WEBVTT 00:00.140 --> 00:02.540 Hello . My name is Regina Mason . I'm a 00:02.540 --> 00:04.540 dude , a student living overseas in 00:04.540 --> 00:07.080 Ramstein , Germany , earlier this year . 00:07.090 --> 00:09.201 I was very fortunate to be able to me 00:09.201 --> 00:11.710 and talk to the first Lady doctor job . 00:11.710 --> 00:14.890 I think out around before discussing 00:14.890 --> 00:17.180 the very different different life of a 00:17.180 --> 00:19.402 military child compared to those in the 00:19.402 --> 00:23.150 States . Multiple doc . 00:24.340 --> 00:28.010 Good . Like mm , 00:28.020 --> 00:30.780 She distinctly different people . We 00:30.780 --> 00:33.250 share a lot in common . We're both part 00:33.250 --> 00:35.361 of both . Look for the interest . The 00:35.361 --> 00:37.472 best interest in others . Now I would 00:37.472 --> 00:39.250 like to introduce . Thank you . 00:41.240 --> 00:43.540 Thank you , Risen . You know , when you 00:43.540 --> 00:46.060 joined us back in February , I felt 00:46.060 --> 00:48.300 like I knew you from the first words 00:48.310 --> 00:50.900 you spoke your open and funny and 00:50.900 --> 00:53.610 sincere . In fact , it doesn't surprise 00:53.610 --> 00:55.710 me at all that you managed to make 00:55.710 --> 00:57.960 friends when your family moved to 00:57.970 --> 01:01.550 Germany despite not speaking any German . 01:02.340 --> 01:04.396 And then you became a mentor so that 01:04.396 --> 01:06.750 you could help others feel less alone . 01:07.440 --> 01:09.740 It's that resilience and heart that 01:09.740 --> 01:13.140 makes military kids like you so 01:13.150 --> 01:16.120 special . So thank you , Risen for 01:16.120 --> 01:19.430 joining us today . You know , I'll 01:19.430 --> 01:21.550 never forget the emotions that ran 01:21.560 --> 01:23.710 through me as I stood in front of the 01:23.710 --> 01:27.580 bow of the 2000 ton USS Gabrielle 01:27.580 --> 01:31.160 Giffords to Chris Inner . Just praying 01:31.170 --> 01:34.090 the bottle I held in my hands would 01:34.090 --> 01:37.280 break . When it was time , I was 01:37.290 --> 01:40.230 nervous and excited and most of all , 01:40.240 --> 01:42.800 deeply proud to become an honorary 01:42.800 --> 01:45.400 member of the Cruz family or , as they 01:45.400 --> 01:48.700 say , a ship mate for life . Surrounded 01:48.700 --> 01:51.670 by the sounds and shouts and cheers , I 01:51.670 --> 01:53.892 thought of the brave soldiers who would 01:53.892 --> 01:56.740 make up her crew and the families who 01:56.740 --> 01:59.900 stood by them . I felt a touch of 01:59.900 --> 02:02.810 longing in that celebration , knowing 02:02.810 --> 02:04.921 that when the time came to bring this 02:04.921 --> 02:08.100 ship to life , spouses and Children's 02:08.100 --> 02:11.160 parents and siblings would stay behind , 02:12.040 --> 02:14.890 but a piece of their hearts would sail 02:14.900 --> 02:18.610 away . There's no ribbon cuttings or 02:18.610 --> 02:21.540 showers of champagne to Chris in their 02:21.540 --> 02:25.270 journey , but it is that a journey 02:25.270 --> 02:27.340 through the months apart , happy 02:27.340 --> 02:29.990 homecomings and more deployments that 02:29.990 --> 02:32.560 transition to life after the military . 02:33.340 --> 02:36.380 In that moment , the Giffords seemed to 02:36.380 --> 02:39.660 represent our entire armed forces . 02:40.540 --> 02:42.790 Anyone could look at its Bridgette's 02:42.790 --> 02:45.960 vow , its towering mask , and no , 02:46.440 --> 02:48.840 this ship will be steady in the 02:48.840 --> 02:51.550 harshest winds , strong enough to cut 02:51.550 --> 02:54.360 through the most violent seas able to 02:54.360 --> 02:58.060 withstand any storm . And yet 02:58.440 --> 03:01.840 so much of its power is unseen beneath 03:01.840 --> 03:04.600 the waves , the engines , the anchors , 03:04.610 --> 03:07.040 the rudder that gives it direction and 03:07.040 --> 03:10.100 purpose . The families of our service 03:10.100 --> 03:12.800 members and veterans , the caregivers 03:12.800 --> 03:15.160 who lift up our wounded ill and injured 03:15.710 --> 03:17.890 the survivors who grieve those we've 03:17.890 --> 03:21.230 lost . You may not wear a 03:21.230 --> 03:24.310 uniform , but you serve and you 03:24.310 --> 03:28.220 sacrifice for us . All military 03:28.220 --> 03:30.680 families are as critical to our 03:30.680 --> 03:33.950 national defence as a rudder is to a 03:33.950 --> 03:37.340 ship . And we must always act upon that 03:37.350 --> 03:41.130 truth . Today we write the next chapter 03:41.140 --> 03:43.690 of a White House initiative that first 03:43.690 --> 03:46.050 Lady Michelle Obama and I started 10 03:46.050 --> 03:49.640 years ago joining forces . This 03:49.640 --> 03:53.500 work is personal to me . Is it because 03:53.500 --> 03:56.260 of my dad ? He was a Navy signalman in 03:56.260 --> 03:58.316 World War Two and went to college on 03:58.316 --> 04:01.660 the GI Bill . His love for this 04:01.660 --> 04:05.160 country was a part of everything he did , 04:05.940 --> 04:09.260 and he inspired us , his five daughters , 04:09.740 --> 04:12.460 to see America through his eyes 04:13.440 --> 04:16.310 or because of my son Beau , when he 04:16.310 --> 04:18.643 joined the Delaware Army National Guard . 04:18.643 --> 04:20.950 You know , I felt the unique pull of 04:20.950 --> 04:23.940 both incredible pride and concern that 04:23.950 --> 04:27.600 every military mom knows so well . Or 04:27.600 --> 04:29.767 perhaps it's because of my grandkids . 04:30.140 --> 04:33.100 When both served for a year in Iraq , I 04:33.100 --> 04:35.690 saw how his Children navigated his 04:35.690 --> 04:39.580 deployment , and I often wondered how 04:39.580 --> 04:43.010 people so small could be so 04:43.010 --> 04:46.740 strong . Without a doubt , being 04:46.740 --> 04:48.740 part of this military community has 04:48.740 --> 04:52.140 shaped who I am , But that's not why 04:52.140 --> 04:55.870 we're here today . We're here because 04:55.880 --> 04:59.700 of you , the people behind me on 04:59.710 --> 05:03.060 these screens because of the stories 05:03.060 --> 05:05.180 that you have shared with me , your 05:05.180 --> 05:08.770 joys and your challenges from difficult 05:08.770 --> 05:12.430 PCs s to the lack of childcare on and 05:12.430 --> 05:15.680 off bases , from fighting you for your 05:15.690 --> 05:17.750 to keep your own careers and your 05:17.750 --> 05:19.980 identities and to say goodbye to 05:19.980 --> 05:23.140 beloved schools and friends , from 05:23.140 --> 05:25.400 caring for your loved ones to mourning 05:25.400 --> 05:28.960 those who have been lost . You are the 05:28.960 --> 05:32.260 rudder that steers our military , 05:33.340 --> 05:36.150 and supporting your physical , social 05:36.170 --> 05:39.270 and emotional health is a national 05:39.280 --> 05:42.980 security imperative . Every parent 05:42.980 --> 05:45.220 knows that when your child is hurting , 05:45.230 --> 05:49.060 nothing in your world is right . When 05:49.060 --> 05:51.470 your spouse is at home trying to make 05:51.480 --> 05:54.040 ends meet or torn between taking care 05:54.040 --> 05:56.400 of your Children and keeping a job , 05:56.410 --> 05:59.190 your heart breaks with them , no matter 05:59.190 --> 06:03.150 how far away you are . Our troops love 06:03.150 --> 06:05.560 their families with all that they are . 06:06.640 --> 06:09.860 Service members cannot be focused on 06:09.860 --> 06:12.230 their mission if their families don't 06:12.230 --> 06:14.452 have what they need to thrive at home . 06:14.940 --> 06:17.500 And we can't expect to keep the best 06:17.510 --> 06:20.440 and brightest . If our service members 06:20.440 --> 06:23.580 are forced to tune , be choose between 06:23.590 --> 06:26.300 their love of country and the hopes and 06:26.300 --> 06:28.411 dreams they have for their families . 06:29.040 --> 06:32.750 We have an all volunteer force , and it 06:32.750 --> 06:35.590 continues only because of generations 06:35.590 --> 06:38.090 of Americans who see the honor , 06:38.090 --> 06:41.550 dignity and patriotism of this calling . 06:42.940 --> 06:45.360 How can we hope to keep our military 06:45.360 --> 06:48.240 strong if we don't give our family 06:48.240 --> 06:51.240 survivors and caregivers what they need 06:51.240 --> 06:55.090 to survive if we don't act on our 06:55.090 --> 06:58.830 sacred obligation ? And that is why 06:58.830 --> 07:00.930 we're here today and what joining 07:00.930 --> 07:04.850 forces is all about ? During the 07:04.850 --> 07:07.470 Obama Biden administration , we made a 07:07.470 --> 07:11.040 lot of progress and most of all I'm 07:11.040 --> 07:13.250 proud that we helped lift up the 07:13.250 --> 07:15.830 stories like the ones I heard from 07:15.830 --> 07:19.340 those on the screens behind me , and 07:19.340 --> 07:22.940 now we're ready to do more . So here's 07:22.940 --> 07:24.940 what you're going to see us do over 07:24.940 --> 07:27.600 these next few years , we're going to 07:27.600 --> 07:30.260 focus on military , family employment 07:30.270 --> 07:33.070 and entrepreneurship . Before the 07:33.070 --> 07:35.300 pandemic , the Department of Defense 07:35.310 --> 07:38.310 estimated that the military spouse 07:38.320 --> 07:41.650 unemployment rate was about 22% . 07:43.040 --> 07:46.190 Spouses all of you deserve 07:46.200 --> 07:48.750 opportunities to do the work you love . 07:49.340 --> 07:51.380 Whether that means keeping your job 07:51.380 --> 07:53.970 when you move from base to base or 07:53.980 --> 07:57.060 owning your own business is . And we 07:57.060 --> 07:59.004 need to make sure that you can get 07:59.004 --> 08:01.460 quality child care when you need it , 08:02.040 --> 08:04.040 so that you don't have to feel like 08:04.040 --> 08:06.280 you're choosing between your job and 08:06.280 --> 08:08.940 taking care of your kids . We're going 08:08.940 --> 08:11.090 to work on education for military 08:11.090 --> 08:13.480 Children . There are more than two 08:13.480 --> 08:15.647 million kids whose parents are service 08:15.647 --> 08:17.950 members , National Guard reservists or 08:17.950 --> 08:21.420 veterans . Our schools want to 08:21.420 --> 08:24.990 support all students , but they don't 08:25.000 --> 08:28.180 always know how to do so . We're going 08:28.180 --> 08:29.990 to work with educators and our 08:29.990 --> 08:32.970 government partners to make sure that 08:32.970 --> 08:36.530 you are military connected kids have 08:36.530 --> 08:39.810 what you need to succeed , and finally 08:40.020 --> 08:41.909 we're going to work on military , 08:41.909 --> 08:45.010 family health and well being . Just 08:45.020 --> 08:48.530 1% of our country has shouldered the 08:48.530 --> 08:51.660 burden of 20 years of war . 08:52.340 --> 08:55.660 No one has more strength and grit and 08:55.660 --> 08:58.550 resilience than our military families . 08:59.040 --> 09:01.890 But you can't do this alone . We have 09:01.890 --> 09:04.560 to help you carry this week by 09:04.560 --> 09:06.890 improving access to mental health 09:06.890 --> 09:10.020 resources , ensuring everyone can put 09:10.020 --> 09:12.480 food on the table and supporting 09:12.480 --> 09:15.710 caregiving families and survivors . So 09:15.710 --> 09:18.680 far , we already have commitments from 09:18.680 --> 09:21.670 the Department of Defense , Labor and 09:21.670 --> 09:24.190 Education . And this is just the 09:24.190 --> 09:27.620 beginning . Our effort will take all of 09:27.620 --> 09:30.100 our government working together , and 09:30.100 --> 09:33.750 we expect every agency to step up and 09:33.750 --> 09:37.230 be part of it . This is a community 09:37.230 --> 09:40.320 bound together by love , love for our 09:40.320 --> 09:43.400 country , love for your service members 09:43.410 --> 09:45.800 and love for the communities you build 09:45.800 --> 09:49.340 together . And it's time that we match 09:49.350 --> 09:53.080 that devotion . Your commander in chief 09:53.090 --> 09:55.960 understands that there is no greater 09:55.960 --> 09:58.620 honor than serving those who serve our 09:58.620 --> 10:01.770 country . Everyone who serves he's 10:01.770 --> 10:03.920 going to make sure that you and your 10:03.920 --> 10:07.330 community are seen . And our goal is 10:07.330 --> 10:10.250 that this work will live on long after 10:10.250 --> 10:13.950 we leave as a permanent priority for 10:13.960 --> 10:17.630 every White House because you 10:17.640 --> 10:21.630 deserve nothing less . So thank 10:21.630 --> 10:25.350 you for all that you do . May God bless 10:25.360 --> 10:28.570 our troops and their families . Thank 10:28.570 --> 10:28.760 you .