A Nebraskan's View by Senator Ben Nelson

Monday, June 29, 2009 INDEPENDENCE DAY HONORS FOR THOSE WHO ASSURE OUR INDEPENDENCE The makeup of the military has seen dramatic changes over the years. No longer does it consist primarily of single men. The majority of men and women in today’s all volunteer force are married and have families. More than half of the nearly 3 million members of regular and reserve components of the military are married. In Nebraska, there are more than 15,000 families of regular and reserve components of the military. 7,500 regular and 7,700 reserves. Many of these families have children. There are more than 1.8 million children between the ages of birth and 23 who are dependents of regular and reserve military families. Most of the children of regular military are under the age of 5 while most children of reserve members are between 6 and 14. Families Serve Along Side Service Members Americans understand that military families serve their country just as surely as the one in uniform does. We, as a country, must ensure that all the needs of military dependent children are being met, for children of members of both the regular and reserve components. Military families often face unique challenges and difficulties that are inherent to military life, including long separations from loved ones, the repetitive demands of frequent deployments, and frequent uprooting of community ties resulting from moves to bases across the country and overseas. Thousands of military family members have taken on volunteer responsibilities to assist units and members of the Armed Forces who have been deployed. They support family readiness groups, help military spouses meet the demands of a single parent during a deployment, or provide a shoulder to cry on or the comfort of understanding. Family Support is Crucial In talking with spouses from throughout Nebraska, I know how important it is to them that they have base and community support and that they are reached out to once their service member is deployed. We in Congress have tried to do our part to help, and have made family support programs and initiatives a priority. Independence Day Honors As Americans celebrate Independence Day it is important for all of us to celebrate and honor those who assure our independence; those who wear the uniform and their families. That’s why earlier this year the Senate approved a resolution I co-sponsored to designate the year 2009 as the Year of the Military Family. It is my hope that this resolution increases awareness of the great sacrifices military families make and inspires Americans everywhere to express their appreciation and renew their commitment to honoring military family members who bravely serve this nation alongside their service members.