Gunner's Blog

"Nearly forty percent of deployed troops leave children behind at home, and during the last five years about 1,000 children have lost a parent in the Armed Forces. It is certainly true that when a parent serves, their children serve too."

Washington, D.C.- Today, Third District Representative Walter B. Jones participated in a press conference honoring the children of military parents. The Department of Defense has already designated April as the National Month of the Military Child, and Jones is an original co-sponsor of legislation that encourages all Americans to remember and pay tribute to military children.

House Resolution___ reads in part, "That the House of Representatives joins the Secretary of Defense in honoring the children of members of the Armed Forces and recognizes that they too share in the burden of protecting the Nation, urges Americans to join with the military community in observing the National Month of the Military Child with appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor, support, and thank military children; and recognizes with great appreciation the contributions made by private-sector organizations that provide resources and assistance to military families and the communities that support them."

Congressman Jones joined Congressman Jim Moran of Virginia and Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana at the press conference featuring children and representatives from Kids Serve Too, “a program created by military families for military families to provide resources that support military children.”

“Our military families play a critically important role in the lives of our men and women in uniform and are therefore in the heart of America,” Jones said. "Nearly forty percent of deployed troops leave children behind at home, and during the last five years about 1,000 children have lost a parent in the Armed Forces. It is certainly true that when a parent serves, their children serve too. I am grateful to everyone here today for their hard work and dedication to our military children. When we talk about war, children are often forgotten. But they are the ones most affected by war’s consequences when they lose a parent. As a Congress and as Americans we need to continue to make the needs of military families a priority. It is the least we can do to show our gratitude for their service to our country."

Congressman Jones is an honorary board member for Kids Serve Too.


For additional information or to schedule an interview with Congressman Walter B. Jones please contact Kristen Quigley at (202) 225-3415.