President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden tied up their aprons and served Thanksgiving meals to troops and military families at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on Monday night.
On Tuesday, the official White House Twitter account tweeted, “.@POTUS and @FLOTUS serve an early Thanksgiving meal to service members and military families at Fort Bragg.”
The Hill tweeted a video of President Biden and First Lady Biden serving the meals. “WATCH: President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden serve troops and military families in Fort Bragg, NC in ‘Friendsgiving’ celebration.”
The visit to Fort Bragg was done as part of the First Lady’s Joining Forces initiative, a White House initiative to support the families of current service members and veterans, their caregivers and survivors of deceased service members. The initiative is centered around employment, entrepreneurship, military child education, and health and well-being matters.
First Lady Biden’s Joining Forces initiative is a reboot of an initiative first brought about by First Lady Michelle Obama.
“Had a great day yesterday at Fort Bragg. @FLOTUS’s Joining Forces initiative to support military families couldn’t be more personal or important to us — and we were proud to spend our Friendsgiving with service members and the families of the deployed.”
After serving the meals to service members, the first lady and the president took a few moments to deliver remarks to the gathered service members and their families.
“I am a military mom,” the First Lady said, speaking ahead of her husband. “Our son Beau was a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, and I know what it feels like for all of your families here, because you won’t be home for the holidays. And I know what it’s like to see that empty seat at the table and just feel like, you know, just how hard it is for the families.”
“So I want to thank all of you. That’s why we came to have dinner with you, to say thank you to you. We’re so grateful for everything that you do.”
The First Lady also tweeted, “Honored to serve those who serve our nation. #JoiningForces.”
“Folks, I want to thank not only you warriors, I want to thank your families because they ‘stand and wait,'” Biden said, following his wife’s remarks. “And I know how hard it is to have someone who is not at the table on a holiday — that are in harm’s way, that find themselves out of the country. And — because that’s what every time my — our son was in Iraq for a year and, before that, in Kosovo. And you do so much, and your families give so much. I really mean it, from the bottom of my heart.”
“And you’re the finest — you’re the finest military that the world has ever seen,” Biden continued. “That’s not hyperbole. You literally are. You’re the finest the world has ever seen. And I’m so damn proud to be associated with you. And it’s hard for me to even say it, but I’m — the thing that’s amazing to me is how proud I am to be your Commander-in-Chief. You are the most incredible group of women and men — warriors — that we’ve ever seen.”
