Goodfellow celebrates spouse appreciation day Published May 9, 2013 By Airman Jessica Keith 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- President Barack Obama has proclaimed May 10 Military Spouse Appreciation Day. "Military spouses serve as steady and supportive partners to the heroes in uniform who protect and defend our great Nation every day," President Obama said during his proclamation last year. "Across America and around the world, military spouses serve our country in their own special way, helping families and friends through the stress of a deployment, caring for our wounded warriors and supporting each other when a loved one has made the ultimate sacrifice." Team Goodfellow plans to celebrate the event by giving flowers to military spouses in front of the Commissary and Base Exchange starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow. The base theater is offering a special family 3-D showing of "The Croods" at a discounted price along with a discounted popcorn and soda combo, which starts at 7 p.m., tomorrow. It is very meaningful to me that our government and national leaders recognize military spouses in May each year," said Ellery Damiano, 17th Training Wing key spouse. "Military spouses work behind the scenes, tending to the home-fires so our active duty spouses are able to serve our country. Often the contributions of military spouses are unseen. We quietly take on the challenges of our lifestyle without expecting praise or celebration. Most of us would not want it any other way - we just put our shoulders to the wheel and get things done! A day of appreciation to recognize and thank military spouses for their support, contributions, and sacrifices is special." The military recognizes the importance of military spouses, and makes efforts to relieve some of the burden inherent for someone married to a service member. Military Spouse Appreciation Day falls on the Friday before mother's day and emphasizes the hard work and sacrifices made by military spouses and is only one of the many ways the military shows its support. The DoD believes every military spouse should have the opportunity to build a career and many military spouse programs offered are geared toward increasing opportunities for education and career building. One of the newest, the MilSpouse eMentor Leadership Program, is an online career-building network for military spouses where they are matched with a virtual mentor who can provide advice and guidance on navigating professional life as a military spouse. The program also provides career counselors that can help busy working parents find a work-life balance and explore flexible career options. Another program is the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities, which is designed to help military spouses move their careers with them during inevitable military moves. SECO provides resources on everything from initial career exploration, education and training, to employment readiness and career connections. For information on the MilSpouse eMentor Leadership Program, visit http://ementorprogram.org. For information about the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, visit http://www.militaryonesource.mil/seco.
