important.  High schools have -- with high numbers of military students -- are adding more Advanced Placement courses so that these kids have the opportunities they deserve to compete for college. 

If you watch TV, you’ve seen all of the activity on the airwaves.  TV shows like “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”, “Sesame Street” -- our favorites -- (laughter) -- and organizations like NASCAR, AOL, Disney, they’re all sharing stories of military families and using those stories not just to shine a light, but to encourage others to serve. 

You’ve got wonderful people like Tom Hanks, Oprah, Steven Spielberg -- they starred in a series of very powerful PSAs.  And then, of course, the episode that has made me a fan favorite in every household -- I am now more popular than the President  -- because I was on “iCarly.”  (Laughter.)  There are kids who probably didn’t know I was First Lady, but they know I was on “iCarly.”  (Laughter.)  And that episode -- they focused the entire episode on the experience of military children.  It was wonderful.  It really got the message out to young people in a way that we could never do on our own.

So over the past year, not a single person that we’ve talked to, that we have approached, has told us that they could not help -- not a single person.  We’ve asked; they said yes.
And the good thing is, is that once people get started, they just keep coming up with new ideas on their own.  We’ll present something, and they double it.  They want to do even more.  They just keep raising their goals even higher.  They just keep figuring out how to get more and more people involved.

A wonderful example is Operation Honor Cards.  It’s a wonderful initiative that asks Americans to honor our military families by pledging service of their own.  And when we first sat down with this organization last year, they set a goal of getting 3 million hours of pledge service from people all across the country.  But then what happened was that by June, they had already doubled that number; and then by November, they hit 10 million hours -- just by November.  And today, we can announce that we’re at 21 million hours pledged -- 21 million hours pledged -- with already 30 million total hours served.  (Applause.)  

Now, that's really the story of Joining Forces.  That's what we are celebrating today.  That's truly what is going on through Joining Forces.  It is the story of a wave of support that spreads across this country, and it’s reaching more communities every single day. 

But the real impact of Joining Forces over this past year truly cannot be measured just by a list of accomplishments.  It can't be explained with numbers or hours or dollar amounts.  The true measure of our success lies in the lives that we’ve helped to change -- all of us, everyone here -- those lives, all those moms and dads out there, all of those sons and daughters, like Moranda, all the grandparents who have felt the love and the support of a grateful nation. 

They are heroes like my good buddy, Johnny Agbi -- Sergeant Agbi.  He's quite a character; got to spend some time with him.  He was wounded in Afghanistan, and he's here with us today.  And thanks to Sears and Rebuild Together, who worked together to refit his house for his wheelchair -- and Jill and I got to write on his wall -- I hope our signatures are still there.  Are they there?  (Laughter.)  All right, that’s good.  We got to write on his wall.  But thanks to their efforts, Sergeant Agbi can now more easily get in his front door -- something as simple as that.  He can now move around his home more freely.  And hopefully, everything feels just a little bit more like home again.

They are spouses like Ann Wells, who Jill and I got to meet.  She's a nurse who, because of the licensing portability efforts in the states may not have to deal with so much bureaucracy the next time her family moves and she needs to recertify before she can get a job.

They are veterans like Joshua Rassi, from Beaverton, Oregon.  Now, in 2007, Sergeant Rassi joined the Army and was trained as a geospatial analyst -- you guys probably know what that is, right?  You Joint Chief types, right?  He was deployed to Iraq, where he was in charge of securing convoys, checking roads for IEDs.  He managed many, many soldiers, communicating detailed information throughout his unit.  But when he left active duty in May of 2010, he couldn’t find consistent work.  He couldn’t find consistent work back home.  For more than a year he was out of consistent work.  This highly trained soldier applied everywhere, but his searches ended in frustration.

Then last September, he went to one of the Chamber of Commerce's hiring fairs in Portland.  And the Red Cross liked what they saw at this fair.  And within a week, Sergeant Rassi had started a new job with the Red Cross as a lab technician.  And he has been working for six months.  And he is thankful not just for the income, not just because his skills are no longer idle, but because it gives him an opportunity to keep giving back to the country that he loves.

And, as he said -- and these are his words -- he said, "Part of the reason I joined the military was getting to serve, and at the Red Cross I’m doing the same thing.  My big thing in life is making a difference."  And that’s how deeply ingrained service is to our men and women in uniform.  That is the greatness that we all feel when we travel the country.  That’s why you guys hook us in.  It is that ethic of service.  It’s that commitment to this country that we want to honor through Joining Forces.

I always say if all of our young people could just get a little dose of what you all have, then they would be just fine.  Just fine.  This effort is about making an impact.  It is about repaying our debt to our veterans and military families.  It’s about giving these heroes the opportunities they deserve.
 
But I want to be clear that we are not here to pat ourselves on the back.  We’re not here just to throw a nice party or to list our accomplishments.  We’re here to really, truly make a difference for these families who have put everything on the line for all of us.  So while today is certainly a time for celebration, it’s also a time to renew our call of action.  That’s why we’d like to mark the sand with an anniversary, because it’s time to say this is what we’ve done, but there is so much more to do.  It’s time for us to redouble our efforts. 

So today, I want to challenge all of you here, and I want to challenge Americans all across the country, to keep raising the bar, just keep raising the bar.  Keep bringing more people into the fold -- the fold of Joining Forces, the fold of whatever it is you are doing, keep bringing people in.  Keep coming up with new ideas.

And one message to all of the military families here today and watching around the country:  I want you to know that these are not just words.  We are not giving out empty promises -- not on my watch, not on Jill’s watch.  We’re going to keep working until all of our veterans know that when they hit the job market, their skills be rewarded.  We’re not stopping until every military student gets an educational experience that honors their service.  We’re not calling it a day until all of our military spouses can rest assured that the next time their family is transferred, they won’t have to leave their job behind.

And we’re going to keep working.  We’re going to keep persuading.  We’re going to keep driving forward until all of our nation’s military families feel in real and concrete ways the love and support and gratitude that we all hold in our hearts.  That is our simple promise to you.  And it is one of the best things that we all do with our time. 

And as Tom said, this is a forever proposition.  This is not a blue state or red state proposition.  This is something that we want to make a part of the culture of the United States of America, that every citizen feels this level of gratitude and finds some way to give something back.  And if we can do our part by shining a light on this effort, then we will continue to do that.

So I want to thank you all for everything that you have done, for leading the way in your communities across this country.  Keep it going.  We are so proud of all of you.  We are grateful.  So God bless you all.  And God bless the United States of America.  Enjoy the rest of your time here in Washington.  (Applause.)

END  
11:39 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 11, 2012

America's Nurses Join Forces with the First Lady and Dr. Biden to support Veterans and Military Families

3 million nurses, through 150 nursing organizations and 500 nursing schools will be educated on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) & Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the coming years

Today at the University of Pennsylvania, home to one of America’s top Nursing Schools, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will announce a commitment from nurses across the country eager to serve our veterans and military families as well as they have served us. In a broad, coordinated effort, more than 150 state and national nursing organizations and over 500 nursing schools have committed to further educate our nation’s 3 million nurses so they are prepared to meet the unique health needs of service members, veterans, and their families. Led by the American Nurses Association, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and the National League for Nursing, in coordination with the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense, nursing organizations and schools have committed to educating current and future nurses on how to recognize and care for veterans impacted by post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, depression, and other combat-related issues, in ways appropriate to each nurse’s practice setting. 

“Whether we’re in a hospital, a doctor’s office or a community health center, nurses are often the first people we see when we walk through the door. Because of their expertise, they are trusted to be the frontline of America’s health care system,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “That’s why Jill and I knew we could turn to America’s nurses and nursing students to help our veterans and military families get the world-class care that they’ve earned. It’s clear from today’s announcement that the nursing community is well on its way to serving our men and women in uniform and their families.”

“Nurses are at the center of providing lifesaving care in communities across the country -- and their reach is particularly important because our veterans don't always seek care through the VA system,” said Dr. Jill Biden. “This commitment is essential to ensuring our returning service men and women receive the care they deserve.”

“Nurses of every generation have cared for men and women suffering the visible and invisible wounds of war. Today, there are new, evidence based strategies and treatments for PTSD and TBI – and new hope. The American Nurses Association is coordinating the engagement of more than 500 nursing schools and more than 160 nursing organizations to reach every nurse in the country -- 3.1 million nurses.  Some military service members, veterans and their families may avoid seeking care for TBI, PTSD and post combat depression because of a stigma, or because they live far away from military or veterans’ health care facilities.  We want to change that, and ensure that nurses in every community have access to the most current, evidence based treatments and resources on PTSD and TBI,” said Amy Garcia, American Nurses Association Chief Nursing Officer.

The invisible wounds of war, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), have impacted approximately 1 in 6 of our troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq – more than 300,000 veterans. And since 2000, more than 44,000 of those troops have suffered at least a moderate-grade traumatic brain injury. 

Veterans seeking care within the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system are often treated by health care professionals who have received extensive training in mental health issues.  But the majority of veterans in the country seek care outside of the VA system -- they usually visit their local hospital staffed by nurses and doctors in their communities. That’s why today’s announcement will be so significant for our troops and their families. America’s nurses are trusted partners in providing lifesaving and life-sustaining care in nearly every community and every setting where health care is delivered. They can make a dramatic and positive impact on the long-term health of hundreds of thousands of veterans. And they are eager to understand the needs of those who have served, to recognize the warning signs of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, or suicide, and to know where to send them for help.

Nursing leaders have also committed to disseminating effective models for care and to sharing the most up-to-date information on these conditions across academic and practice settings.   By working to expand the body of clinical knowledge in this arena and by partnering with other health care providers and institutions, nursing leaders across the country will continue to advance high quality treatment for these conditions in every community. 

Key Commitments Include:

American Nurses Association (ANA): Commits to reaching 3.1 million registered nurses in America by 2015 to raise awareness of PTSD, TBI and depression among veterans, military service members, and their families.  The ANA is coordinating a major campaign involving over 150 nursing organizations that will reach millions of nurses on health issues relevant to veterans and their families. Partnering organizations include the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, American Organization of Nurse Executives, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, the National League of Nurses, federal nurses of the military and public health services, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Together with these partnering organizations, ANA will:
• Educate America’s future nurses to care for our nation's veterans, service members, and their families facing post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, depression, and other clinical issues;
• Enrich nursing education to ensure that current and future nurses are educated and trained in the unique clinical challenges and best practices associated with caring for military service members, veterans, and their families;
• Disseminate the most up-to-date information as it relates to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychological health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
• Grow the body of knowledge leading to improvements in health care and wellness for our military service members, veterans, and their families; and
• Lead and advance the supportive community of nurses, institutions, and health care providers dedicated to improving the health of military service members, veterans, and their families.

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP): AANP represents the interests of the more than 148,000 Nurse Practitioners across the country. It has reached out to its members through the creation of a unique Joining Forces section of their website, contacted all Nurse Practitioners and nursing organizations that are AANP group members to ask for their pledge in support of Joining Forces, asked state representatives to contact organizations in their state to render support, committed to publishing a special edition on veterans health in their journal, provided workshops to promote the wellness of veterans and caregivers at its conference, created continuing education programs focusing on issues facing veterans and military families, highlighted veterans’ health during Nurse Practitioners week, and supported research on veterans’ health through their foundation.  AANP has formed an ad hoc committee, composed of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense leaders, to focus on promoting this initiative.
                                                                     
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN): is making veteran health a priority issue through 2014 and beyond.  AACN is committed to working with the nation’s schools of nursing to promote curriculum integration, faculty development, and student clinical experiences focused on enhancing the care of veterans, service members, and their families. Building on its long history of raising curriculum standards and enhancing quality in nursing care, AACN will identify and showcase best practices in nursing education and disseminate information on curricular models to all schools of nursing through Webinars, conference programming, and our online Collaboration Community. In honor of National Nurses Week scheduled for May 6-12, 2012, AACN is offering a free Webinar series to commence work to support Joining Forces available at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/webinars.  Reflecting the theme of “Educating Future Nurses to Care for Veterans,” three individual Webinars are planned, including a showcase of the innovative work underway at several VA Nursing Academy sites related to veteran care and faculty development; a panel discussion on creative curriculum approaches to caring for veterans; and a special session on meeting the palliative care needs of veterans, which outlines AACN’s work with the City of Hope on the groundbreaking ELNEC-For Veterans initiative. 

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA): is committed to providing support to veterans and their families by providing educational resources to its more than 7,800 members as well as to all nurses across the country. APNA has created a website, www.apna.org/military that serves as a portal to a wide variety of information on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The APNA Annual Conference and its Annual Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute, which together are attended by more than 1,500 nurses annually, will include sections dedicated to mental health issues that are military related. These courses will be converted to podcasts and made available via the APNA eLearning Center which can be viewed or downloaded from the APNA website.

Nursing Organizations
Over 150 state and national nursing organizations have committed to the following:
• Educating America’s nurses to care for our nation’s veterans, service members, and their families facing post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, depression, and other clinical issues;
• Enriching nursing education to ensure that current and future nurses are educated and trained in the unique clinical challenges and best practices associated with caring for military service members, veterans, and their families;
• Disseminating the most up-to-date information as it relates to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychological health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
• Growing the body of knowledge leading to improvements in health care and wellness for our military service members, veterans, and their families; and
• Leading and advancing the supportive community of nurses, institutions, and health care providers dedicated to improving the health of military service members, veterans, and their families.

See Addendum for list of nursing organizations that have made this commitment.

Nursing School Commitment
Over 500 nursing schools in all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico have committed by 2014 to:

• Educating America’s future nurses to care for our nation's veterans, service members, and their families facing post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, depression, and other clinical issues;
• Enriching nursing education to ensure that current and future nurses are trained in the unique clinical challenges and best practices associated with caring for military service members, veterans, and their families;
• Integrating content that addresses the unique health and wellness challenges of our nation’s service members, veterans, and their families into nursing curricula;
• Sharing teaching resources and applying best practices in the care of service members, veterans, and their families;
• Growing the body of knowledge leading to improvements in health care and wellness for our service members, veterans, and their families; and
• Joining with others to further strengthen the supportive community of nurses, institutions, and healthcare providers dedicated to improving the health of service members, veterans, and their families.

See Addendum for list of nursing schools that have made this commitment.

One Year of Joining Forces

April 11, 2012 | 1:37 | Public Domain

First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden honor our veterans and military families on the one year anniversary of their Joining Forces initiative.

http://joiningforces.gov

Download mp4 (50.7MB)

Time-Lapse Video: The 2012 White House Easter Egg Roll in 1:48

Colleen Curtis
Colleen Curtis
April 10, 2012
02:18 PM EST

Yesterday the President and First Lady hosted more than 30,000 people from all 50 states on the South Lawn of the White House for the 134th annual Easter Egg Roll. There was singing, there was dancing, there was reading, there were crafts, there were cooking demonstrations,and there was basketball drills, hula hoops, and, of course, there were Easter eggs. WhiteHouse.gov captured it all on camera, and livestreamed the day from several locations around the Lawn for those who couldn't join in person. But it came to our attention that some people found the sheer volume of choices overwhelming, so we packaged it into one 1:48 video. Enjoy!

Related Topics: Healthy Kids, Inside the White House, Working Families

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 09, 2012

Remarks by the President and the First Lady at the White House Easter Egg Roll

South Lawn
The White House

10:46 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody!  (Applause.)  How about Rachel Crow?  Give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.) 

I want to wish everybody a wonderful Easter.  And we are so thrilled that all of you could join us here today.  My job is very simple:  It is to introduce the powerhouse of the White House, the one truly in charge, as Malia, Sasha and Bo all know -- the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama.  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, honey.  (Applause.)  My job is simple as well.  I just want to officially welcome you all to the White House Easter Egg Roll.  It is a beautiful day, perfect weather.  We are so excited to have you all here.  We've got a great set of activities planned for you.  There's something for everyone.  We're going to be over there doing a little egg roll.  I think the President is going to try to beat a three-year-old -- which I hope he does not.  (Laughter.)

But we also have a wonderful yoga garden.  We've got some story-time guests.  We've got great readers here this year, as we do every year.  You can get your face painted.  We've got wonderful musical guests.  Rachel was amazing, and she's a really sweet kid, which is more important.  We've got wonderful athletes here.  We've got Chris Evert -- my gosh.  (Applause.)  And many, many others -- the Harlem Globetrotters are here.  (Applause.)  You can do an obstacle course.  We're going to be down at the kitchen learning how to do some healthy cooking with the -- some of our celebrity chefs. 

So it's a wonderful day, and I hope you all enjoy it.  I hope you put on your comfortable shoes.  We've got ours on, right, all the Obamas here. 

So on behalf of our family, I also want to wish you all a happy Easter and a happy Easter Egg Roll.  So in the theme of this year's Easter Egg Roll, let's go, let's play -- let's move!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, everybody.  Have a great time.  We'll see you down there.  (Applause.)

                                                                                                   
END                    
10:48 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
April 06, 2012

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden Announce "Joining Forces Community Challenge" Winners

From more than 300 submissions, five winners and “The People’s Choice Winner” are recognized for displaying exemplary support to military families

Winners selected based on input from Tom Brokaw, J.R. Martinez, Sloan D. Gibson, Mayor Julian Castro and Deanie Dempsey

WASHINGTON — First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden today announced the five winners and “The People’s Choice Winner” of the Joining Forces Community Challenge, an effort to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary efforts of citizens and organizations across the country that are working to improve the lives of military families.  The announcement comes in advance of the one-year anniversary of the launch of Joining Forces, the national initiative started by the First Lady and Dr. Biden to support and honor America’s service members and their families.

The Joining Forces Community Challenge, launched last July, captured the innovative ways Americans have stepped up to support and honor our military families.  The Joining Forces Community Challenge winners include:

  • The People’s Choice Winner: Our Family for Families First Foundation
  • Armed Forces Service Center
  • Defending the Blue Line
  • Give an Hour
  • Project Sanctuary
  • City of Richfield, Utah

“Jill and I are so proud of all of these finalists and the work that they have done for our military community,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Our military families demonstrate such strength, service, and sacrifice every single day, and we’re so grateful for everyone who is stepping up to give back to these families.  The challenge winners are leading by example, and showing that all of us can find a way to serve those who serve us.”

“As a military mom, I know firsthand the impact a small act of kindness can have on a military family,” said Dr. Jill Biden. “So the great work we have seen through the Joining Forces Community Challenge has been inspiring.  I hope others can look to these incredible examples for ways to support service members and military families in their own communities. “

More detailed information about the winners is below.

The People’s Choice Winner
Our Family for Families First Foundation, East Greenwich, Rhode Island

Our Family for Families First Foundation supports military families pursuing higher education by supporting military children through scholarships and military spouses through grants and assistance identifying educational opportunities.  Since 2006, Our Family for Families First has provided more than 20,000 hours of outreach in communities surrounding seven military installations and its scholarship program has given more than $3.5 million in direct scholarship and grant awards to the children and spouses of active duty service members.  Our Family for Families First was created by John G. Picerne, president and chief executive officer of Picerne Military Housing, to give back to the families of the men and women who serve in the U.S. military.

Armed Forces Service Center, St. Paul, Minnesota

The Armed Forces Service Center is a 24-7 “all free” lounge staffed by volunteers at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, for active-duty military personnel, their dependents, activated reservists and national guardsmen, and other members of the uniformed services.  The Center was founded in 1970 by Maggie Purdum after her son was killed in action in Vietnam as appreciation for all who have served.  From its founding through March 2012, more than 766,800 active duty military have passed through the Armed Forces Service Center.  More than 25,800 military dependents have been served since Sept. 11, 2001.

Defending the Blue Line, Hastings, Minnesota

Defending the Blue Line works to ensure that children of military members have access to participate in hockey, through free equipment, hockey camps, special events and financial assistance toward association and other hockey-related costs.  Founded by two Minnesota National Guard soldiers in 2009, more than 3,000 families across the United States have been served, including more than 300 recipients of hockey equipment, more than 700 children attending hockey camps and more than 2,000 professional hockey tickets have been donated.

Give an Hour, Bethesda, Maryland

Give an Hour, founded by Washington D.C.-based psychologist Barbara Van Dahlen, is dedicated to meeting the mental health needs of military personnel, their families, and the communities affected by the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.  As of February 2012, Give an Hour has approximately 6,000 providers across the nation—in all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam—with more volunteer mental health professionals joining its network every day.  In addition to counseling, providers also consult to schools, first responders, employers, and community organizations.  Give an Hour has already provided nearly 50,000 hours of free service, valued at roughly $5 million.

Project Sanctuary, Parker, Colorado

Project Sanctuary brings military families together in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado after deployments to help them reconnect through recreational activities and therapy. Follow-up support beyond the retreat is also provided and includes support to families with housing, job placement and veterans’ assistance.  Project Sanctuary has hosted 22 therapeutic retreats and is providing support and services to 164 families, 80 percent of which are wounded warriors.

City of Richfield, Utah

The city of Richfield, Utah, has supported its local Army National Guard Unit through four deployments since Sept. 11, 2001. Additionally, Richfield provides several programs and services for military families, including a “City Utility Abatement Program” or the distribution of the city’s local newspaper to deployed soldiers so they can stay in touch with the community.  The Richfield community has also contributed over $250,000 monetary and in-kind donations to build a Veterans Memorial.

Since the 20 finalists were announced in February, the public voted to select the “People’s Choice Winner.” The additional five winners were selected with input from a panel of distinguished judges, including:

  • Tom Brokaw, NBC News Special Correspondent and author of five bestsellers including The Greatest Generation;
  • J.R. Martinez, Iraq war veteran, motivational speaker and winner of season 13 of Dancing with the Stars;
  • Sloan D. Gibson, President and CEO, United Service Organizations (USO);
  • Julian Castro – Mayor of San Antonio, one of the nation’s largest military communities; and
  • Deanie Dempsey, military family advocate and wife of General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

For more information about the Joining Forces Community Challenge and profiles of the finalists, go to http://joiningforces.challenge.gov/.  For more information about Joining Forces and to find opportunities to serve, go to JoiningForces.gov.

A Passover Message from the Obama Family

Jarrod Bernstein
Jarrod Bernstein
April 05, 2012
10:19 AM EST

Starting tomorrow night, the Jewish community in the United States, Israel, and throughout the world will come together to celebrate the holiday of Passover. 

President and Mrs. Obama will join them, continuing their tradition of hosting a small Seder at the White House. By now, the story of how that tradition began has been told and retold, but in the spirit of Passover, I’ll tell it again: In April of 2008, the President and his staff were on the trail in Pennsylvania in the midst of a long primary campaign. Weary from a long day of work and away from their families, a small group of staffers came together to hold an impromptu Seder. When then-Senator Obama got wind of the Seder, he gathered some other staff and friends and decided to join. At the end of the Seder, the President followed the traditional “Next year in Jerusalem” declaration with a pledge of his own – “Next year in the White House.” Each year since, he has followed through on that promise. This year, he also added a new touch, a video message to Jews everywhere wishing them Chag Sameach as they continue their own traditions or start new ones this Passover.

Here it is:

Related Topics: Inside the White House, Pennsylvania