Today Joe Biden visited the Pentagon for the first time as President. While there he met with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other military leaders. The Associated Press writes that the visit comes as he is “taking stock of the military as it pivots from the turmoil of the Trump years and focuses to an unusual degree on domestic and internal issues.”
As defense leaders await direction from Biden on possible new approaches to overseas security threats, Austin is treating the coronavirus pandemic as a top priority and ordering fresh assessments of how to root out sexual assault and extremism in the military’s ranks.
The president addressed these issues and more in remarks from the Pentagon. He also said he felt a personal connection to the military, saying “for those of you who raise your hands and sign up to wear the uniform of the United States, we owe you an incredible debt.”
"I'm the first president in 40 years, I'm told, who had a son or a daughter who served in a war zone. So I know what it's like. Being commander in chief is an enormous responsibility and one that I will never take lightly," Pres. Biden says at the Pentagon https://t.co/f4Fk6mZyer pic.twitter.com/0aClGo7eUT
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 10, 2021
There was often friction with former president Donald Trump and the military, so this visit was also a pep talk of sorts with the president remarking, “I will never, ever dishonor you. I will never disrespect you. I will never politicize the work you do.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also offered these words:
“Service and sacrifice is in your DNA, it defines who you are, it defines what you do, it defines how we lead worldwide…”
.@VP Kamala Harris: "To the personnel here at the Pentagon, both civilian and uniformed, thank you for your dedication and for your discipline, and thank you for keeping our nation safe." pic.twitter.com/vQ2ati0GwG
— The Hill (@thehill) February 10, 2021
Watch the full remarks from the Pentagon via CBS News above.