Sen. John Hoeven is trying to turn a growing state movement into a national day of recognition in honor of military personnel deployed around the world.
The North Dakota Republican has introduced a bill that would designate Oct. 26 as “Day of the Deployed,” a date already officially recognized by 40 states to mark the sacrifices made by U.S. servicemen and women, and their families, who often have to endure multiple deployments during the course of their military service.
“Our men and women in uniform work tirelessly to serve our country and protect our freedoms, and we cannot do enough to thank them and their families for the sacrifices they willingly make,” said Hoeven, who signed his own Day of the Deployed proclamation in 2006 when he was governor of North Dakota.
Hoeven was the first governor to officially set aside a day of recognition for the deployed. Since then, 39 other governors have signed proclamations as well, marking Oct. 26 as an annual day of respect for the deployed.
The movement was started by Soldiers’ Angels, a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides aid and help for not only active duty service personnel but veterans as well.
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