WEBVTT

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Every April The Department of Defense

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celebrates the Month of the Military

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Child. I want to take a moment to

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thank all the children of our service

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members and veterans across the country

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and around the world. Now, it can be

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hard to have parents in uniform and I

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know that you sometimes worry if your

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mom or dad is deployed overseas and you

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miss them while they're away. You've

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probably moved a lot going from duty

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station to duty station. You've had to

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change schools and get used to new

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places and make new friends and you

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probably had to celebrate some

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birthdays and holidays or graduations

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by talking on facetime instead of

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getting a big hug in person. Let's be

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clear, America's military children

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serve every bit as much as their

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parents and so we've got to give you

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and your families the support that you

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need. For me and for the rest of the

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department that's more than just a

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responsibility. It is a sacred duty.

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That's why we're working hard to fund

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universal pre K at dod schools. It's why

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we've expanded paid leave for new

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military parents to 12 weeks and

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it's why we've made moves easier and more

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affordable. Our department's most

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valuable resource will always be our

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people. So this month and every

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month I salute you, our military

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children. Thank you again and God

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bless you all.