Household6

I recently got an email from a blog reader that said–

“Tammy, I’m not an military wife or mother but I want to support the families of our nation’s military. They give a lot too. What can I do?”
- Jenna C. (Dallas, TX)

First of all, thanks for your email and for wanting to support the families! There are lots of ways to support the military family. Here are some ways to help…

1. Offer to help a local military family with babysitting, lawn maintenance ,etc.
2. Send an email or letter of thanks through A Million Thanks
3. Send a care package to a military family (don’t know one? Let me know and I’ll put you in contact with one)
4. Organize an event in your own community, workplace, etc. Donate proceeds to a needy military family or a non-profit organization that helps military families in distress.
5. Ask elected officials to recognize the sacrifices our military AND their families face every day! There currently is legislation being discussed in Congress to ease the burden on military families.
6. Wear RED on Fridays in Support of the Troops and their Families
7. Register your support at America Supports You!
8. Ask Libraries, schools and other organizations to participate in recognizing our armed forces, military spouses and especially the military kids!
9. Ask your local media (tv/radio/print) to recognize Military Families
10. When you see/meet a military spouse , shake their hand and say “thank you for serving our country” For spouses are the silent ranks of the military and have the hardest job in the military!

Of course, its important to support our troops overseas and stateside. They have an extremely difficult job and sometimes require the ultimate sacrifice. It is also equally important to support the families, for theree sacrifice is just as great as the troops!

I know you’re probably saying “Tammy you live in the Metro Wash DC area!! Whats the big deal?” Well this time I’m went to the WHITE HOUSE! Yes on Tuesday May 6, your resident Household6 (ME) headed up to the White House to attend a Military Spouse event with the President and have breakfast with Phil Vassar.

I went with a bunch of other spouses from the Walter Reed AMC area so it should be a lot of fun! Most of them were spouses of Wounded Warriors so it was really cool to talk with them. I even bought something new for the occasion. (Don’t worry Danny Boy I didn’t spend a ton)

I was supposed to go to this event last year but couldn’t get on the final list. Well, this year I was bound and determined!! I actually went there in a dual role - representing Walter Reed Medical Center Brigade as well as my gig for Military.com (DC Installation Ambassador) We had a fantastic time. I was so excited I was even sending text messaging from the White House South Lawn! Of course in true “Tammy style” I left my nice digital camera on my kitchen table, so I had to use my camera on my cell phone. I’ll try to get pictures as many pictures as I can and post them here on the blog in the next day or two.

It was an amazing time and I got to meet a lot of amazing spouses. The best was that I got to meet Secretary Geren, GEN Cody, Secretary Gates, Phil Vassar AND President George W Bush. (Yes my life is now complete! LOL )

There were also a lot of spouses there I knew but I was really excited to see many of the bloggers over at SpouseBuzz! (Hey Toad/AWTM - don’t forget to send me a copy of my picture of GEN Cody)

It really was a great day and I think it was definitely the highlight of my Army Wife adventure thus far. I was hoping to get a coin of some sort but came up short on that one. It’s my goal for next time!!

Stay Tuned! Don’t forget Military Spouse Appreciation Day is Friday, May 9th. We’ll have a BIG announcement about a project I’ve been working on.

MILITARY SPOUSE DAY, 2008

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Military spouses embody the courage, nobility of duty, and love of country that inspire every American. On Military Spouse Day, we pay tribute to the husbands and wives who support their spouses in America’s Armed Forces during times of war and peace.

The legacy of military spouses began when colonial Americans were fighting for independence. Martha Washington boosted the morale of her husband’s troops by visiting battlefields and tending to the wounded. Since then, members of our Armed Forces have served our Nation accompanied by the steadfast love and support of their spouses and families. (more…)