Though Americans are fond of talking about "shared sacrifice" when it comes to the nation's military, such talk is more lip service than fact. In truth, the gulf between those who serve and those who have a family member in the service and the bulk of contemporary U.S. society is immense. There is sacrifice, of course, but it is experienced and shared by an ever increasing minority of Americans. That's not good for either the military or for the rest of the U.S. populace. Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are determined to change that scenario.
Obama, the first lady, and Biden, wife of the vice president, are spearheading a national campaign to convince more Americans to reach out to those involved in or with the nation's military. The program is designed to provide assistance to veterans, to reservists and especially to the families of active duty personnel. As outlined, the program, called "Joining Forces," helps create a vital network of support and appreciation. The only question is why it took so long for a nation that ostensibly values its military to pay attention to those left behind when men and women go to war.
It is a shame, in fact, that Americans have to be reminded that the wives and children of those in the front lines in Afghanistan and elsewhere might need a kind word or a bit of assistance. In times past, such a reminder was unnecessary. In World War II, for example, just about everyone was directly or indirectly involved with the military. Millions were drafted and millions more worked to support the war effort. The sacrifices and concerns were truly shared.
Times have changed. Experts estimate that those fighting the nation's wars in the post-draft, all-volunteer military represent about 1 percent of the population. That small group - servicemen and women and their families - bears the bulk of the nation's military burden. The toll can be high for those in combat zones; it can be debilitating in different ways for those they leave at home. Obama and Biden want to remind all Americans not directly involved in the military of that fact - and of their duty to do something about it.
To that end, Obama and Biden have taken to the road to convince individuals, corporations, civic, social and religious groups and schools to help military families cope with the stresses of everyday life. Those strains are difficult enough for most families. They can be extraordinary for those who must live with the knowledge that a loved one is in harm's way.
The nation's military has changed in recent years. Once the domain of the young and the unmarried, it is now a place that increasingly reflects contemporary society. Over half of National Guard and Reserve troops on active duty are married. More than 40 percent of them have two or more children. And because manpower needs are consistently high and depend on guard and reserve call-ups, the composition of the nation's active duty military now includes higher percentages of older men and women who must leave work and families behind when called to duty.
"Joining Forces" reasonably asks that all Americans embrace the families of those who serve and to help them through "small acts of kindness and compassion." That's not much to ask.
Major corporations and well-known groups - Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Sears, Kmart, Best Buy, Sears Holdings, Siemens, Cisco and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce among them - already have joined the campaign. And why not? There's nothing partisan about a program that will provide assistance, assurance and comfort to military families.
"Joining Forces" is a tangible way to provide such help, and to share the price that military personnel and their families often must pay while in service to the nation.