The White House Blog: The First Lady

23 States Have Now Passed Pro-Military Spouse License Portability Measures

First Lady Michelle Obama holds the “Military Family Licensing Act,” signed by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, which will help military spouses and veterans transfer their professional licenses to Illinois more easily, during a signing ceremony at the Donnelly Armory in Chicago, Ill., June 26, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Earlier today in Chicago, I had the wonderful privilege of joining First Lady Michelle Obama and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn as the Governor signed into law the “Military Family Licensing Act,” which will help literally thousands of military spouses and veterans transfer their professional licenses to Illinois more easily.

Were you to tell me last year that we’d be standing in Illinois – or any other state for that matter – with the First Lady and witnessing the Governor signing a bill supporting military spouse license portability, I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.

Well, we’re beyond possible in Illinois, license portability for military spouses is now… the law.

Here’s the story of how we got here and what it means.

The First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden spoke to the nation’s Governors and their spouses in February about how they could support military spouses by making it easier for their licenses to transfer as they move from state to state.

You can appreciate that there are hundreds of issues that the First Lady and Dr. Biden could have addressed but they focused on supporting our nation’s military spouses and in this case the 100,000 military spouses in the country who serve in professions that require state licenses.

Back in February, only 11 states had pro-spouse legislation in-place.

Today, Illinois became the 23^rd state to adopt pro-military spouse license portability measures. The Bill will allow military spouses moving to bases in Illinois, for example, to more quickly and efficiently join the work force. So if your husband or wife gets orders and you’re heading to Naval Station Great Lakes to train the next generation of young sailors at “Boot Camp” and you’re a nurse – or your spouse got orders to Scott Air Force Base to help manage the issues of global logistics and you’re a physical therapist ----- your life just got a LOT better.

This leap of support from around the country is truly extraordinary– in less than 4 months since the First Lady and Dr. Biden’s call to action, the number of states supporting military spouse licensing portability has more than doubled.

That’s a huge leap – particularly because the issue of license portability is not new – it’s decades old. I’m an Army brat and I remember my parents talking about this when I was a kid. And this issue affects dozens of professions who are impacted including teachers, nurses, speech pathologists, dental hygienists, physical therapists, counselors, and so many more.

So whether it’s bringing companies together to hire military spouses or breaking down barriers to employment, every spouse in this country should know that America has your back. So as you serve this country, we’ll continue to work hard and serve you – and we won’t stop until you feel the thanks of a grateful nation.

Brad Cooper is the Executive Director of Joining Forces. Sign up for the Joining Forces newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

We Come Back Stronger

Message signed by President Barack Obama on one of the final steel beams that will be installed as part of the framework of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s One World Trade Center site in New York, N.Y., June 14, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

 

President and Mrs Obama toured the World Trade Center complex in New York yesterday, and got an up close look at the skyscraper that's being built to replace the twin towers that were destroyed in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.

The First Couple reviewed the entire site from the 22nd floor of One World Trade Center, and then made their way back down to the ground level, where they signed one of the final steel beams that will be added to the tower. The President wrote his message in red marker:  "We remember. We rebuild. We come back stronger!"

President Barack Obama signs one of the final steel beams that will be installed as part of the framework of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s One World Trade Center site in New York, N.Y., June 14, 2012. First Lady Michelle Obama, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg also signed the beam. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama tour the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s One World Trade Center site in New York, N.Y., June 14, 2012. The President talks with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, while the First Lady talks with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

 

Women Chart a New Course Onboard U.S. Navy Submarines

In 2009, U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced that for the first time in Navy history, women would be assigned to serve aboard Navy submarines.

Yesterday, the first contingent of 24 women who completed the Navy’s nuclear submarine program met with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House. They were joined by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Mark Ferguson.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet the U.S. Navy’s first contingent of women submariners to be assigned to the Navy’s operational submarine force, in the Blue Room of the White House, May 28, 2012. The 24 women were accepted into the Navy’s nuclear submarine program after completing an intensive training program and serve on ballistic and guided missile submarines throughout the Navy. Also attending were ADM Mark Ferguson, left, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, right. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) May 28, 2012.

The commitment by the Navy to put women on submarines has gone from idea to reality in just a few short years -- these women are now serving in a variety of important jobs aboard ballistic and guided missile submarines in the Navy's Atlantic and Pacific Fleets.

A Big Week for Joining Forces

Through Joining Forces, Americans continue to step up and respond to the First Lady and Dr. Biden's call to serve our troops and their families as well as they have served us.

Last week, the Department of the Interior joined forces with the First Lady and Dr. Biden to provide free access to more than 2,000 of America's parks to our troops and their families. Then on Monday of this week, Blue Star Families and the National Endowment for the Arts launched "Blue Star Museums" --  laying out the welcome mat for free access at more than 1,600 museums around the country for service members and military families.

Connecting veterans and military spouses with employment opportunities in the private sector has been a priority for the First Lady and Dr. Biden,  and the effort is paying off. In the last year, more than 1,600 companies have hired more than 70,000 veterans and military spouses through Joining Forces.

Just last week, 34 more companies and organizations joined forces with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), a partnership of more than 130 companies committed to hire and retain military spouses. Since June of last year, MSEP companies have hired more than 22,000 military spouses.

And the momentum keeps building. Check out Joining Forces employment efforts in just the last three days: