MacDill honors military spouses Published May 15, 2009 By Airman 1st Class Katherine B. Holt 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs MacDill AFB, Fla. -- "Honey," "Sweetie", "Love." Names often given to a spouse. No matter the alias, military husbands and wives have been serving their country faithfully alongside those who wear the uniform every day for decades. Military Spouse Day was first celebrated in 1984 when then- President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the observance to honor the contributions of military spouses. He proclaimed the Friday before Mother's Day of each year to be Military Spouse Appreciation Day. "For approximately 16 years, MacDill has been recognizing Military Spouses, said Irma Avery, 6th Air Mobility Wing Airman and Family Readiness Center. "A number of events are held throughout the month showing appreciation to our military spouses." Often referred to as the "toughest job in the military," military spouses, and their efforts in supporting the mission, were acknowledged through the A&FRC and local sponsors. This month, a number of events were held to show appreciation to Team MacDill's spouses. Some of the events included: - A Family Day event at Ballast Point - A Spouses Health Forum at the Fitness Center - A Complimentary Lunch at the Colonnade (sponsored by TECO and Troy University) - A Spouse Appreciation Dinner Cruise - Complimentary makeovers at the Base Exchange from Clinique, Elizabeth Arden, Lancome and Estee Lauder Military spouses are the backbone of our military. Spouses endure frequent moves to unknown towns, long deployments and wartime fears. They do all of this because of the love of their spouses and their country. The personal sacrifices military spouses must make are a key component in helping the military reach its readiness, retention and recruitment goals. Military husbands and wives deserve to be acknowledged for meeting the challenges that come with the military lifestyle. "Appreciation for military spouses shouldn't just happen once a year," said Ms. Avery. "It should happen all year round." According to Adm. M. G. Mullen, "much of the strength comes from the spouses and they are vital to their success, they make the journey of service so much richer, rewarding, and satisfying." Many years since the famous quote, "If the military wanted you to have a spouse, they would have issued you one," spouses are making a huge impact on the day to day duties of servicemembers. Ms. Avery said spouses should be recognized and honored for their contribution. "Be grateful for their sacrifice. A thank you on a daily basis to the spouses will go a long way."