The White House Blog: Dr. Jill Biden

First Lady and Dr. Biden Urge State Action to Support Military Spouses with State Licenses

From left, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden listen to Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks during a Joining Forces military spouse employment event at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Feb. 15, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Earlier today, I had the great privilege of joining the First Lady, Dr. Biden, members of Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Chiefs and state legislators at the Pentagon for a major announcement impacting our nation’s military spouses. 

In their travels to military bases across America and throughout the world over the last three years, the First Lady and Dr. Biden have heard stories from countless military family members and spouses. One of the top issues they hear about everywhere they go deals with the professional licensing requirements that affect how military spouses can move forward in their careers. 

These spouses are among the more than 100,000 military spouses who serve in one of 50 professions that require a state license or credential – teachers, nurses, childcare providers, dental hygienists, real estate brokers, speech pathologists and many other professionals.  

Here’s why this matters: military families are asked to move again and again as their husband or wife serves our country.  In fact, military spouses move at a rate that is 10 times greater than the civilian population.  

Each move to a new state can mean different credentialing or licensing standards – a process that can sometimes take months to resolve.  In so many cases, these are qualified professionals who simply can’t work in their field because they’re waiting on paperwork. 

Dr. Jill Biden: Honoring Our Military and Their Families at Camp Pendleton

Dr. Jill Biden meets Female Engagement Team members preparing to deploy to Afghanistan following a combat simulation exercise at Camp Pendleton, CA., Jan 20, 2012. January 20, 2012. (by Melanie Kaye)

Last Friday, I was honored to spend the day with Marines and families preparing for deployment at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. It was a very special day. As Second Lady, there is nothing I enjoy more than visiting our military and their families. I am honored that they share their successes, pride, and challenges with me, and that when I bring their concerns back to the White House, they help shape policy. But as a military mom, these visits are also personal. Each Marine I met on Friday is someone’s son or daughter, and I know well the mixture of pride and worry a family member feels when a loved one is preparing to go to war.  

In the morning, I visited with Marines in combat training at the Infantry Immersion Trainer. I viewed a combat simulation exercise at the state-of-the art facility that is designed to resemble an Afghan village, down to every detail. The training is intended to prepare deploying Marines for the stress of combat. The visit made a deep and lasting impression on me, and it was a firm reminder of what our troops and their families sacrifice for us every single day – half a world away. After the simulation, I met with Female Engagement Team members preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. These young women go on foot patrols with Marine infantry units on the front lines in Afghanistan to interact with Afghan women and girls. I was inspired by their courage and determination, and their pride in what they do. 

Our next stop was Family Day with members of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Company and their families. The EOD team performs missions in extremely dangerous conditions, and they have very high injury rates. Almost all of the EOD team members I met are married, and many have young children – who also sacrifice every day while their Marines are in harm’s way. After lunch, I stopped at the EOD “hero wall,” a photo memorial honoring fallen Marines and Sailors.  I will never forget their faces. One Marine – speaking of a fallen warrior – told me “he saved my life.”

First and Second Families Participate in a National Day of Service

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at Browne Education Campus in Washington, D.C., before participating in a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day service event with First Lady Michelle Obama and daughter Malia, Jan. 16, 2012. January 16, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Today, President Obama, the First Lady, and Malia Obama volunteered at a local elementary school as part of a national day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King, who devoted his life to helping others, once said that “everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”

Before pitching in to help clean, paint, and organize the school’s library, the President spoke to other volunteers from Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Greater DC Cares gathered for the event:

There’s nobody who can’t serve. Nobody who can’t help somebody else. And whether you’re seven or six or whether you’re 76, then you can find opportunities to make an enormous difference in your community.

The Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden also joined the millions of Americans participating in service events around the country. They traveled to Philadelphia to take part in the 17th annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service, the largest Martin Luther King Jr. Day event in the nation.

Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden attend the 17th Annual Martin Luther King Day of Service at Girard College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 16, 2012. January 16, 2012. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Joining Forces with NASCAR to Say Thanks to our Troops and their Families

Watch Joining Forces with NASCAR, here. 

Joining Forces was launched earlier this year with one simple goal: Letting the men and women who serve our country – and their families -- know, as First Lady Michelle Obama says, “People care about you, they care about what you have done.”

The response to this initiative has been tremendous, with individuals and organizations from across the country joining in to say “thank you” – with commitments around hiring veterans, with commitments to increase access to wellness opportunities and with invitations for our active and retired servicemen and women – and their families – to participate in special events.

Recently, the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden joined some of those families at a NASCAR race in Miami, Florida. It was a once in a lifetime experience for everyone who was there, but as Dr. Biden points out, making a difference isn’t that difficult, especially around the holidays. “Reach out to a military family and say, come on over and have dinner with us. This is the perfect time to extend an act of kindness.”