In NY speech, Michelle Obama urges nonprofits to involve veterans, families in their work

First lady urges nonprofits to engage veterans

NEW YORK — First Lady Michelle Obama urged international development organizations to engage military veterans and spouses in their work, telling her audience Thursday at the Clinton Global Initiative that the skills of service members are “woefully underutilized.”

Former President Bill Clinton hosts the CGI, an annual summit of business, government and nonprofit leaders who make financial commitments to development projects around the world. Clinton sat on a stool nearby as the first lady spoke at the closing session.

Obama has worked extensively with military families and used the high-powered gathering to champion their interests.

“This issue may seem too uniquely American in scope for such a global audience here at CGI,” Obama said. “But right now, the human potential of America’s veterans and military families is both vast and woefully underutilized.”

Veterans, she said, often struggle with the transition to civilian life and have trouble finding jobs, especially in a weak economy. She said veterans and their spouses are highly trained and are used to shouldering great responsibility but that their skills are not always recognized by the civilian world.

“America’s servicemen and women are resilient, so they don’t always show it. And they’re proud, so they don’t always talk about it. But it’s hard to spend years serving your country, only to find that the value of that service isn’t fully understood,” Obama said.

Obama said military duty exposes veterans to the kind of development projects the CGI promotes and said they should be encouraged to contribute their expertise.

“Are you working to get clean water into a village? Are you trying to move people to safety in the wake of a natural disaster? That’s all in a day’s work for these folks,” Obama said. “That passion for serving, that commitment to helping others — that doesn’t just disappear when they return to civilian life.”

President Barack Obama introduced his wife to the group and praised her as a partner and advocate. He said he was glad she’d never challenged him in an election.

“She’d beat me thoroughly,” he said.

Clinton, for his part, introduced President Obama and gave him a strong political plug, praising the controversial economic stimulus plan Obama championed.

“I’m grateful we’ve got a president who’ll take on the issues that are popular and those that are unpopular if both are essential to creating a shared future,” Clinton said.