Michelle Obama: "For the first 18 years of my life, I moved between 13 different foster homes and five group homes in Chicago. All the indicators suggested that I was heading down a negative path, but I didn’t want to become a statistic. I wanted to be a leader. So I joined the Marine Corps. As a Marine, I found a purpose and a mission. Most importantly, I found a family. When the time came to take off my uniform, I confronted challenges that made me afraid I’d fall into the same traps I feared earlier in life. Then, at a community service project with the Mission Continues, I found a new team and mission. I found a network of veterans, full-time employment, and with the support of my volunteer group, a new home for me and my family." –Tina Thomas, a @US.Marines veteran and proud The Mission Continues team member. #JoiningForces

"For the first 18 years of my life, I moved between 13 different foster homes and five group homes in Chicago. All the indicators suggested that I was heading down a negative path, but I didn’t want to become a statistic. I wanted to be a leader. So I joined the Marine Corps. As a Marine, I found a purpose and a mission. Most importantly, I found a family. When the time came to take off my uniform, I confronted challenges that made me afraid I’d fall into the same traps I feared earlier in life. Then, at a community service project with the Mission Continues, I found a new team and mission. I found a network of veterans, full-time employment, and with the support of my volunteer group, a new home for me and my family." –Tina Thomas, a @US.Marines veteran and proud The Mission Continues team member. #JoiningForces
via Instagram michelleobama