Thank you.
The words seem totally inadequate for what was accomplished here.
In December of last year, just before Christmas, the Bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2014 was approved. In it, a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) reduction was included that impacted any retiree under the age of 62.
Families and spouses of the military were mad. ‘Enraged‘ is actually a better word for the emotion felt in the days leading up to the holiday.
Over the holiday, the calm before the storm, many initiatives came together to form the #KeepYourPromise Alliance:
Military Spouse Magazine
Military Spouse JD Network
Homefront Rising
NextGEN Milspouse
Military Officers Association of America
National Military Family Association
MIlspouse CEO
MACHO Spouse
MilitaryONE Click
Military Family Advisory Network
Homefront United Network
USMC Life
SpouseBUZZ
American Military Partners Association
We came back refreshed, informed, educated and ready to take on the battle. Today, as some of you know, that COLA cut? WAS. REPEALED. By an overwhelming margin.
And, I want to explain a few things…
We asked, begged, borrowed and implored every one of you to help. To Tweet, to call, to email, to write letters, to text… to do whatever it took to make our leaders LISTEN to us. YOU showed up to the Town Halls, YOU helped us get the word out, shared the updates and notified the right people.
And, YOU all did it! YOU did it in grand style and none of this would have been possible without YOUR help.
None of us are anything without each other. THIS. THIS is our team. We are each other’s support when needed, and the backbone that remains when all else fails.
While I can’t quite summarize completely my emotions right now, I do know that I am grateful. Grateful for the friends and allies we’ve all found through this effort, grateful for the greatest, strongest team of military spouses EVER (like, on the planet!) and grateful for each of your efforts.
Thank you to EACH of you for helping. For stepping in and stepping up.
So, I say in typical Southern fashion to those members of Congress who might have doubted the strength in our numbers, “Ya’ll best look out. We’re coming for YOUR seats. Soon.”
As a final note, I’d be totally remiss if I didn’t say a special thank you to 2012 AFI Military Spouse of the Year, Jeremy Hilton. Because, you see, it was Jeremy who started this whole thing. HE lit the fire that burned totally and completely out of control into what became THE single most organized effort for military spouses in history. So, THANK YOU JEREMY!
Thank you also, Lori Volkman (who ran the show behind the scenes), Adrianna Lupher, Karen Golden, Angie Drake, Reda Hicks, Tony Carr for keeping us all educated on the facts and focused on the prize.