First Lady Michelle Obama Challenges Nation to Support Military Families at Washington D.C. Summit

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- First Lady Michelle Obama served as keynote speaker at "When Parents Deploy: Understanding the Experiences of Military Children and Spouses," a two-day Summit hosted by the National Military Family Association. As part of her speech, Mrs. Obama announced that the President has directed the National Security Staff to lead a new 90-day review to develop a coordinated Federal government-wide approach to supporting and engaging military families.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100512/CG0431)

"One percent of Americans may be fighting our wars, but we need 100 percent of Americans to support them and their families. This has to be all hands on deck. This is a challenge to government."

The Summit was designed to help military families by creating a Blueprint for Action presenting solutions such as:  

• Addressing stress associated with the military family lifestyle
• Boosting education and employment opportunities for military families
• Providing broader access to care and support services

"As America asks more of these families, they have a right to expect more of us," Mrs. Obama said.  "This is our moral obligation.  It's also a matter of national security.  The readiness of our Armed Forces depends on the readiness of our military families."

Recent Research Leads the Way

The National Military Family Association organized the two-day Summit in response to recent research, which sheds light on the emotional and behavioral difficulties that military children face. The research – conducted by RAND Corporation – links longer periods of deployment to greater levels of emotional and social challenges faced by children. Other key research findings include:

• Children in military families experience emotional and behavioral difficulties at rates above national averages
• Deployment-related challenges vary by age and gender: Older youths experience greater school- and peer-related difficulties during deployment; girls experience greater difficulties during the period of reintegration than do boys
• Children whose caregivers had better self-reported behavioral health are better able to cope with the deployment experience both during and after

"This research clearly tells us that parental deployment is having a large impact on our military children, and the National Military Family Association is working hard to find solutions to help support the families of service members," said Mary Scott, Chairman of the National Military Family Association. "Coming out of this Summit, we plan to create concrete next steps – a 'Blueprint for Action,' which will be delivered to key organizations, to help propel the advocacy of our programs and those of our partners."

In addition to the blue-ribbon panel of experts assembled to participate in the Summit, military teen Emryse Geye – whose father is currently deployed overseas for the fourth time in Iraq– addressed attendees about her personal experiences.

"As a kid, I didn't feel like I was taught the skills in school to cope with my father's deployment," said Emryse. "It's so important that we teach military children to cope in creative and healthy ways, and that we support the military families in our communities."

Current Military Family Support Programs

The National Military Family Association currently has programs in place to support military children and families, and hopes other organizations will join its efforts. Specific offerings include:

• Operation Purple® Program – Free summer camps for military children whose parents are currently deployed and free retreats to help families reconnect after a loved one returns from deployment.
• Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program – Recognizes the unique challenges military spouses face when working toward their educational goals, but providing financial support to help move spouses closer to education success.

About the National Military Family Association

Military families serve our country with pride, honor, and quiet dedication. The National Military Family Association is the leading nonprofit organization committed to strengthen and protect the families of the men and women currently serving, retired, wounded or fallen. We provide families of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and NOAA with information, work to get them the benefits they deserve, and offer programs that improve their lives. Our 40 years of service and accomplishments have made us a trusted resource for military families and the Nation's leaders. To learn more, visit www.MilitaryFamily.org.

SOURCE National Military Family Association