Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 212 / Friday, November 3, 2023 / Presidential Documents 75473 

Proclamation 10668 of October 31, 2023 

National Veterans and Military Families Month, 2023 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

The poet John Milton once wrote, ‘‘They also serve who only stand and 

wait.’’ During National Veterans and Military Families Month, we recognize 

that our military and veteran families answer our Nation’s call to duty, 

and we recommit to doing right by their service and sacrifice. 

For me, the First Lady, and the entire Biden family: It is personal. When 

our son Beau was deployed to Iraq, we learned what it meant to pray 

every day for the safe return of someone you love. Our grandkids learned 

what it meant to have their dad overseas in a warzone instead of at home, 

tucking them into bed and reading them a story every night. Millions of 

Americans have had that experience. To all the mothers and fathers, sisters 

and brothers, sons and daughters, spouses and partners, and loved ones 

who stand alongside our veterans and service members: You are the solid 

steel spine that bears up under every burden and the courageous heart 

that rises to every challenge. 

Our Nation has only one truly sacred obligation—to prepare those we send 

into harm’s way and care for them and their families while they are deployed 

and when they return home. Since the beginning of my Administration, 

fulfilling that obligation has been my top priority. In June, I signed an 

Executive Order that establishes the most comprehensive set of administrative 

actions in our Nation’s history to support the economic security of military 

and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors. It encourages all Federal 

agencies to do more to retain military spouses through flexible policies, 

improves the ability for spouses to maintain their employment when moving 

overseas, allows spouses to seek advice on overseas employment issues 

through military legal assistance offices for the first time, and improves 

spouses’ access to quality, dependable, and affordable child care. 

Since the beginning of my Administration, I have signed more than 30 

bipartisan bills to expand the services and benefits that support our veterans 

and their families, caregivers, and survivors—including the Sergeant First 

Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive 

Toxics (PACT) Act, the most significant expansion of benefits and services 

for toxin exposed veterans and survivors in over 30 years. We released 

a national strategy to reduce military and veteran suicide by tackling some 

of the root causes of this crisis—like addressing financial insecurity by 

expanding job training opportunities for transitioning service members and 

veterans and their spouses and increasing funding to prevent and eliminate 

homelessness. Further, I signed an Executive Order that implemented historic, bipartisan military justice reforms to transform how the military handles 

sexual assault and domestic violence cases in order to make our military 

safer and more just. Earlier this year, I directed the Department of Defense 

to review pay and benefits for our military members, because our Armed 

Forces and their families deserve a 21st century compensation system that 

reflects their service and sacrifice. Additionally, the First Lady’s Joining 


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75474 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 212 / Friday, November 3, 2023 / Presidential Documents 

Forces initiative is providing support to military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors by improving economic opportunity for military families, making school transitions easier for military children, and expanding 

resources to promote health and well-being for this community. 

Our fighting force is the greatest in the world—in no small part because, 

year after year and decade after decade, military and veteran families have 

had their loved ones’ backs. As a country, we owe it to these families 

to have their backs. This year—as we celebrate 50 years of an all-volunteer 

force—may we also recognize the bravery and dedication of our military 

and veteran families and work to repay the debt of gratitude we owe each 

one of them. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 November 2023 

as National Veterans and Military Families Month. I call upon the people 

of the United States to honor veterans and military families with appropriate 

ceremonies and activities. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day 

of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of 

the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 

forty-eighth. 

[FR Doc. 2023–24503 

Filed 11–2–23; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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