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Jill Biden: Well, good morning.
Multiple Speakers: Good morning.
Jill Biden: An awake crowd.
(laughter)
Jill Biden: Wrong speech.
Hold on.
Okay.
So, First Lady Michelle Obama and I have gotten to
know many of you over the years, and we always value
the opportunity like today to express our gratitude and
support for all that you do, especially for the men and
women who serve and sacrifice so much for
our country.
Over the course of the last seven years, Michelle and I
have had the great privilege of visiting our troops and
military families throughout the United States and around
the world.
I speak for both of us when I say that we're always
inspired by their strength and resilience.
They confront challenges that most Americans never
have to face.
Our troops serve on the front lines, keep us safe
above in the skies and below in the depths of the sea.
I just spoke at a keel laying ceremony for the
future U.S.S.
Delaware submarine, which will be one of the most
technologically advanced ships in the world.
And I also met with the crew and their families.
An attack sub goes on six month deployments.
And they may stay under the water for 50, 60, and 70
days at a time -- kind of unbelievable isn't it?
As I told the crew this weekend, it's a huge
sacrifice for them to leave their families behind and
spend months at a time under the sea guarding the depths
and protecting our shores.
It takes a special kind of tough, determined, and smart
man or woman.
And it takes courage and commitment.
But, as brave as our men and women in uniform, they don't
serve alone.
When deployed, our service members leave behind their
families and their friends.
That's why Michelle and I spend so much time with our
military families.
We know that they endure so much -- countless
separations during training, sending loved ones into
harm's way, and starting over on new bases again, and
again, and again.
It's not easy.
We ask a lot of our military and their families.
But they take on these challenging roles
without complaint.
They're proud of their service, and they're
unlikely to ask for anything.
That's really why we started Joining Forces in the
first place.
We wanted to find a way to give back to those who do so
much for our country.
And we believe all Americans, no matter where
you live, or what you do for a living, or whether you're
connected to the military or not, should step up to show
your support for family -- for service members,
veterans, and their families.
Today -- that's what today really is all about.
It's about your leadership, of American businesses
stepping up and doing what they do best for our
military and their families.
Today is about making sure that, when our young men and
women return from war, they're welcomed home with a
good paying job.
Today is about exceptional Americans, like
JoHanna Martinez.
Where's JoHanna?
Oh, there she is.
Well, JoHanna grew up in a military family with over a
dozen members in the Marines and the Army.
She likes to say that protecting our nation is the
family business.
After serving four years in the Marines, JoHanna decided
it was time to go home.
The transition to civilian life was both exciting and a
little scary.
It's almost like starting new again.
So, when JoHanna interviewed for her job at AT&T, she was
nervous, like probably any of us.
But then she noticed there was a U.S.
Marine Corps logo on the interviewer's desk.
She asked him, "Do you know somebody in the Marines?
I just got out."
His reply was, "When do you want to start?"
(laughter)
Jill Biden: The next thing she knew, she was working
for a Marine again.
Today, JoHanna is the talent attraction manager at AT&T,
focused on supporting veterans, and their
families, transition to civilian life.
And I love that story.
That's what today is all about.
It's about giving our veterans the opportunity
that they deserve.
And there's nothing better for transitioning service
members, like JoHana, and their families, than a good
paying job.
Because, when veterans begin their new career, it's the
first step in economic empowerment, their chance at
the American dream, the American dream that they've
spent their entire military career defending.
Our soldiers, sailors, marines, and coast
guardsmen, are living a life of service, and that doesn't
change when they take off the uniform.
They still serve in their communities and
neighborhoods, and a good paying job helps veterans
reintegrate into civilian life after service,
strengthening them as civic assets who want to continue
giving back to their country.
We talk about how we can salute our service members,
how to thank them for their service.
Well, this is it.
You can make a real difference.
You can hire them.
Hiring veterans and military spouses is good for
your companies.
But it's also good for the morale of our military.
They always have our backs.
And they need to know that we have theirs.
So, this brings me to our first guest speaker,
Jeff Bezos.
You may have heard of him before.
He owns a little company based out of Seattle
called Amazon.
(laughter)
Jill Biden: You know, Jeff gets it.
His company has hired over 10,000 veterans and military
spouses since 2011.
And he's not stopping there.
So, please welcome the CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos.
(applause)
Jill Biden: Thank you.
Jeff Bezos: Well, what a pleasure and a privilege to
be here today.
Thank you, Dr. Biden, for your kind introduction.
And, you know, like I bet everyone here today, I
appreciate the work that the First Lady and Dr. Biden are
doing on behalf of veterans and military spouses through
Joining Forces.
Thank you guys.
Thank you for what you do.
Jill Biden: Thank you.
Jeff Bezos: At Amazon, we're constantly looking for
leaders who can invent, think big, have a bias for
action, and who want to deliver for customers.
Well, those principles look very familiar to the men and
women who've served our country in the armed forces,
and also to their spouses.
These guys work hard, and they have lots of skills.
We're fortunate to have veterans in leadership roles
all across Amazon -- like Sarah Rhoads.
She's a former fighter pilot who joined Amazon five years
ago, and now manages several huge fulfillment centers,
and thousands of employees in the UK.
And Cody Cameron, Coast Guard engineering specialist
who's now an area manager for our fulfillment center
in Kent, Washington.
Veterans are also helping bring the best possible
cloud computing experience to our Amazon web-services
customers -- like T.J.
Leonard, who joined us after seven years in the Navy and
is now a cloud support associate.
Veterans are pioneering new products and services for
customers -- like Tom Baker, a former Navy fighter pilot
who's helping Amazon launch our first brick and mortar
book stores.
Veterans are helping us grow our hiring and training
programs -- like Ardine Williams, a former Army
captain at the Pentagon, and Rob Polston, a major in the
Army reserve, and a veteran of Afghanistan, and Colby
Williamson, a Marine who served in Iraq.
They, and many, many others are expanding our hiring and
training efforts for veterans and military
spouses across the whole company.
And because of their amazing work we've more than doubled
the number of veterans at Amazon since 2013.
And we're fortunate to have military spouses on our team
too, both in our offices and, importantly, in
flexible locations -- like Gen Harrison-Doss, whose
husband is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base.
She leads a team of recruiters in Seattle, and
she can do it from her home in Abilene, Texas.
Those are just a few examples.
And, of course, I want to thank all the veterans and
military spouses all across Amazon.
Today, as we celebrate the fifth anniversary of Joining
Forces, I am extremely proud to announce that Amazon is
pledging to hire 25,000 additional veterans and
military spouses over the next five years.
(applause)
Jeff Bezos: Like all the employees at Amazon, we'll
offer them the same health care package and parental
leave benefits as even the most senior executives.
And employees in hourly roles can enroll in our
Career Choice program, where we prepay 95 percent of
tuition for any courses related to in demand fields,
regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a
career at Amazon.
And, we're pledging to train 10,000 additional veterans
and spouses in cloud computing, offering a path
to AWS certification, and providing a gateway into a
high demand, good paying field.
We believe this is the right thing to do for our veterans
and spouses, and for Amazon it's the right thing to do
as well.
And it's the right thing for our hundreds of millions of
customers.
And we're excited to keep hiring and training these
incredible leaders.
Now, I want to introduce you to one of the many veterans
here today, Kathleen Carroll.
Kathleen joined Amazon in 2011 as a recruiter for our
fulfillment network.
Before that, she was a logistics officer in the
Marine Corps for nearly 10 years.
While on active duty, she led landing support
operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and later
took company command over an organization that provided
personnel services to more than 40,000 active
duty Marines.
Today, Kathleen leads a 75 person team that recruits
for our operations network in North America.
Kathleen and her husband, who served as an infantry
officer in the Marines and did three tours of duty in
Iraq, have three kids and a home in Seattle.
And, in case that's not enough to keep Kathleen
busy, she's also halfway through her M.B.A.
at the University of Washington.
(applause)
Jeff Bezos: (laughs) Please join me in welcoming the
incredible Kathleen Carroll, a veteran, a military
spouse, and an Amazonian.
(applause)
Kathleen Carroll: Wow.
Thank you, Jeff (laughs).
You inspire me, because you've created a company of
pioneers who are empowered to think big and
make history.
It is truly an honor to be here today.
As Jeff noted, I'm a veteran and a military spouse.
And, thanks to Amazon's commitment to the veteran
community, I've created a meaningful second career
since leaving the Marine Corps.
I'm thrilled that 25,000 more veterans and military
spouses will soon join me at Amazon.
I joined the Marine Corps in my early 20s, inspired by
the opportunity to make a difference.
In the summer of 2001, I graduated from Officer
Candidate School and reported for duty at the
Pentagon right after 9/11.
I was devastated for our country.
But I felt even more committed to serving at that
pivotal time in history.
I had life changing experiences.
In the military I met remarkable people, to
include my husband Chris, who's also a Marine.
In our first two years of marriage, Chris and I spent
54 days together.
The dual military life that we carved out wasn't always
easy, but we made it ours.
Between multiple deployments we had three kids -- Sophia,
who's now 11, was born while Chris was deployed in Iraq.
After a decade of service, Chris and I decided to
transition from active duty.
It made sense for our family, but it was
also daunting.
The Marines had given my life a lot of meaning.
While networking for opportunities, I found a job
that really excited me, standing up a veteran
recruiting initiative at Amazon.
A future colleague reached out to help me prepare for
my interviews.
I'll never forget her generosity of time.
It was critical to my transition.
Our recruiting teams continue to serve as
resources to veteran and military applicants.
We want them to know that Amazon values their
leadership and unique experiences.
I'm proud that, since 2011, we've hired more than 10,000
U.S. veterans.
Our teams know that having a strong internal network for
veterans and military families will make the
transition easier.
So, we formed an affinity group called the
Amazon Warriors.
Through Amazon Warriors we've created mentorship
programs, and organized volunteer opportunities,
like sending care packages to troops deployed overseas.
For military spouses, finding consistent
employment is hard during frequent relocations.
So, we've hired military spouses into roles that can
move with their families.
I'm excited to see what 25,000 more Amazon veterans
and military spouses will build in the years ahead, as
well as those who seek out the trainings made possible
by today's pledges.
Today I'm honored to introduce the First Lady,
Mrs. Michelle Obama.
Her Joining Forces work with Dr. Biden has made a
difference to countless veterans and military families.
My daughter, Sophia, who's in fifth grade, recently
wrote an essay about someone who inspires her to be great.
She chose Mrs. Obama.
Sophia often shares details at length about you,
Mrs. Obama, at our family dinners (laughs).
(laughter)
Kathleen Carroll: And we're all on a health kick because
of your Let's Move campaign, and our family is planning
on running a race together this summer.
We can't wait.
But, even more inspiring, Sophia talks about her
admiration for your work ethic, and focus on creating
opportunities for all people.
My daughter sees what you do, Mrs. Obama, and wants to
do the same.
You are an inspiration to all of us, and I'm honored
to introduce you today.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. Michelle Obama.
(applause)
(inaudible commentary)
Mrs. Obama: Thank you all.
Thanks so much.
You all rest yourselves.
(laughter)
Mrs. Obama: You've been working hard.
And, obviously, after this announcement you'll have a
lot more work to do.
Welcome, welcome.
We are so thrilled to have you all here at the White
House today.
Let me start by thanking Kathleen for that just very
sweet introduction.
She didn't share with me backstage the story about
Sophia, so it's like, you're going to wait and make me cry --
(laughter)
-- right before I came out.
(laughter)
But the reason why we like to have folks like Kathleen
share their stories is that they are the best
representatives of why Joining Forces means so much
to me and Jill.
When we talk about being in awe of these men and women,
it's stories like Kathleen's and her family's, and there
are millions of people like her out there.
So I want to thank Kathleen and her amazing family for
being my inspiration.
Thank you all for your service and sacrifice.
We're so grateful and we love you all.
We love you to death.
I also, of course, want to thank Jill, my dear, dear
friend, who has been an amazing partner in this
Joining Forces endeavor.
But more importantly, she's been a terrific friend to
have over this interesting journey that we've
had together.
So we made it to five years on Joining Forces.
Looking back, we started talking about this backstage
when Barack chose Joe to be his vice presidential
candidate, and we both talked about the passion we
had developed for our military -- her as a Blue
Star mom and me as a regular civilian who didn't have
that connection.
So to be able to celebrate this milestone together with
you today means the world.
So thank you, Jill.
Thank you so much.
(applause)
And, of course, I have to recognize our dear friend,
Jeff, an Amazonian -- I like that --
(laughter)
-- and all the Amazon team.
Thank you, Jeff, for your leadership, for making such
an extraordinary commitment to our veterans and our
military spouses today.
You are setting the bar high, you are doing a
phenomenal job.
Your team is amazing, and you were smart enough to
hire Kathleen, so you must know what you're doing.
(laughter)
Thank you so much, Jeff, from Amazon, as well.
(applause)
Now, I'm going to take just a moment on this fifth
anniversary to embarrass a couple of people.
I want to give a special -- and they're both looking
down now.
(laughter)
They're like, oh, no, oh, no.
First, I want to thank Andy Anderson.
Andy, please stand up.
I'm sorry, you've got to stand up.
(applause)
Andy is an Airforce Major and an actual
rocket scientist.
(laughter)
There's one right there.
We always touch him and go, ah -- and we didn't know
they were that cute, too, rocket scientists.
(laughter)
But he has been serving on our team as a
White House Fellow, and Andy has done such outstanding
work on not just this event but on so many others.
I don't think people realize that all the work out of
Joining Forces comes from a handful of people on Jill's
and my staff.
And Andy is one of those folks, and it's just been a
pleasure to have you and your family on our team.
The second person I'm going to embarrass is sitting
right next to him.
(laughter)
Our Joining Forces Executive Director,
Colonel Nicole Malachowski, whose last day with us
is tomorrow.
So Nicole was the first female Thunderbird pilot.
She has flown 200 combat hours and received every
award and recognition you can imagine.
And she is as humble -- she is the total opposite of
all that.
(laughter)
I have to pull her up and get her to talk.
And she's a great mom, and I just have loved having you
on our team.
And our executive directors come and go -- we only get
them for a year, and Nicole is leaving us, but I love you.
You have done a phenomenal job, and I wish you all the
best on the next phase of your journey.
(applause)
And finally, most of all, I want to thank all of you who
are here today -- representatives from more
than 50 outstanding companies and organizations
all across America.
You all range from small startups to
multinational corporations.
You're leaders in so many different industries -- from
aerospace and telecom to financial services and tech.
But all of you are here today for one simple reason:
Because you know that our veterans and military
spouses are some of the most dedicated, skilled, talented
people in this country.
And I am just thrilled that all of you have pledged to
hire more than 110,000 of them, and train 60,000
of them.
Thank you so much.
(applause)
You're preparing them for high-tech jobs in some of
our fastest-growing industries.
And this is key.
These jobs offer high salaries, opportunities for
advancement and, as you've heard, the flexibility to
accommodate the demands of military life.
So these jobs are -- they mean more than just the
number, because this is real opportunity.
These are precisely the kind of jobs we want for our
veterans and our spouses.
And that's why since we launched Joining Forces back
in 2011, we've been reaching out to the business leaders
like all of you and urging them to look to our military
community for their employment needs.
And year after year, companies have responded.
And over the past five years, through Joining
Forces and great team members like Nicole and
Andy, companies have hired or trained more than 1.2
million veterans and military spouses.
And during that same period, our veterans' unemployment
rate was literally cut in half.
(applause)
And I want to be clear that companies didn't just make
these commitments because we asked them to or because it
was the patriotic thing to do, though it is.
As Jeff mentioned, they made these commitments because,
time and again, they saw for themselves that our veterans
and military spouses are simply the best
employees around.
And they realized that training and hiring these
folks isn't just the right thing to do, it's the smart
thing to do for their bottom lines.
And that is especially true when it comes to tech jobs
in industries.
The fact is that we have the most technologically
advanced armed forces in history.
For years, some of the biggest technological
innovations -- from the Internet to GPS -- have come
from the U.S. military.
Right now more than 150,000 of our men and women in
uniform are already doing tech jobs.
Whether it's the staff sergeant who repairs her
battalion's communications equipment in the field to
the technicians who maintain the software on our fighter
jets, to the countless folks working around the clock to
protect our networks from cyberattacks -- these people
have done their jobs in some of the most challenging
environments imaginable.
So just think if they can set up wireless networks in
Baghdad, or do satellite reconnaissance in the
mountains of Afghanistan, I am pretty confident that
they can handle whatever is happening in Silicon
Valley, right?
(laughter)
But seriously, the bottom line here is simple.
Right now so many folks across our military are
essentially already working in the tech industry.
They just happen to be wearing our country's
uniform while they're doing it.
So when they decide to transition to civilian life
and companies like yours decide to hire them, I know
that you will be blown away by everything they have
to offer.
Just take Ryen Macababbad.
Ryen is here.
Where are you, Ryen?
I saw you.
I know you're here.
There you are.
(laughter)
Ryen, I'm going to embarrass you, too.
She started her career in the Army maintaining systems
for military intelligence.
After completing Microsoft's Software & Systems Academy,
she got a job working on Microsoft's cloud technology
where she quickly distinguished herself as one
of the most talented and passionate employees.
In an essay -- this is a quote from you, Ryen -- she
said, "When I'm relaxing, I like to do things that
interest me.
Learning about different authentication methods and
different technologies that connect you to cloud
services -- those are the things that I enjoy."
See that's passion.
(laughter) I don't even know what that is.
(laughter)
And that's what she likes doing in her spare time.
So Ryen is amazing.
And then there's the story of Sarah Dutile whose
husband is a Captain in the Army.
Sarah?
Where's Sarah?
There you go, Sarah.
Stand up.
Let us see you.
Sarah works as a talent acquisition operations
manager at EMC.
And even through multiple deployments and multiple
moves across the country -- Massachusetts, Virginia,
Washington -- I'm sure I'm missing someplace you've
lived -- EMC ensured that Sarah could keep her job.
And she won five awards from her managers and was
promoted to manage a team of her own.
So it was worth it, right?
Yes.
So folks like Ryen and Sarah don't just bring a host of
hard skills to the workplace, they also bring
plenty of other qualities that are hard to teach on
the job.
They have a relentless commitment to excellence.
They know how to juggle multiple priorities, and
meet tough deadlines, and lead diverse teams.
And when it comes to high-pressure situations,
when the pressure is the highest, that's usually when
our veterans and military spouses are at their best.
And remember, they can bring these skills not just to
tech jobs, but to countless other jobs -- from HR to
communications to project management.
Whatever job you're looking to fill, there are plenty of
folks doing that job in the military right now who will
be ready to succeed in your company on day one.
Flat out.
That's why you've all made these commitments today.
So thank you for doing your part.
Thank you.
But, of course, it's going to take all of this.
This isn't just your responsibility because even
when companies are doing everything right, too often
the realities of military life make it hard for folks
to take and keep the jobs that you've created.
For example, for too long veterans faced all kinds of
barriers to applying their military training toward
professional licenses and academic degrees.
So while someone may have had years of training as an
Army medic, for example, hardly any of it would count
toward a PA degree or an EMT certification.
They'd have to start from scratch, often repeating
courses they'd already taken.
Military spouses in careers like nursing, law, real
estate, anything that required professional
licenses, faced their own set of challenges, because
as their families moved from base to base to base -- as
you've heard they often do -- they would have to apply
for a new license in each new state, often paying
hefty fees just to find work.
But now, through Joining Forces, we've worked closely
with governors and state legislators across the
country to address these issues.
And as of today, I'm happy to report that all 50 states
have taken action to help veterans get credit for
their military training.
And 49 out of 50 states have passed laws to help military
spouses transfer their licenses from state to state.
That's a big deal.
(applause)
And we very much hope that the one remaining state --
(laughter)
-- the great state of New York --
Audience: Ooh --
Mrs. Obama Mmm --
(laughter)
-- will pass legislation to
help us solve this problem nationwide.
Let's get to 50, New York!
Because laws like these aren't just critical for the
employment prospects of our veterans and military
spouses, they're also critical for the overall
health of our military.
Let's not forget that we still have about 200,000
service members making the transition to civilian life
every single year, and their success and their struggles
will have an impact on our military for decades to come.
See, we have to remember, our military is an
all-volunteer force.
Everyone who wears our country's uniform today does
so by choice.
And if we want our best and brightest young people to
keep choosing to join our armed forces, they need to
see that their service will lead to successful careers
-- either in the military, or in civilian life.
So that is truly our charge in the years ahead.
And today, I want to call on companies and organizations
across America to follow the lead that you all are
setting and truly commit to hiring and training our
veterans and military spouses.
We have so many resources to help companies get started.
Through the Skillbridge Program at the Department of
Defense, companies can start training service members six
months before they leave the military so they're ready to
start full-time the minute they transition.
The Department of Labor runs a veterans' job bank and
offers all kinds of assistance that companies
can access.
And once our vets and military spouses are on
board, I hope that companies will take it to the next
level, like Amazon is doing, by working to retain and
promote them.
Because the end goal here isn't just getting folks
into entry-level jobs; it's putting them on a career
path where they can keep learning new skills, moving
up the ladder, and pulling others along with them.
Because our veterans and military spouses don't stop
learning and serving when they hang up that uniform.
They are eager to find their next mission and use their
training and talent to serve this country here at home.
And giving them that opportunity is the least we
can do.
And if anyone can make it happen, it's all of you.
You all are some of the most innovative, successful
businesses in the history of this country.
And you all are truly setting the standard on
this issue.
You're truly showing us what's possible.
So we need to keep up this momentum.
And I will say this again and again and again: No
matter who is in the White House next, this should
absolutely continue to be a national priority with
national leadership coming from this building.
And I know that if folks like you keep leading the
way and inspiring others to follow your example, then we
can absolutely give our veterans and military
spouses the opportunities they deserve.
And we can finally serve them as well as they have
served this country.
So I will end by once again by saying how grateful I am
for everything you all have done and everything you will
continue to do.
And I look forward to continuing our work together
in the months and, yes, the years ahead.
So no matter where we are, Jill and I are going to be
working to finding a way to work with you guys and
making sure that you get all the love and attention and
support that you've earned, because we are certainly
proud of you.
We are certainly in awe of you.
You make us better people.
So thank you all so much.
Congratulations on this wonderful commitment.
Let's get more people joining in.
And God bless you all.
Take care.
(applause)