PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii -- Second Lady Karen Pence wrapped up a three day trip to Hawaii where she visited with military families and addressed military spouses, June 29, 2019.

On Friday, prior to a tour of the historic USS Arizona Memorial, the Second Lady addressed military families in attendance at the Blue Star Museum in Pearl Harbor.

“I know that we can never, ever thank you enough for the sacrifices that you make for the cause of freedom, but whenever given the chance we want to pay our debt of gratitude,” said Pence.

Mrs. Pence praised spouses for meeting the demands of military service on a daily basis.

“The strength of our nation does not just come from those who wear the uniform, who fight to protect our freedoms,” said Pence. “The spouses and the families who serve right alongside make tremendous sacrifices to the betterment of our country.”

Last fall, Mrs. Pence launched an awareness campaign to encourage and support military spouses. In her keynote address on Saturday in front of a crowd of active duty service members and spouses, she discussed employment challenges they may face and potential employment solutions.

“Military spouse employment is a very important aspect of a strong and resilient military family,” said Pence. “We know that if spouses aren’t happy, then military members are going to get out of the military sooner and we don’t want that to happen.”

She also discussed the renewed focus on assisting military spouses in working to build a steady career of their choice.

“For all of the sacrifices that military spouses make, it is the right thing to come alongside you and do everything we can to help you work in your chosen field,” said Pence

Mrs. Pence serves as the Honorary Co-chair of Blue Star Museums. Blue Stars Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America. Each summer, participating museums in every state offer free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve and their families.