Joe Biden to sign executive order to expand job assistance to military families

June 9 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden will travel with first lady Jill Biden to North Carolina on Friday to sign an executive order to increase employment assistance to military families.

The comprehensive order, to be signed at newly named Fort Liberty, includes nearly 20 actions that will boost a wide range of job support initiatives for military and veteran spouses, caregivers and survivors while also expanding childcare and health services.

Later in the day, the president plans to announce new job-training programs for students at community colleges and historically Black colleges and universities during a stop at Nash Community College in Rocky Mount, N.C.

The president's visit to Fort Liberty comes a week after the U.S. Army officially changed the name of the base from Fort Bragg as part of an effort to rebrand military facilities named after Confederates of the Civil War.

There, Joe Biden will discuss new initiatives to help the nation's troops and their families find steady work as active-duty military spouses faced 21% unemployment across the nation, the White House said.

The executive action aims to help these families deal with the unique demands of military life, including frequent relocations and persistent care for the injured and wounded.

"In times of both peace and war, military-connected families sacrifice for our country, answering the call to duty over and again," the White House said in statement. "Many military and veteran spouses, caregivers and survivors -- the vast majority of whom are women -- struggle to achieve their desired career goals due to the strains of multiple deployments; frequent moves with little control over their geographic location; caring for wounded, ill and injured service members or veterans; time apart for training and more."

The executive action calls for the development of a government strategic plan within 180 days to boost hiring and widen job opportunities for military families in federal government positions, the White House said.

Biden's order will set new policy to improve the Domestic Employee Teleworking Overseas program, which would promote military spouses working outside the United States while service members were stationed abroad.

The action seeks to boost access to child care for military families by allowing Dependent Care Flexible Saving Accounts for service members no later than Jan. 1, as well as expansion of pathways for military spouses to provide home-based child care on military bases, the White House said.

The order calls for additional incentives to help retain military spouses and caregivers, in the public and private sector jobs, including personal time off work, and expanding options for remote work. There is also a provision for federal agencies to provide job relocation services whenever a military family is uprooted by a reassignment.

Biden's action also directs the Small Business Administration to develop resources to provide legal assistance, business support and entrepreneurship training.

Friday's event will also highlight efforts by Jill Biden, whose Joining Forces initiative has worked to boost employment and increase economic opportunity for military families.

"We can't ask our service members to choose between their love of country and their love of family," Jill Biden said ahead of the trip. "That's why supporting families and the executive order that Joe will sign are matters of national security."

After leaving the base, the Bidens will make their way to Rocky Mount, where they are scheduled to meet students at Nash Community College, tour facilities and discuss the impact of the president's domestic agenda.

The president plans to call attention to increased workforce training in the state since 2021 as major North Carolina companies have stepped up with $16 billion to support government efforts.

The administration has also invested $5 billion in the state to fund major infrastructure projects, including new roads and bridges, and to help address clean water concerns.

The visit was intended to highlight gains made under the American Rescue Plan, which provided $23.7 million to HBCUs and community colleges throughout the country last year, while federal funds have also gone to rural and majority-Black communities in North Carolina to expand careers in clean energy.