Vice president's wife urges support for military families

  • Published
  • By Elaine Wilson
  • American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  The wife of Vice President Joe Biden met with New York National Guard personnel and their families in mid-September in Latham, N.Y. 

Dr. Jill Biden visited with the family members of deployed servicemembers and the professionals who support them, and pledged her support for military families and noted that her efforts are, in part, personal. 

The Bidens' son, Joseph Biden III, is a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard, and is currently deployed to Iraq. Doctor Biden has made support for the families of National Guard and Reserve members one of her priority issues as the nation's "second lady."

"I have talked to hundreds of servicemembers and families in my travels around the country and I have listened to their concerns," she said. "As a military mom, this is personal to me too -- and I am doing as much as I can to raise awareness of the special challenges that Guard members and their families face." 

Doctor Biden is intimately familiar with the challenges of military families.

"Like all of you gathered here tonight, my family worries about our son and looks forward to the day he comes back to us," she said at the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award ceremony Sept. 17. "Our family also knows what a difference it makes when people reach out to show support, whether in school, in the neighborhood or in the workplace."

She pointed out the importance of honoring military families' sacrifices and service.

"I hope to encourage more Americans to think about how they can show appreciation for our military families," she said.