Joining Forces to Support Military Families

[music] [Female Speaker] He's been appointed to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and he happens to be your current points leader in NASCAR. Give it up for 99's Carl Edwards! [applause] [Carl Edwards] I used to laugh at people that work out like I do. I used to think, why would you work out? You know, just eat what you like, do what you what. And then I realized, you know, if I wanted to live a long and healthy, productive life, that I needed to stay fit. [Female Speaker] Do you know the general? [Carl Edwards] How are you doing, sir? It never occurred to me until I spoke with the folks at the President's Council on Fitness that the guardsmen, the reserves, their families -- while they're deployed, you know, the levels of stress, anxiety and depression, all these things, you know, they mount and that pressure is on the family. Through Joining Forces, there are a lot of resources that are available to them. A lot of the folks in the communities have said, hey, we want to help these military families. You know, the guardsmen, the reserves, they don't have the same access to the gym facilities and places to go work out and relieve stress. So, to me, I think it's great to be part of this initiative with Joining Forces. So let them know that there are volunteers out there who are offering up services for these families to use. Hey, you have an outlet, you have somewhere you can go, there are people who are volunteering their services to help you get fit, stay in shape and relieve some of that stress. You know, that's why I'm here tonight. You guys have to take advantage of these things. There's so many people volunteering. We hope that you'll take advantage of these opportunities. It's very important for my family, it's important for my children, to me it's about education, having some pride in yourself and understanding that it's not just about racecar driving or being a soldier or relieving stress. It's about doing something for yourself and staying fit. [music]