Military families are among our most precious national assets. We know that the stresses and strains of military service place special burdens on families. They suffer daily hardships and disruptions, inconveniences and separations. I know this from long personal experience. During my more than thirty-six years on Active duty and as a Naval Reservist, I missed anniversaries, birthdays and graduations.
Families are an essential factor in the overall readiness and well being of our armed forces.
And within the context of military families, families of Reservists are in a special category. While they are community-based, dependents of many Reservists often don't have regular interaction with other military families or with our military community. Reserve families may not know where to turn when a spouse or relative is mobilized. Many don't have a spouse's ID card. And Reserve Families are increasingly becoming part of the Total Force.