First lady Jill Biden, center, and onlookers celebrate as Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma sign a permanent memorandum of agreement between the Defense Department and the State Department to strengthen the Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas program for military spouses in the East Room at the White House on Apr. 17, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Yuri Gripas)
Jill Biden said military spouses also serve the United States even though they don't wear a uniform and that the government has a responsibility to serve them, too.
"This isn't just a moral obligation," she said. "It's a national security imperative."
The first lady said the principle of an all-volunteer military, which is the case in the U.S., is put "at risk when we force our service members to choose between their love of country and the families who serve alongside them. We must give them the support they need to choose both."
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Military spouses face a 21% unemployment rate that has not significantly changed over the past decade, according to information from the White House. More than 16,000 military, veteran and surviving spouses work across federal departments and agencies.
Jill Biden cracked a joke at the beginning of her formal remarks, saying she was really excited because "like so many of you, I am a working spouse of a government employee."
Biden teaches English and writing two days a week at Northern Virginia Community College.
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