First Lady Jill Biden is coming to Beaufort County Friday. Here’s where she’ll speak
First Lady Jill Biden is coming to Beaufort and Port Royal.
The wife of President Joe Biden will speak during Friday morning’s graduation ceremony at U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, said Major Philip Kulczewski, a Marine spokesman.
The White House said Wednesday that Biden was planning to arrive Thursday evening at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. There are no public events planned Thursday, Biden’s spokesperson said.
About 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous training. Along with San Diego, it’s one of two Marine boot camps in the country.
The graduation event is not open to the general public but, as usual, family members of the recruits will be in attendance as well as local guests, Kulczewski said.
A White House press release said Biden will speak in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the nation’s All-Volunteer Force.
At the end of January 1973, then-Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird announced the U.S. military would fill its ranks exclusively with volunteers rather than with draftees.
“We have an all-volunteer force — and it continues only because generations of Americans see the honor, dignity, and patriotism of military service,” Biden said in 2021. “How can we hope to keep our military strong if we don’t give our families, survivors, and caregivers what they need to thrive? That’s what Joining Forces is about.”
The South Carolina visit is part of a White House initiative called Joining Forces, a push to raise awareness about the sacrifices of military members and their families and assist them through education, employment opportunities and wellness programs.
First Lady Michelle Obama and Biden launched it in 2011.
This story was originally published June 27, 2023 at 5:00 PM.
