Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Military Spouse Appreciation Day Event at Children’s Museum at Joint Base Lewis McChord

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

Thank you. Stephanie, while running your own business, supporting Cody’s work, being a mom to three—and I can’t believe a one-year-old—and coaching. You are a super mom, but I think all moms are super moms. You’ve always made time to support military families. Thank you for your dedication to this community—they’re lucky to have you.  

General George and Patty, thank you for your warm welcome. My dad was like you: he was seventeen when he graduated from high school and wanted to go fight in World War II. My grandmother—I know this story well—reluctantly signed the papers so that he could join up. So, we do have something in common besides being a military family.  

And thank you for giving me the opportunity to have a sneak peek of the first ever children’s museum on a military base.  

What a beautiful “gift” it is for the children here.  

This partnership with the Children’s Museum of Tacoma shows what can happen when communities—both inside and outside the gates of this base—come together to support military families.   

And as an educator, I’m especially grateful to see the care and consideration that has gone into empowering children with disabilities through the JBLM CARES program and through the unique spaces you’ve created in this museum for those children.  

This is my first trip to Tacoma, Washington—and I’m grateful that Governor Inslee and First Lady Trudi joined us today.  

Governor Inslee has worked hard to help Washington State through this pandemic, including working to reopen schools, and getting educators vaccinated, and my husband is glad to have him as a partner.  

During the last year, so many parents have told me they feel like they are just barely keeping it together.  

They’re exhausted from trying to work and watch their kids without school, or childcare, or family who can step in.  

They’re trying to help their children process frustration, fear, and restlessness—all while they struggle with their own worries and anxieties.  

They feel guilty about letting their kids have that extra screen time or making mac and cheese again—because they need something to be easy for just one moment.  

Last summer, in Fayetteville, NC I got to know a mom named Kellie.  

She was working hard to balance her job while overseeing remote learning for her two children.  

She worried about her family’s health.

She felt stretched in every direction. 

And for the first five months of the pandemic, she did it all while her husband was deployed to Afghanistan.  

She talked to me about the pressure of being what she calls the “default” parent—making big decisions without getting to talk them through with her spouse, and being the one responsible for holding it all together.  

I think that’s so hard. I saw that with my own daughter-in-law when our son was deployed, not having somebody to lean on and to be there and to run something by.  

Kellie said she kept thinking: “What if I get sick? Mommy can’t get sick.” 

Still, despite the challenges, when I met Kellie, she and her family were doing what so many military families do—supporting their neighbors, volunteering and working to make their community better for everyone.  

In 2011, Michelle Obama and I decided to use our platform to support military families.  

Together, we launched Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative to support our service members, veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.  

We focused on three areas: employment, education, and wellness.  

And after the Obama-Biden Administration, I was able to continue that work through the Biden Foundation.    

During these past 10 years, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know so many military families.  

I never stopped. I started working with military families before, when my husband was a Senator, and it’s been a constant in my life.  

They’ve told me about their struggles and their triumphs.  

And again and again, I met spouses just like Kellie—incredibly hardworking, generous with their time and talents, proud of their service and their country, and most of all, resilient.  

Whether it’s changing jobs or a new school, becoming the “default parent,” moving yet again, or saying goodbye to family and friends, just make it work. So many Americans don’t know what your lives are like and the struggles you face.  

You know this life comes with challenges.  

But it shouldn’t be harder than it needs to be. 

Your Commander-in-Chief and I will continue to lift up your experience and rally the support that you deserve. 

That’s why am I here today: to hear from you and understand what’s on your mind.  

We want to know what challenges you face. What’s getting in your way?  

And just as importantly, we want to know what’s working at places like JBLM. What has made your path a little clearer? And how can we bring these solutions to families across the country? 

The experiences and needs of military families constantly evolve and change.  

All those years ago, we certainly never imagined how a global pandemic might affect circumstances—ranging from access to child care, to having a safe place to live, to keeping food on your table, to building a career.  

The men and women of our armed forces can’t be their best when they are worried that their families are struggling.  

That’s why this isn’t just a nice thing to do—it’s a national security imperative.  

Thank you for joining us today. Thank you for opening up and talking to me.  I think it’s a tribute to you, General, that you’re saying “yes, we want to make things better for our families” and for inviting me to come to the base and talk to everybody. I want to say thank you again, and may God bless our troops.  

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