Next Tuesday, October 17, 2017, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Co-chair of the Congressional Military Family Caucus, will host a Military Family Summit at the National Infantry Museum near Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. Congressman Bishop will be joined by his fellow CMFC co-chair, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), as well as senior administration officials, military families, and stakeholder organizations.
 
The purpose of the Military Family Summit is to connect military families with Members of Congress and their staff, officials from the Department of Defense, and personnel from numerous military family support organizations to discuss pressing issues impacting America’s service members and their families. Military families will be able to participate in panels to discuss issues faced on a daily basis, such as family health, resiliency, spouse employment and education, military child education, transition assistance, retirement, benefits, and financial readiness for the future. Additionally, resources specific to military families will be provided by attending support organizations.
 
The CMFC is a bipartisan congressional caucus that educates elected officials, congressional staffers, senior military leaders, and the public on a wide range of unique issues that affect military families. Currently, over 80 Democrats and Republicans are members of the CMFC.
 
WHO:

· Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA); Co-Chair of the Congressional Military Family Caucus

· Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA); Co-Chair of the Congressional Military Family Caucus

· KEYNOTE: Joyce Raezer, Executive Director, National Military Association

· KEYNOTE: MG Jeffrey Clark, Defense Health Agency

· Senator Ed Harbison, Georgia State Senator

· Daniel Daily, Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army and his spouse Holly

· Ronald Green, Sergeant Major of the U.S. Marine Corps and his spouse Andrea

· Steven Giordano, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy and his spouse Elka

· MG (Ret) Jerry White; Academy Nominations Board Chairman

· Jeri Busch, Director of Military Compensation, Department of Defense

· Michael Reyna, President, Military Benefit Association

· Kara Tollet Oakley, Founder of the TRICARE for Kids Coalition

· Anna Crenshaw, Assistant Director, Benefits Assistance Services, Department of Veterans Affairs

· John Ballantyne, Chief Operating Officer, Military Child Education Coalition

· Eddy Mentzer, Associate Director, Family Readiness & Well Being, Department of Defense

· Patty Barron, Director of Family Readiness, Association of the U.S. Army

· Brooke Goldberg, Director Military Family Issues, Military Officers Association of America

· Thomas Owens, Special Assistant to the Director, Defense Commissary Agency

· Kelly Hruska, Government Relations Director, National Military Family Association

· Leigh Plott, Director of Development, The Moyer Foundation

· Cynthia Wesley; spouse of MG Eric Wesley, CG, U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence.

· April Stephens, Fort Benning Spouse of the year and Professional blogger

· Representatives from military service organizations (list below)

· Congressional Staff

· Military families, service members, veterans

· The public
 
Availability to support organizations such as: Association of the United States Army; American Legion; Blue Star Families; Fort Benning Army Community Service; Fort Benning Morale, Welfare, and Recreation; Resilience Training on Fort Benning; Gold Star Families; Hiring Our Heroes; Military Child Education Coalition; Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission; Military Officers Association of America; Military OneSource; National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center; National Military Family Association; Warrior Care; Soldier for Life; USO; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Voices of Georgia’s Children; Army Community Service; Georgia Watch; Zero to Three; Heavy Equipment Colleges of America; Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System; Georgia Department of Labor; Neighbor Works Columbus; Operation Caregiver; Army Substance Abuse Program; America’s VetDogs; West Georgia Cancer Coalition; Operation Homefront; Casualty Assistance Office; American Red Cross.
 
WHEN:

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

DOORS OPEN: 8:00 AM EST

START: 8:30 AM EST

END: 1:00 PM EST