Keeping up support for military families
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Steve Chiotakis: Today we honor veterans and salute their service to our nation. And the incoming Obama administration is focusing some high-profile attention on the hardships faced by military families. More now from John Dimsdale in Washington.
Jeremy Hobson: The President-elect’s wife, Michelle Obama, says she has no plans to take on big policy issues like health care reform while she’s in the White House. But she will champion causes such as public service and especially the sacrifices made by military families.
The Military Family Research Institute says the length of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars means many soldiers have been deployed overseas more than once, creating hardships for those left at home. Some reservists have been away from their civilian jobs now for three of the last six years.
And the Institute’s biggest concern is that public enthusiasm for military family support programs will wane as the wars drag on. That’s why service members say they’re glad Michelle Obama is using her bully pulpit to highlight their sacrifices.
In Washington, I’m John Dimsdale for Marketplace.
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