Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Military Spouse Appreciation Day – a day to show appreciation & to show appreciation for the sacrifices of military spouses. They have to make sacrifices while the other one is gone serving our country on active duty.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Special thanks to all the men who are staying home while the wife is serving our great nation. The same applies to all the women staying behind while the husband is gone on active duty too. Thanks for the sacrifice that you do as well. Not to mention, being away from each other is very hard.

Observed on US military posts worldwide, this day celebrates the strength and patriotism of the spouses of members of the military. Military Spouse Appreciation Day is held annually on the Friday before Mother’s Day. Events are commonly sponsored to recognize the husbands and wives of men and women in uniform for their support, contributions and sacrifices.

This year this Military Spouse Appreciation Day is held on May 8, 2020.

Future Military Spouse Appreciation Days

• 2021 – May 7
• 2022 – May 6
• 2023 – May 12

History

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan recognized the profound importance of spousal commitment to the readiness and well-being of military members with Proclamation 5184, dated April 17, 1984.  Congress officially made Military Spouse Appreciation Day part of National Military Appreciation Month in 1999.  Subsequently, the Department of Defense standardized the date by declaring the Friday before Mother’s Day every year as “Military Spouse Appreciation Day” to show appreciation for the sacrifices of military spouses.₂

Presidential Proclamation

Serving alongside our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen, our Nation’s military families give of themselves and give up their time with their loved ones so we may live safely and freely. Few Americans fully understand the sacrifices made by those who serve in uniform, but for spouses of service members across our country, the costs of the freedom we too often take for granted are known intimately. On Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we honor the spouses of those who have left behind everything they know and love to join our Nation’s unbroken chain of patriots, and we recommit to giving military spouses the respect, dignity, and support they deserve… – Barack Obama, President of the United States of America₂

Past Proclamations

President Trump is one of the first presidents to not sign a proclamation.

• 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

Source:

1. Military Benefits
2. MetoCreative
3. WikiPedia
4. Military.com

Military Appreciation Month

Check out this blog post on Military Appreciation for ways to show appreciation to you those serving in the military. May happens to be Military Appreciation Month.

Military Appreciation

First Published May 11, 2017. Last republished or updated May 7, 2020.

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