Military Spouse Appreciation Day

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.

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.