Peninsula Daily News News Sources
NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ISLAND — First lady Jill Biden arrived at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island late Tuesday morning, part of her tour of military bases to meet with service families.
It was her second stop on a listening tour of three West Coast military installations this week.
“We want to know what challenges you face, what’s getting in your way,” she told an audience of military spouses.
“And just as importantly, we want to know what’s working at places like Whidbey.”
She got a close look at a U.S. Navy EA-18G “Growler” electronic warfare jet and talked with Navy personnel. The jet tail was painted red with the insignia of the “Scorpions” squadron.
Afterward, she met with local military families to listen to their concerns to better understand the obstacles they face and the support they need.
Discussions with Oak Harbor military families were held privately.
Among those on hand to greet the First Lady was Capt. Matthew Arny, commanding officer of the base.
Biden arrived in Washington on Monday and visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma.
Today, she is scheduled to visit Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Biden announced earlier this month that she plans to re-launch the Joining Forces initiative she helped start with former First Lady Michelle Obama in 2011.
The initiative’s goal is to work “hand in hand with the public and private sectors to ensure that service members, veterans, and their families have the tools they need to succeed throughout their lives,” according to an archived webpage from the Obama administration.
Many of the initiative’s early efforts focused on encouraging private companies to hire military veterans.
Biden launched the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, an effort to encourage employers to hire more military spouses, in 2011 through Joining Forces.
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Information is from Emily Gilbert of the Whidbey News-Times, a Sound Publishing newspaper, and The Associated Press.
