May 10, 2018
How President Trump Is Supporting Military Families
President Trump Signs the NDAA
ENHANCING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR NATION’S MILITARY FAMILIES: Today, President Trump issued an executive order to enhance opportunities for military spouses looking for employment in the Federal Government.
- President Trump has issued an executive order “on Enhancing Noncompetitive Civil Service Appointments of Military Spouses.” The order:
- requires Federal agencies to promote the use of noncompetitive hiring authority that currently exists for military spouses to the greatest extent possible;
- directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to educate agencies regarding the use of the noncompetitive hiring authority, and to increase awareness of the opportunities it creates among military spouses;
- requires all agencies to report annually on their progress in advertising positions to, obtaining applications from, and hiring military spouses; and
- directs agencies to recommend new ways to improve license portability and remove barriers to the employment of military spouses.
- The purpose of the President’s order is to provide significantly greater opportunity for military spouses to be considered for Federal competitive service positions.
- While the order promotes the use of noncompetitive hiring authority for military spouses, it does not require the hiring of a military spouse for an open position over other applicants.
- Ensures that military spouses receive the consideration they deserve for government positions; at the same time, no preference-eligible veteran will be displaced or lose his or her preference or a job to which he or she was entitled as a result of this order.
- In addition to the order, President Trump has issued a separate proclamation declaring May 11, 2018, as Military Spouse Day.
UNDEREMPLOYED AND UNDER STRESS: While our men and women in uniform serve our country on base or abroad, their spouses face many challenges to build families at home.
- There are nearly 690,000 spouses of active duty service members, 12 percent of whom are also active duty military.
- The military spouse unemployment rate has averaged between 20 percent and 25 percent over the past decade.
- In 2017, the military spouse unemployment rate stood at 16 percent according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, over 4 times the 2017 rate for all adult women.
- According to one estimate, in 2016, only 57 percent of military spouses participated in the labor force, compared to 76 percent of the population at large.
- The higher unemployment rate persists notwithstanding a military spouse population with a higher level of education than the population at large.
- Only 5 percent of military spouses rated themselves as financially well off, versus 50 percent who said they were comfortable, 38 percent who said they were living paycheck to paycheck, and 6 percent who were struggling financially.
- 80 percent of military spouses who are actively searching for work have cited the job search process as a source of stress between them and their spouses in the military.
- 47 percent of military spouses have described finding work or managing their careers as a source of stress.
OVER REGULATION AND RELOCATION: Beyond the stress of having to move frequently due to military deployments, military spouses have to deal with job searches hampered by state regulation that prevents their occupational licenses from easily transferring.
- Patchwork state regulation of occupational licensing poses a significant challenge to military spouses, who regularly move so their spouses can continue to serve their country.
- 22 percent of military spouses cited one of their greatest challenges their inability to transfer professional licenses from one state to another.
- In 2016, over 30 percent of military spouses required a government license to do their jobs, versus 22 percent of all workers.
- 77 percent of military spouses said that having two incomes is important to their family’s well-being, but only 50 percent of military families with children have two working parents.
- 90 percent of military spouses moved at least 50 miles due to their spouse’s military career, and over 50 percent moved at least 3 times.
- Military spouses are 7 times more likely than civilian spouses to move across state lines.
- Two-thirds have had to quit or change jobs as a result of a move.
- A little over one-fourth took 1 to 3 months to find a new job, 29 percent took 4 to 6 months, and 12 percent took 7 to 12 months.
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About The Author
President Trump should issue a pardon to each and every one of the military members who have been persecuted by military tribunals and imprisoned ( some for life ) for fabricated “offences “,
ie, killing enemy combatants in enemy territory., in Afghanistan and other Middle East conflicts.
The Senate hearings are just a kangaroo court, full of anti-military congressional traitors.
Here is an example ;
MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH SPOTLIGHT: Sgt. Derrick Miller continues to sit in prison for saving countless American lives in Afghanistan. There’s been no word from the Army Clemency and Parole Board since his special hearing on April 5th – which means we must keep fighting to free this American Hero. Please scroll down to read the letter from Derrick’s mom, Renee. Then make a generous, tax-deductible donation to the UAP Warrior Fund to help fund Derrick’s legal defense so we can send this American Hero home to his two little girls.
UAP
Anna and her son 1LT Clint LoranceDear Ian,
I am so scared for my son’s life that I’m writing you this e-mail today, even though we’ve never met.
My name is Renee Myers and my son is Sgt. Derrick Miller of the Maryland National Guard.
Derrick is the kind of man every mother wants her son to grow up to be – strong, kind and loyal. He’s a proud daddy who adores his two daughters – this photo is one of my favorites of him holding his oldest daughter, Karina.
But what I love the most about my son is that he felt it was his duty as an American to join the National Guard. In fact, he volunteered for two of his three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Now, I wish I could go back in time and tell him not to…
Because for volunteering to defend our nation, Derrick has been sentenced to life in prison for doing exactly what the Army trained him to do!
You see, while on a combat mission in September of 2010, Derrick watched an Afghani national walk through his unit’s defense perimeter. The same man had been detained the day before under suspicion of driving insurgents to a nearby combat firefight.
So to be safe, Derrick and another U.S. soldier took him into custody for questioning with an Afghani interpreter.
Derrick asked the man why he was within the American defense perimeter. First, the man claimed to be an electrician responding to a downed power line. Then he claimed to be there to fix a water pump. Either way, he had no tools with him.
The Afghani grew more and more agitated as Derrick continued asking questions. Suddenly, he grabbed for Derrick’s weapon.
Derrick reacted immediately – firing and killing the suspect.
Just days after the incident, Derrick was arrested and charged with “premeditated murder” of the Afghani insurgent!
For eight terrible months, we waited for the trial that would finally set the record straight and bring Derrick home to us. After all, there were witnesses who saw the whole incident and would testify on his behalf.
But instead, our government turned its back on Derrick – a decorated U.S. soldier – to appease Afghanistan officials.
Remember, another soldier had witnessed the interrogation and confirmed Derrick’s account. But he changed his story after the government threatened to charge him with accessory to murder.
The other witness was the Afghani translator. And in exchange for testifying against Derrick, he was granted U.S. citizenship.
Yes, our government brought him here to the U.S. and paid for him to live in an on-base hotel for six months with food, a personal van, and a $630 per month allowance – all provided at taxpayer expense!
Worst of all, the Army destroyed every bit of forensic evidence that could have proved Derrick was acting in self-defense. There were no photos. No autopsy. Nothing.
But I still believed the government would do the right thing. Instead, I held hands with my husband and Derrick’s wife, Katherine, and listened in shock as Derrick was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
His feet were shackled, his hands cuffed to a leather belt around his waist, and, just like that, my only child was taken from me.
Since then, the world has simply fallen apart for his precious family.
The military immediately stopped Derrick’s paychecks. Derrick’s wife and my husband and I had pooled together all our money to hire a civilian attorney to represent Derrick. It cost $50,000 – every cent we had.
Now, with no money in the bank, his wife couldn’t pay their mortgage, utilities, car payment, or Derrick’s student loans.
Derrick had always worked two jobs so his wife could stay home after their babies were born. Now she can’t. The girls are so little and they don’t understand. They ask her over and over again, “Why can’t Daddy come home?”
They wake up at night and cry for him. And honestly, sometimes so do I.
My friend, I can’t bear the thought of the girls growing up without their dad. Or Derrick not being able to scoop them up in his arms before they’re grown. But we have only one hope left now…
You see, we got a phone call from United American Patriots (UAP), an organization that helps soldiers who have been unfairly indicted for their split-second actions in combat.
The good folks at UAP know firsthand that you can’t send U.S. soldiers into terrorist combat zones and second-guess their actions from a desk in Washington. And now they’re ready to help Derrick.
But first, they have to raise money for an appeal, which will require hours of legal research, expert witnesses, and legal motions. UAP is a non-profit organization, which means they don’t receive any funding from the federal government – only private donations from patriotic Americans.
It also means that I’m going to take a deep breath and ask you one of the hardest questions I’ve ever asked another person:
Can you help me fight to free my son by making a donation of $35, $50, $100 or more to UAP?
Your gift is tax-deductible. And it will help us pay for Derrick’s appeal – and help other innocent soldiers who have been unfairly charged, too.
The federal government has already spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to convict Derrick and grant U.S. citizenship to the Afghani who testified against him.
But I must rely on the generous hearts of people like you to save my son.
That’s why I’m writing you today – to do what I can as the mother of a U.S. soldier to find good-hearted people out there who care about defending our nation’s troops.
Our attorney is going above and beyond the call of duty to fight for Derrick. But mounting his defense will cost us at least $30,000. It’s money we simply don’t have.
Can you please help UAP fund this legal battle and bring Derrick home to us?
Your $35 contribution could be the difference between letting my son rot in prison for the rest of his life for a “crime” he didn’t commit… or bringing him home to me and his girls where he belongs!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for any help you can send to UAP today.
Yours truly,
Mrs. Renee Myers
P.S. As a member of the National Guard who volunteered for two of his three tours of duty, my son has sacrificed so much for our country. Yet in return, our government has taken away his family and his freedom! Right now Derrick desperately needs to know that he hasn’t been forgotten! Thank you for whatever amount you can send today to give him hope and to help bring him home!
SUPPORT DERRICK MILLER
United American Patriots is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Mailing Address: 121-F Shields Park Drive, Kernersville, NC 27284
© Copyright 2018, UnitedPatriots.org
Believe it or not there are many military families that need “food stamps” and other benefits just to live a normal life. Seems these people who make incredible sacrifices should not have to do that. It is shameful. Illegals and aliens come to America and immediately go on welfare yet our military families struggle alone.