“SERVEAND TO
is a maxim often seen on police cruisers, but it no doubt applies even more to our na- tion’s servicemembers, whose contributions and sacrifices some- times are taken for granted by the public.
That’s why first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, Blue Star mother and wife of Vice President Joe Biden, launched Joining Forces — an initia- tive to shed light on the daily life, duties, and challenges of being a servicemember and ensure military families have wellness, education, and employment opportunities. Part of the plan is getting civilians involved, too. Obama noted in her kickoff speech, “This is a challenge to every segment
of American society not to simply say thank you but to mobilize, take action, and make a real commitment to sup- porting our military families.”
Corporations pitch in Joining Forces has the help of corpo- rate America and the nonprofit com- munity, too. Sears, for example, has promised that if any of its 30,000 mili- tary employees, veterans, or spouses must relocate because of a govern- ment-ordered reassignment, they may transfer to jobs in their new location if possible. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has made the same promise. Members of Best Buy’s Geek Squad
recently traveled to 17 military bases to educate military families on how to leverage technology. The Ameri- can Heart Association will educate military wives and female veterans on how to avoid heart disease. Siemens Corp. plans to offer 10 percent of its 3,000 open positions to servicemem- bers. And thanks to the YMCA, the National Military Family Association, and the Sierra Club, some 7,000 military children attended — for free — summer camps in 2011. The White
House has cho- sen Gen. Stanley McChrystal, USA-Ret., to lead a three-person
PROTECT
advisory panel to help coordinate the various programs. McChrystal might seem a surprising choice after his dismissal following a Rolling Stone ar- ticle. But, as he explained to The New York Times, “We can prove it’s about something bigger. It sends a strong, positive message that this is about tak- ing care of our people.” Implementation of Joining Forces
will advance on four fronts: employ- ment, education, wellness, and public awareness. Here are a few examples.
Employment Goodwill Industries is reserving 1,300 of its roughly 5,000 job openings in 2011 for veterans and military families. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will hold 100 job fairs nationwide, hiring military family members and provid- ing free career services to thousands. Cisco and Futures Inc. have pio-
neered a Web-based program at Fort Bragg, N.C., called the U.S. Military Pipeline that connects servicemem- bers and their families with employ- ment and educational resources. The program, which now boasts some 10,000 active users, is being expand- ed to Fort Hood, Texas, and eventu- ally will be rolled out to many other bases and veterans’ organizations.
Obama, center, and Biden, far left, greet volunteers at San Antonio’s Warrior and Family Support Center.
62 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2011
Education BAE Systems, Boeing, ExxonMobil, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrup Grumman, the DoD Education Activ- ity, and the Office of Naval Research have created the Ini- tiative for Military
PHOTO: CHUCK KENNEDY/WHITE HOUSE
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