Military Spouse Day Explained

Military Spouse Day or Military Spouse Appreciation Day is celebrated on the Friday before Mother's Day in the United States. Many United States citizens take this day to acknowledge the significant contributions, support, and sacrifices of spouses of their Armed Forces. Each year, the US President normally commemorates this day with a ceremonial speech and proclamation.

History

President Ronald Reagan recognized the profound importance of spouse commitment to the readiness and well-being of military members and declared May 23, 1984 the first Military Spouse Day with Proclamation 5184, dated April 17, 1984.^[1] The US Secretary of Defense, Caspar Weinberger standardized the date by declaring the Friday preceding Mother's Day as Military Spouse Day. On May 12, 2017, Donald Trump issued a Presidential proclamation for Military Spouse Day.^{[2] [3]}

Further reading

For Examples of Military Spouse Sacrifices see,

• Elizabeth Van Winkle, "The Impact of Multiple Deployments and Social Support on Stress Levels of Women Married to Active Duty Servicemen," Armed Forces & Society, published online September 4, 2013, DOI: 10.1177/0095327X13500651

External links

• The 2017 Proclamation by the President of the United States
• The 2016 Proclamation by the President of the United States
• The 2015 Proclamation by the President of the United States
• The 2014 Proclamation by the President of the United States
• The 2013 Proclamation by the President of the United States
• The 2012 Proclamation by the President of the United States
• The 2011 Proclamation by the President of the United States
• The 2010 Proclamation by the President of the United States
• Military Spouse Day Information

Notes and References

1. News: Office of the Press Secretary. Proclamation 5184—Military Spouse Day, 1984. UCSB. University of California. Santa Barbara, California. May 13, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304205229/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=39798#axzz1wTmbkcad. March 4, 2016. White House Office of the Press Secretary. Alt URL
2. News: Office of the Press Secretary. President Donald J. Trump Proclaims May 12, 2017, as Military Spouse Day. https://web.archive.org/web/20170513005929/https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/12/president-donald-j-trump-proclaims-may-12-2017-military-spouse-day. dead. May 13, 2017. whitehouse.gov. White House. Washington, D.C.. en. May 12, 2017. May 13, 2017. White House Office of the Press Secretary.
3. News: May 12 is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Becca. Mitchell. WTKR. Dreamcatcher Broadcasting, LLC (sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group pending). Norfolk, Virginia. May 12, 2017. May 13, 2017.