On the recordNovember 8, 2017
Mr. President, I appreciate the kind words of Senator Hoeven and his affinity toward veterans. I am here to talk about our veterans as well. I come at it from three different perceptions. I chair the Military Personnel Subcommittee in the Senate Armed Services Committee. We are trying to work on things to make sure that when somebody goes out of Active Duty into veteran status, we make it as productive as it can be, making sure they enter back fully into the workforce, the education opportunities, and all the kinds of opportunities that are afforded them as a result of serving in our armed services. I also want to take a minute to talk about the person who served but never wore a uniform, and that is the husband or the wife or the children whom, on this Veterans Day, we should also thank. A lot of times, when I have an opportunity--I live in Charlotte, NC, where we have nearly 800,000 veterans. It is one of the largest populations of any one State--I make a point to get to the airport a little bit early so I can go up to the USO and just spend a moment meeting with people who are there transitioning from Active Duty and veterans to thank them for their service. Oftentimes, I will thank a man or woman, and they will say: I didn't serve; my husband or my wife did. I will say: By virtue of your being a military spouse, you served, as did your children.…





