Military Spouse Appreciation Day: A Guest Blogger Honors Military Spouses

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day, a day to recognize the service and sacrifices of military spouses. SpouseBUZZ is pleased to welcome guest blogger, Lieutenant General William Caldwell, Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Ft. Leavenworth. I'll turn it over to General Caldwell:

In 1984 President Reagan proclaimed the Friday before Mother's Day of each year to be Military Spouse Appreciation Day. We owe you, American military spouses, a great debt of gratitude for your strength and perseverance, especially during this time of war. Truly, your strength is the strength of our Nation.

All of us who have been deployed have drawn comfort from care packages, love letters, journal entries, holiday decorations, and prayers. Knowing that our Families are well looked after allows us to focus on our task to bring peace and stability to troubled areas of the world. The very security of this great nation is in the hands of our spouses at home.

We’ve watched you nurse your wounded warriors back to health in military hospitals. You’re there, still full of hope, when Troopers with head injuries don’t recognize their family. You encourage them. You decorate their rooms. You read their favorite books to them. You are the first to notice when they can squeeze your hand again for the first time.

The spouse on the home front pays the bills, fixes the car, gets the kids to soccer practice, helps with the homework and building the kids pinewood derby car...  you are our true heroes.  You have unique experiences that only other military spouses can comprehend.

Some spouses, like Deanna Salie, have had to comfort children when there was someone in uniform at the door, and when dad didn’t come home. Deanna’s husband, Army SFC David Salie, gave the ultimate sacrifice in Baqouba, Iraq, on Valentine’s Day in 2005. In one of David’s “just in case” videos he made for Deanna before he left for Iraq, he asked Deanna that in the event something did happen to him, “Hold our kids tight for me, and make sure they know who their daddy was and what he stood for.”

All military spouses know why their loved ones serve, and they share in their hardship and sacrifice and ask for little in return. It is humbling to those of us who wear the uniform to know that our best friends, our spouses, are serving along side us. Those of us in uniform serve because we love our Nation; our spouses do it for love of us.  Our service men and women could not continue in this profession without your help, and for that we are eternally grateful….and so is our Nation.

Thank you for your guest post, General Caldwell. It's nice to see "the brass" reaching out to military spouses. And thanks to all military spouses for what you do each day to support your spouse, and each other.

Comments

[JM]

Thank you, sir. It's nice to be recognized.

My husband and his war buddies have all told me that I had a harder job here than they had over there. I can't fathom that. But it was tough and something that few understand.

Hooah.

[JM]

Thank you, sir. It's nice to be recognized.

My husband and his war buddies have all told me that I had a harder job here than they had over there. I can't fathom that. But it was tough and something that few understand.

Hooah.

[Joan D'Arc]

Thank you so much, General Caldwell! Your words touched my heart and it is truly an honor to be a military spouse. I have been married to my soldier for 11 years today... and he is fast approaching 16 years of service. As a former soldier myself, I know the pride I felt wearing the Army uniform. And although I do not wear a uniform today, I carry a "badge of honor" every day in my heart my husband's service... and the military spouses who stand beside them, even when they are not "home."

Many blessings to military spouses!!!

[Susan]

Very nice post. The words are kind and very gracious.

My heartfelt best to all of you today.

[Erin]

Happy Day to each and every one of us, for our selfless giving and sacrifices! That was a well-written speech - I was tearing up at the mention of the husband's "Just In Case" video.

[HomefrontSix]

Thank you, sir.

And to all military spouses - thank YOU.

[Dana Goldsmith]

Thank you so much... I'm speechless with gratitude. So nice to know we are noticed sometimes!!!

[Hooahwife]

I am speechless too. Thank you General Caldwell. How wonderful of you. I hope you did something nice for your wife today. You did something nice for us!

[Jenny Live & in Color]

I got to go to the White House this week when President Bush gave his appreciation address to Military Spouses. It was so exciting! The South Lawn was full of milspouses (no kids or active duty allowed)! What an honor. I couldn't help wondering if any of you were there, too.

[Mel]

General Caldwell - Thank you, Sir, for those heartfelt words for military spouses. After 10 years, I have reliquished my role as HH6 and put on the uniform with my husband. His support the past several months to make this transition from one of us to both of us active duty has been amazing.

Ms. Salie is a close friend of mine and I have stood astounded at her strength since SFC Salie's sacrifice. Truly some of our finest with that family.