Beth Robinson

Good evening. I speak tonight as the wife of a United States Marine. I am an advocate for military families, a college graduate, stay-at-home mom, community volunteer and a disabled person living with Multiple Sclerosis. Most of all, I am a proud American.

And I see in Senator Obama the leadership, judgment and knowledge that will bring the change we need in the United States. Senator Obama asked ordinary Americans to answer his call to service. I answered, and here I am!

As Michelle Obama said, military families know the pain of an empty seat at the table. We endure the uncertainty that comes from deployments and war. But we do not complain. With unquestioning devotion, we proudly serve our nation.

Military families are grateful for our medical benefits. But I am appalled by the state of the health care system in our country and frustrated by the limitations of military health care, which is inadequate and underfunded.

Barack Obama extended health care benefits for military spouses in the Senate and will honor our nation’s commitment to military families as president. And I know that President Obama will make health care affordable and accessible for all Americans.

Military families frequently receive orders to move and do so without hesitation. Yet the lack of quality housing on bases has caused distress and financial burden. The state of our economy has left many service members facing foreclosure or financial ruin.

America’s respect for our service members must be reflected in how our government cares for them. Equitable pay and retirement benefits, access to quality housing, health care and counseling, consistent availability of on-base childcare and schools, accessible referral and support services for active duty troops, reserve, veterans and their families are not negotiable. These will be Barack Obama’s priorities as president.

Senator Obama recognizes the importance of military families and has asked for our input. He started military family roundtables to give military families the chance to communicate our concerns. As president, he will create a military families advisory board and actively support family readiness groups as part of his vow to “keep faith with those that serve.”

That’s the change that our military families need. He will restore America’s role as the world’s moral leader. Barack Obama is the commander-in-chief we’ve been waiting for.

Thank you.