National Military Spouse Appreciation Day was first observed in 1984, when President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation 5184, recognising the significance of spousal commitment to the readiness and well-being of military members.
National Military Spouse Appreciation Day is observed annually on the Friday preceding Mother’s Day, which falls on May 12 this year. It demonstrates appreciation for the sacrifices made by the spouses of service members, along with the rest of the family, while the service member is abroad defending the nation. The day was created to recognise the significance of empowering military spouses and providing them with the resources they require to flourish.
National Military Spouse Appreciation Day was first observed in 1984, when President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation 5184, recognising the significance of spousal commitment to the readiness and well-being of military members. In 1999, Congress made Military Spouse Appreciation Day an official part of National Military Appreciation Month, before the Department of Defence standardised the date by designating the Friday before Mother’s Day as the day to recognise the sacrifices of military spouses, i.e. National Military Spouse Appreciation Day.
The 2021 celebration was conducted on May 7 and was the first of its kind under Biden and Harris’ democratic administration. National Military Spouse Appreciation Day is also known as Military Spouse Day, and this year’s event highlighted how a current government initiative, led by the office of the First Lady, has provided employment and training to more than 100,000 military spouses.
In addition to their tremendous strength and patriotism, military spouses have been known to endure job loss, adjusting to new environments, and learning new survival skills as a result of the frequent and often unexpected events that require them to move halfway across the country or the world with their serviceman spouse.
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Given that military spouses frequently relocate their families, sometimes with short notice, their role can be extremely demanding.
The First Lady who initiated the day was a spouse of the military.
More than 180,000 military spouses have been assisted by the Joining Forces initiative, which assists military spouses in finding employment.
There have been a number of First Ladies whose husbands served in the military, making them military spouses.
After declaring the Friday preceding Mother’s Day as National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, U.S. Secretary of Defence Caspar Weinberger was responsible for standardising the date of the holiday.
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | May 6 | Friday |
| 2023 | May 12 | Friday |
| 2024 | May 10 | Friday |
| 2025 | May 9 | Friday |
| 2026 | May 8 | Friday |
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