National Military Spouse Appreciation Day is an annual observance that takes place on the Friday preceding Mother’s Day — May 9 this year. It shows appreciation for the commitment and sacrifice that the spouses of service members make, together with the rest of the family, while they’re away on the mission to defend the country. The day was initiated to recognize the importance of empowering military spouses and ensuring they have what they need to thrive.
National Military Spouse Appreciation Day was first observed in 1984 when President Ronald Reagan recognized the importance of spousal commitment to the readiness and well-being of military members with Proclamation 5184, dated April 17, 1984. Shortly after, in 1999, Congress officially made Military Spouse Appreciation Day part of National Military Appreciation Month before the Department of Defense standardized the date by declaring the Friday before Mother’s Day every year as the day to show appreciation for the sacrifices of military spouses — in other words, National Military Spouse Appreciation Day.
The 2021 celebration was held on May 7 and was the first of such under the democratic administration of Biden and Harris. National Military Spouse Appreciation Day is also sometimes known as Military Spouse Day, and this year’s event highlighted how an initiative of the present government, through the office of the First Lady, has empowered more than 100,000 military spouses with employment and training.
Along with the tremendous strength and patriotism they have, military spouses have been noted to endure job losses, adjustments to new environments, and having to learn new survival skills with the frequent and often unexpected developments that sometimes require them to move halfway across the country or even the world, together with their serviceman spouse.
