In celebration of Okaloosa County’s 2015 Centennial, the Military Community Covenant has been renewed and signed by elected officials in Okaloosa County.
The covenant was originally written and signed in 2009 by 40 people in the community, including citizens, military families and civic leaders, as well as federal, state and local elected officials. It will be presented throughout the year to military installations in the county.
“I can think of no better way to celebrate our Centennial than by renewing our commitment to the military service members and their families, who have been an integral part of our community for much of our history as a county,” stated Commission Chairman Nathan Boyles. “We are a military first community and we remain resilient and supportive as evidenced by the response to the recent helicopter crash," he added.
In 2009 the Military Community Covenant welcomed the new Joint Strike Fighter and the 7th Special Forces Group, and recognized all military families. The renewal recognizes all service members and their families as Okaloosa turns 100, as noted in the excerpt below:
“The commitment and increasing sacrifices that all our military families are making every day … The strength of our service members comes from the strength of their families …the strength of families is supported by the strength of the community … The strength of the community comes from the support of everyone in the community.”
The covenant is an initiative that was started by the U.S. Army to foster and sustain effective state and community partnerships to improve the quality of life for soldiers and their families. To read the entire Military Community Covenant go to http://bit.ly/1B5c1Kn.
To get a copy of the Military Community Covenant, email Kathy Newby, knewby@co.okaloosa.fl.us.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa commissioners renew the Military Community Covenant