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WASHINGTON D.C. (February 22, 2008) - Organizations that lend
their support to military families were given their due here today
during the National Military Family Association's annual Leadership
Luncheon.
The National Military Family Association supports military
families through efforts designed to enhance opportunities and
resources available to the military community. The organization
also supports America Supports You, a Defense Department program
connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their
families serving at home and abroad.
The organizations and individuals honored were recognized for
their exemplary support of the military community. Perhaps more
importantly, the keynote speaker pointed out, they support military
families, who in many ways have tougher jobs than
servicemembers.
"I know how it is for myself, (and) I know how it is for people
close to me (regarding deployments)," said Air Force Gen. Michael
V. Hayden, director of the Central Intelligence Agency. "You spend
a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the task that you have in
front of you, but that goes away for the GI as soon as you kiss
everyone goodbye and walk aboard the aircraft."
For deploying servicemembers, life simplifies during a
deployment. They do what they're trained to do, Hayden said.
"It does not become more simple for the family members left
behind, because they are not in that location with you," he said.
"They are not in that support structure that you now find yourself
in.
"It's the service of family members to our nation that's as
important as the service of every man and woman on active duty," he
added.
Hayden's sentiment is closely aligned with that of the National
Military Family Association, said Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples,
director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, in his introduction of
Hayden.
"He reflects the same feeling that this association
demonstrates, and that is that strong families will enable a strong
force," Maples said.
The USAA Foundation, the Association of Military Banks of
America, United Concordia Companies, Inc., and Navy Federal Credit
Union were honored today for their efforts to help keep military
families strong.
The National Military Family Association presented these four
organizations with the group's Dr. Lowell G. Daun Award. The award
recognizes significant contributions to the development of NMFA and
its initiatives through each group's support of military
families.
"The recipients of the award that we're recognizing today work
in military communities, either supporting them through health care
benefits or information, education, (and) a litany of financial
support," said Michelle Joyner, director of communications for
NMFA. "They don't do this for the recognition. They do it because
the feel it's the right thing to do."
While the organizations' representatives said they were honored
to receive the recognition, they all turned the spotlight back on
NMFA.
"We were certainly very pleased and honored," said Barbara
Gentry, president of the USAA Foundation, which provides financial
support to nonprofit groups that offer a wide variety of services
including educational, health and human services, and civic and
economic development. "I think, especially in the last few years,
organizations like USAA Foundation … have been looking for ways to
support military families, and (NMFA) s a very good way to do
so."
Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Andre M. Egeland Jr., president of
the Association of Military Banks of America, and Cutler Dawson,
president of Navy Federal Credit Union, both agreed with Gentry.
They, too, feel that supporting National Military Family
Association initiatives is a good way to further support the
military community they serve.
"I think all of us try to reach out on how we can help our
service people and their families. NMFA facilitates that," Dawson
said. "They help bring together a lot of people that help (the
military.)
"We think they do great work and truly, they have the best
interest of our military families at heart, and that's what it's
all about," he added.
It has been an honor for the Association of Military Banks of
America to support NMFA, Egeland added. "Hopefully we'll be able to
continue to support them because it's been an honor to do that," he
said.
The National Military Family Association also honored Edward F.
Flaherty with the Anna C. Chennault Award for his consistent
support of the organization. The award recognizes individuals who
have made significant individual contributions to the development
of NMFA and its initiatives.
Ten individuals received the Sydney Talley Hickey Award,
previously known as the President's Award. It is presented to
individuals, agencies or groups that give extraordinary service in
support of military families, according to the National Military
Family Association.
Editor's Note: Military families can also avail
themselves of the Defense Department's America Supports You
program, which highlights home-front groups across the nation that
are providing a variety of services and support to troops and their
families. A listing of these groups and information about their
efforts is available at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
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