President Barack Obama has directed the national security staff to lead a 90-day review aimed at developing a federal-government-wide approach to supporting military families, First Lady Michelle Obama announced May 13 here.
"With just 1 percent of our population -- our troops -- doing 100 percent of the fighting, our military families are being tested like never before," the first lady said during an address to the National Military Family Association's summit.
"This government-wide review will bring together the resources of the federal government, identify new opportunities across the public and private sectors, and lay the foundation for a coordinated approach to supporting and engaging military families for years to come," she said.
The review will build on work conducted by the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs, and it will encompass nearly 20 federal agencies, as well as the White House domestic policy and national economic councils and the offices of the vice president, the first lady and Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden.
The review is slated to:
-- Set strategic military family priorities for the next 10 years and identify key military family concerns and challenges;
-- Review a cross-section of public and private programs to identify the most-promising ideas and programs that positively support military families;
-- Develop options for departments to integrate military family matters into their strategic and budgetary priorities;
-- Examine opportunities for federal policies and programs to stimulate new and support existing state and local efforts that are achieving military family readiness goals and meeting military family priorities;
-- Identify opportunities to leverage the skills and experience of military family members in national and community life; and
-- Strengthen existing feedback mechanisms for military families to voice their concerns and views on the effectiveness and future direction of relevant federal programs and policies.
5/16/2010 2:49:13 PM ET Military families - How about exemption from Federal tax collection and payments - except for Social Security Medicare and no cost/low cost Federal services such a sPasport, Visas, IRS performing tax prepapration and accelerting refunds. Also, entrance to national monuments and parks, camping in national parks, federal tax rebates on air travel, retail purchases, gasoline etc - requires receipts or an alternate general per cent approximation.Thanks former USAF TxANG
