Joining Forces: A Look Back at 2023
By Sheila Casey, Executive Director of Joining Forces
As we begin a new year, we reflect on Joining Forces’ continuing efforts to support military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors. In 2023, First Lady Jill Biden visited 10 military installations and worked with Joining Forces partners on more than 40 engagements for our military-connected community. Throughout the year, Joining Forces helped coordinate the Administration’s efforts to strengthen policies that impact our military-connected community, with a focus on military and veteran spouse economic opportunity, military child education, and the health and well-being of our military families.
Strengthened Economic Opportunity for Military Families
Since Day One of the Biden Administration, Dr. Biden and the Joining Forces team have worked to eliminate barriers to employment and increase economic opportunity for military-connected families. In 2023, Joining Forces continued to bring together the public and private sectors to help strengthen military and veteran spouse employment and increase economic opportunities for military families. We began the year with a visit to U.S. Army Garrison Fort Drum in New York where Dr. Biden and Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks heard directly from the military-connected community about the challenges they face in finding and maintaining employment and brought that insight back to the White House. Additionally, Dr. Biden celebrated employers from across the country who have joined the Department of Defense’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) to strengthen the recruitment and retention of military spouse employees. She also joined Blue Star Families and Hiring Our Heroes to encourage the private sector to better support military and veteran spouse employees.
2023 Highlight | Presidential Executive Order to Support the Careers of Military and Veteran Spouses
“Our service members shouldn’t have to choose between their love of our country and their love of family. Supporting the careers of our military-connected spouses is a national security imperative.”
First Lady Jill Biden
In June, the President, alongside Dr. Biden, signed an Executive Order on Advancing Economic Security for Military and Veteran Spouses, Military Caregivers, and Survivors at Fort Liberty in North Carolina – home to the largest military spouse population in the United States – to support the economic security of military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors. The Executive Order is the most comprehensive set of administrative actions any President has ever taken to support military spouses, and included nearly 20 new actions aimed at enhancing career stability, expanding employment resources, and improving transition assistance support for military-connected spouses, including the more than 16,000 military, veteran, and surviving spouses in the Federal workforce.
Additional progress from the Biden Administration
- President Biden signed the Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers, which included measures to ensure military and veteran families have access to high-quality child care, as well as actions to better support veteran caregivers.
- The Office of Personnel Management issued a Chief Human Capital Officer Guidance Memo encouraging federal agencies to improve work-place policies to help strengthen the recruitment and retention of military-connected federal employees.
- The Department of Defense launched Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts to allow service members and their families to use their pretax dollars to help cover the cost of child care.
- The Small Business Administration launched the Military Spouse Pathways to Business Program, which assists military spouses in starting and maintaining their small businesses as they transition duty-stations or relocate due to their spouses’ military service.
Advanced Military Children’s Education
Joining Forces continues to support military-connected children in their classrooms and help ease the challenges created by the highly mobile military lifestyle. Throughout 2023, Dr. Biden and the Joining Forces team worked to spotlight the unique experiences of military children to ensure state and local governments, school district leaders, educators, and parents can support the needs of military families, especially those in the reserve component, military students with disabilities, and Hidden Helpers.
2023 Highlight | Debuted The Military Children’s Corner, a new White House art display dedicated to military children
“During my travels, military children have frequently shared their artwork with me, offering a window into their lives. Inspired by their stories of kindness, ingenuity, and strength, I wanted to bring their art and talents to the White House. As visitors enjoy The Military Children’s Corner, I hope they also take a moment to reflect on the service and sacrifice of our military families.”
First Lady Jill Biden
In September, Dr. Biden debuted The Military Children’s Corner, a new art display dedicated to military-connected children at the White House. Building on her annual Month of the Military Child art installations, Dr. Biden is continuing to use art as an educational tool to help Americans learn more about the experiences of our military-connected children. Located along the East Colonnade of the East Wing, The Military Children’s Corner is among the first thing guests and visitors see on the public tour when they enter the White House. The display, updated quarterly, was designed to mirror the look and feel of a classroom bulletin board commonly found along the halls of elementary schools, making this display approachable to visitors of all ages.
Additionally in 2023, Dr. Biden and the Joining Forces team:
- Hosted a listening session with military parents at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force to hear about their experiences and discuss ways to continue support for military-connected children, especially those enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program.
- Celebrated Valentine’s Day at the White House with ‘heart-work’ created by military children she met during a visit to South Riva Ridge Child Development Center at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Drum, New York.
- Kicked-off Month of the Military Child at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to see how the Beverly Gardens Elementary School, a Purple Star School, supports the education of military-connected children in the local Ohio community.
- Partnered with the Military Child Education Coalition on a temporary art installation at the White House inspired by a poem called “My Military Suitcase,” which featured miniature wooden suitcases designed by military and veteran children to reflect their journeys as military-connected families.
- Celebrated the Class of 2023 from Matthew C. Perry High School, a Department of Defense Education Activity school located at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.
- Visited with military children participating in Patrick Space Force Base’s STARBASE program, a Department of Defense STEM education program.
- Spotlighted the unique experiences of National Guard children during a roundtable conversation at the White House with Kelly Hokanson, spouse of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and children from Guard families from around the country.
Supported the Health and Well-Being of Our Military Families
Joining Forces recognizes that creating strong community bonds and having access to health and wellness resources are key components to ensure the wellbeing of our service members and their families. We will continue to take part in community building, highlight best practices from service providers in the civilian community, and work with all levels of government to ease the challenges that exist to accessing mental health and well-being resources.
2023 Highlight | Celebrated the holidays with Fort Campbell families impacted by tornado
“As Americans across the country gather this weekend for the holidays, our family wanted to come here – we wanted to be with all of you, to stand with you, to let you know that you’re not alone…In moments of hardship, you’re the ones who step up, you’re the ones who put your lives in harm’s way, you’re the ones who reach out a hand to carry others through.”
First Lady Jill Biden
Ahead of Christmas Eve, First Lady Jill Biden – joined by Santa! – traveled to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, a U.S. Army installation and home of the 101st Airborne Division, to celebrate the holidays and meet with military families impacted by the recent tornado in the region. The holiday celebration was supported by Armed Services YMCA, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots, and Mission BBQ.
Additionally in 2023, Dr. Biden and the Joining Forces team:
- Met with clinical staff and military leaders at Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic in Oceanside, CA, to hear how they are working together to strengthen mental health outcomes for veterans, active-duty members, and their families.
- Partnered with the National Governors Association and United Through Reading to create reading care packages for military children and families.
- Hosted the first-ever Joining Forces Military Kids Workout, in partnership with Team Red, White, and Blue (Team RWB) on the South Lawn of the White House to highlight the importance of building connections between military and civilian communities and demonstrate the many ways to celebrate military-connected children.
- Participated in a writing seminar for Gold Star Children and Siblings hosted by The War Horse.
- Hosted a White House screening of “Unconditional: When Minds Hurt, Love Heals,” a new documentary focused on the role of caregivers, featuring members of the Dole Caregiver Fellows program at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.
- Marked the 50th anniversary of the All-Volunteer Force by celebrating the graduates of Company F and their families at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, SC.
- Honored Women Veterans Recognition Day at the Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery to mark the support for women in the armed forces.
- Celebrated Friendsgiving with the Robert Irvine Foundation and families of the USS Eisenhower and USS Ford at Naval Station Norfolk. In addition, military families from Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads were treated to a special pre-screening of the movie Wonka, provided by Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Hosted the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots at the White House with local Marine Corps and military-connected families to sort toys for families in need ahead of the holidays.
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