JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Each year, the President and First Lady of the United States take time to celebrate Mother’s Day with a special tea to recognize, honor, and thank mothers for the sacrifices and invaluable contribution they make for their families. This year, approximately 50 military mothers, from the local area and around the country, were invited to attend a tea at the White House, on May 12. Some of the mothers were currently serving on active duty while others were selected by their children, who are currently serving in the military. Tech. Sgt. Monique Banaay and Staff Sgt. Reyna Castro, 779th Medical Group, Pentagon Flight Medicine Clinic, patient administration technicians, were chosen to participate in the event.
“It was amazing!” said Banaay. “We arrived in full service dress around 1 p.m. and were escorted to the Red, Green and Blue rooms. The staff encouraged us to explore the rooms freely, sit on the furniture, take pictures and enjoy the refreshments, which included appetizers, sandwiches, deserts, wine and soft drinks (but no tea). The Army Band and Marine Orchestra played about eight songs, including all the military service songs. It was an incredibly moving experience.”
Shortly after the tea started, President Donald Trump and the First Lady, Melania Trump, arrived and met with the attendees and encouraged them to take pictures. They gave short speeches expressing their appreciation for the valuable role mothers play in the country’s success and also discussed planned improvement to the Veterans Administration process.
“It was amazing to experience history, first-hand, as we looked at the artwork and sat on original furniture used by so many previous presidents,” said Castro. “It was also fun to mingle and meet military members from all around the country.”
Castro is from Corpus Christi, Texas and has a three year old son. Banaay is from Oxnard, California and has a seven year old son. Both represented the 779th Medical Group well and praised the event as a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.