OHIO — First lady Jill Biden announced she will visit the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on Wednesday as part of her Joining Forces initiative, which aims to support members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. 

Starting at 12:45 p.m., she will speak with military families, take a tour of a local Purple Star elementary school, and host a listening session. She will also discuss President Joe Biden's goals and investments for members, their families and veterans in the 2024 Fiscal Year budget proposal. 

Her visit also comes before the Month of the Military Child in April, which calls attention to the more than 1.6 million military children who are facing unique challenges and experiences throughout their life.

The first lady will visit a second-grade classroom at Beverly Gardens Elementary School, which supports military-connected children affiliated with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. She will hear how the Purple Star program helps those children with educational and social-economical challenges that come with transitioning to a new school. According to the White House, around 200,000 military-connected students in the U.S. transition into new schools.

Participants who will be included in the visit to the school include: 

  • Ohio's first lady Fran DeWine 
  • Dayton Mayor Jeffrey J. Mims, Jr. 
  • Chad Wyen, superintendent of Mad River School District  
  • Cristi Fields, principal of Beverly Gardens Elementary School 
  • Pete LuPiba, commissioner of Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission 
  • Amber Farkas, third-grade teacher at Beverly Gardens Elementary School 
  • Stacie Boltz, second-grade teacher at Beverly Gardens Elementary School 
  • Alexis Fee, student teacher at Beverly Gardens Elementary School

After her visit to the school, Biden will then head to the National museum of the U.S. Air Force to host the listening session, which will give insight on the experiences of military parents, single parents, foster parents and those in the Exceptional Family Member Program. Part of the discussion will include how to continue to support military-connected children.

She will also meet with flight nurses and specialists at the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine. 

Related Stories