President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush

George W. Bush served as 43rd president of the United States and Laura Bush served as first lady from 2001-2009. They are founders of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas, which is home to the George W. Bush Institute, a nonpartisan public policy and leadership development center focusing on solving today’s most pressing challenges.

The Military Service Initiative within the Bush Institute honors the service and sacrifice of all post-9/11 veterans by ensuring they and their families make successful transitions to civilian life, specifically in addressing the challenges of employment and overcoming the invisible wounds of war. Core programs of the Military Service Initiative include an employment partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called the Veteran Employment Transition Roadmap, and the Warrior Wellness Alliance, which connects peer-to-peer veteran networks with best-in-class health care providers. Mrs. Bush’s work is especially focused on caregivers of post 9/11 veterans. In 2017, President Bush also painted and penned Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors, which helped dispel the stigma of the invisible wounds of war and tell the human stories of those who courageously volunteer for our country.