McCaskill, Clay pledge support for Missouri military families

Erin Newald and Julia Pasternak of St. Louis, flank Rylee Burkman, of Jefferson City, during a visit to City Museum in St. Louis Saturday. The trio was among 175 military children from across Missouri attending the National Guard Youth Symposium at the Ballpark Hilton Hotel. (Photo by Bill Phelan/Missouri National Guard)

By Bill Phelan
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - If there's a single message that U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill wants to send to Missouri military families it's, "I've got your back."

McCaskill was a featured speaker at the annual Missouri National Guard Family Program Volunteer Conference, which concluded at Harris Stowe University in St. Louis on Saturday. The conference took place in conjunction with the Family Program's inaugural Youth Symposium, an event for the children of Missouri military personnel at the Ballpark Hilton Hotel. Both events are part of the Guard's recognition of April as the Month of the Military Child.

Family program volunteers work with Soldier support organizations providing food and household items, financial advice and counseling to military families. They also serve as role models and mentors to the children of Soldiers and Airmen of the Missouri National Guard.

"You are the foundation of the strength of our nation," McCaskill told the group. "Without you, without the support network, our military could not function the way that they have. They can do their jobs because you're here for them. You are simply the best."

"Our national defense relies not just on the strength of our military but on the strength of our military families," added Louis Abousie, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. William Clay, of St. Louis. "That's why your good work across the state is so important."

While support of U.S. Troops is not hard to find on Capitol Hill, McCaskill said equal support for their families is not so conspicuous.

"All too often, when we talk about the military in Washington, we don't talk about military families," she said. "There are two ways to keep our military ready: One is with the equipment and the training we provide them, and the other is the support we give them in terms of their mental health and the support of their families. We train our military to tackle any mission we give them, but we don't train them to ask for help when they need it."

Support of military families is a priority of First Lady Michelle Obama, a priority McCaskill shares.

"We are asking more of our military with multiple deployments and we have not fully comprehended the impact that has on military families," McCaskill said. "So I will work to provide a counselor for every National Guard unit. That kind of help within the unit could be crucial and that's why we have to reach out."

Family Program Director, Maj. Gregory Sampson, said both the volunteer and the youth programs work hand-in-hand to address the needs of Missouri's military families.

"Senator McCaskill and Congressman Clay are both allies in that effort," he said.

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