WASHINGTON (AP) – First lady Jill Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are traveling to Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama to highlight programs the Pentagon and the White House are implementing to improve quality of life and early childhood education in the military.
On Friday in Maxwell, Biden and Austin will visit a preschool championed by the first lady, which funds universal preschool and help for 3- and 4-year-olds. The administration plans to expand this program beyond military facilities and into educational systems nationwide.
Austin is expected to discuss the Pentagon’s efforts to ease some of the financial and career barriers facing military families. Austin has made it his goal to improve the quality of life for troops during his tenure as Secretary of Defense.
His goal is to retain service members and show future recruits the programs the Pentagon offers to support military careers, including more housing assistance, career assistance for spouses and pay raises.
Earlier this year, the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force announced they would meet recruiting goals for this budget year, but the Navy said it may fall short.
It has become more difficult for the army to recruit young people. Fewer families have a direct connection to the military, and more young people do not meet eligibility requirements.
