MOAA, along with a small group of other military family advocates, joined Jill Biden in a virtual meeting Jan. 14 as the incoming first lady announced the relaunch of Joining Forces, an initiative to highlight issues within the military community and find solutions to support them.

Joining Forces originated during the Obama administration as an initiative championed by Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. The three pillars of the initial program were employment, education, and wellness. Then-candidate Joe Biden pledged to bring back the program in response to MOAA questions and at other points during his presidential campaign as a way to continue a legacy of support for the military community.

In the years between the end of his term as vice president and the start of his campaign, Biden continued his work on military issues through the Biden Foundation. MOAA worked closely with the Biden Foundation on issues related to National Guard families, which inspired our 2019 National Guard and Reserve Family Forum.

[FROM 2018: Here's How Dr. Jill Biden Continues Her Support for Military Spouses]

During the Jan. 14 announcement, Jill Biden introduced Rory Brosius as the incoming executive director of Joining Forces. Brosius is no stranger to the military community – as the spouse of a Marine Corps veteran and family member to numerous servicemembers, Brosius has been a staple in the military advocacy space for many years. MOAA worked with her when she served as deputy director of Joining Forces during the Obama administration and in her many roles in the space since then. The entire military community was ecstatic in response to the announcement, knowing the initiative will be led by one of our own.

MOAA is actively communicating with the incoming administration regarding advocacy priorities and providing input to the newly formed Joining Forces team to help shape the initiative’s priorities.