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Military Families and the First Family Celebrate Independence Day

Summary: 
Read about how the White House honored military families and veterans for the Fourth of July.

The Obama Administration is committed to taking care of our troops, military families and veterans and this week the White House honored the military and their families for all their hard work in service to our nation. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill spent the Fourth of July in Iraq with American soldiers. While there, they participated in a naturalization ceremony for more than 150 servicemen and servicewomen who became U.S. citizens while stationed in the Middle East. Dr. Jill Biden later shared lunch with U.S. servicewomen at Camp Victory and listened to soldiers there, saluting them for "managing all the challenges of parenting -- securing health care, child care and education -- while one or both parents are away." Read more about their visit.
 
Back in the nation's capital, the President and First Lady hosted more than 1,200 military heroes and their families for an Independence Day celebration on the south lawn of the White House. The President delivered remarks about the importance of our military and reminded the country of their role in preserving our democracy, stating "Let us forge a national commitment to support our extraordinary military families, not just now, during war, but at every stage of your lives." The President honored each branch of the military and acknowledged distinguished service members who have demonstrated remarkable courage and bravery in their time of service. Among those honored were two distinguished women service members, Captain Wendy Kosek and Commander Diane Durham. Read about their heroic actions and view the President's full remarks.

On Wednesday, the First Lady met privately with Special Operations families at the White House as part of her ongoing discussions with troops and their families about the unique challenges they face and the role they play in the security of our nation and the life of our communities.

The President and First Lady are asking all Americans to support the brave men and women in uniform and their families. On Independence Day, the First Lady released a message on the White House Blog about the demands on U.S. military service members and their families during war time.

For ideas on how to honor military service members, veterans and military families in your community and thank them for their service to our country, check out the First Lady’s message.

Darienne Page is a Veterans Outreach Assistant