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Issued on: May 10, 2018

Since the founding of our Republic, military spouses have served alongside their loved ones and played vital roles in the defense of our country.  Their selfless support, volunteer spirit, and significant contributions have left indelible marks on our military and communities.  On Military Spouse Day, we pay tribute to these remarkable patriots, past and present, including the incredible women and men who currently serve, in steadfast support of America’s Armed Forces, as our Nation’s military spouses.

Military Spouse Day is an opportunity to thank the inspirational men and women who are the foundation of our Nation’s military families.  Their countless sacrifices and tireless devotion to this country, and to those who defend her, are invaluable and irreplaceable.  Military spouses shoulder the burdens of a challenging and demanding lifestyle with pride, strength, and determination.  They demonstrate uncommon grace and grit, and although most military spouses do not wear a uniform, they honorably serve our Nation ‑‑ often times without their loved one standing beside them.

We ask so much of our military spouses:  frequent moves; heartbreaking separations; parenting alone; incomplete celebrations; and weeks, months, and sometimes years of waiting for a loved one’s safe return from harm’s way.  Time and time again, however, military spouses respond with resilience that defies explanation.  Our service members are often praised as national heroes, but their spouses are equally worthy of that distinction.

My Administration is committed to taking care of our Armed Forces and ensuring that our military is equipped to defend our country and protect our way of life.  This mission also includes caring for the unique needs of military spouses, whose service to our Nation cannot be overstated.

Too often, military life can interfere with the aspirations and dreams of our military spouses.  For example, frequent and often unexpected moves can impair career and academic goals.  Even as our economy prospers, military spouses continue to face an unemployment rate far higher than the national average, up to 16 percent in 2017.  Further, data from the 2016 American Community Survey indicates that military spouses suffer from underemployment at a greater rate than Americans more broadly, at an estimated 31.4 percent compared to 19.6 percent overall.  All of these are added and unnecessary burdens on military families.

We can and will do better, which is why my Administration will continue to focus on enhancing employment opportunities for military spouses.  On May 9, I signed an Executive Order to enhance opportunities for military spouses looking for employment in the Federal Government.  This action promotes the use of an existing hiring authority for military spouses and seeks to provide significantly greater opportunity for military spouses to be considered for Federal Government positions.

Beyond the Federal Government, I encourage every American business, large and small, to find ways to employ military spouses, and keep them employed as they relocate ‑‑ sometimes every 2 or 3 years ‑‑ to new duty stations.  More than 360 employers with regional and national footprints have made this commitment through the Department of Defense’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership.  In less than 7 years, these patriotic partners have hired more than 112,000 military spouses.  We are grateful for these employment opportunities and hope to see many more businesses participate in this important initiative.

In addition, many military spouses encounter unnecessary delays remaining in the workforce following a change in duty station.  These spouses are more likely than other workers to face barriers to employment due to the impact of occupational licensing laws, since they frequently move across State lines and are disproportionately employed in occupations that require a license.  Existing State laws regarding license portability are insufficient.  States and occupational licensing boards can and must do more to improve the license portability to facilitate career continuity and ease financial burdens on our military families.

As we observe Military Spouse Day, we salute generations of military spouses for their leadership, courage, love, patriotism, and unwavering support for the courageous men and women of our Armed Forces.  On this day, Melania and I offer our deepest respect and gratitude to every person who has embraced this noble calling in proud service to our Nation as a military spouse.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 11, 2018, as Military Spouse Day.  I call upon the people of the United States to honor military spouses with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.

DONALD J. TRUMP

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U.S. Defense Secretary James N. Mattis meets with Dutch Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld at the Pentagon, April 11, 2018. DoD photo by Tech Sgt. Vernon Young Jr.   Secretary Mattis highlighted the Netherland’s value to the United States and NATO as a steadfast ally, and their pledge to get to two percent of GDP defense spending. 

Minister Bijleveld discussed the recent publication of the Dutch Defense White Paper, and emphasized her government’s $1.5 billion increase in defense spending in 2018.  Secretary Mattis commended the minister for her efforts to modernize her military and improve military readiness.    Secretary Mattis also thanked Minister Bijleveld for continued support to the D-ISIS Coalition and NATO missions, an Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) battle group in Lithuania, and Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan.

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An U.S. Army Flight Engineer travels aboard a CH-47F Chinook helicopter during an U.S. Army-U.S. Air Force training exercise at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 26, 2018. The Soldier is assigned to Task Force Brawler.

U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook

History of Easter

History.com

Easter, which celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, is Christianity’s most important holiday. It has been called a moveable feast because it doesn’t fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21. Therefore, Easter is observed anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year. Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar to calculate when Easter will occur and typically celebrate the holiday a week or two after the Western churches, which follow the Gregorian calendar.

The exact origins of this religious feast day’s name are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term hebdomada alba, or white week, an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing donned by people who were baptized during that time. Through a translation error, the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, which eventually became Easter in English. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew), the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter.

Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single-day observance. Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry, a time in which Christians believe he survived various temptations by the devil. The day before Lent, known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, is a last hurrah of food and fun before the fasting begins. The week preceding Easter is called Holy Week and includes Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples; Good Friday, which honors the day of his crucifixion; and Holy Saturday, which focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. The 50-day period following Easter Sunday is called Eastertide and includes a celebration of Jesus’ ascension into Heaven.

In addition to Easter’s religious significance, it also has a commercial side, as evidenced by the mounds of jelly beans and marshmallow chicks that appear in stores each spring. As with Christmas, over the centuries various folk customs and pagan traditions, including Easter eggs, bunnies, baskets and candy, have become a standard part of this holy holiday.

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