Brevard County, Florida
***
Thank you, Sheila.
Secretary McDonough, thank you for fighting for our veterans and their families every day. Denis, Joe and I are grateful for your leadership and your partnership. Thank you for joining us today.
Coming here to Patrick is a privilege and an honor.
As some of you may know, the Bidens, we are a military family. When he was seventeen, my father served as a signalman in World War II. And our son, Beau, deployed to Iraq for a year as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard.
So, this is personal to me - and to your president.
Your well-being and your happiness matter to us - and we want to know what's working and what could be done better.
We just met with some of the Guardians working at the Cape.
And I had the opportunity to talk to them about the important work they're doing, and about some of the unique challenges they face as they're deployed in place - the time spent away from family and friends on long shifts and through odd hours. And I know that's not easy for their loved ones either.
Because even though you don't wear the uniform, you and your children serve this country as well.
That's why we have to make sure that your service is an opportunity of dignity and honor, of pride and accomplishment - for the entire family.
Joining Forces - my White House initiative to support military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors - is working to do just that.
And as I've traveled to bases around the country and across the world, I've spoken with military families like yours to learn about their experiences and challenges.
When I brought those stories back to Joe, he listened.
He called on all federal agencies to partner with the Department of Defense to hire and retain military spouses.
This past June, he signed an executive order to address the employment challenges faced by military spouses in the federal workforce. So that when you PCS you can take your job with you.
The Biden-Harris Administration is also supporting spouses who are trying to start a business.
And through historic executive action, President Biden is improving access to childcare for hard-working families, including military and veteran families.
Now, I know many of you joined Space Force from other branches of the military. And I want to thank you for leaping toward this new challenge.
But I also know that being first comes with its own unique hardships - that first, there aren't many of you; that you're spread across the country in small numbers; and, often there's no one to guide you because no one has ever done this before.
So, thank you for joining us today and thank you for your service and your sacrifice.
I look forward to learning more about your experiences and finding ways for Joining Forces to support you.
May God bless our troops, their families, caregivers, and survivors.
