Jill Biden and Lloyd Austin visit an Alabama base to tout expanded military benefits

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled Friday to Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama to highlight programs that the Pentagon and White House are rolling out to improve service members’ quality of life as well as early childhood education in the military.

Biden and Austin visited a pre-kindergarten program the first lady has championed that funds universal preschool for children aged 3 and 4. The administration plans to expand it beyond military facilities and into education systems nationwide.

She said the program at Maxwell Elementary School — which provides full-day pre-kindergarten care for military children —“is part of the blueprint for making high-quality preschool available to every 3- and 4-year-old in America.”

In the on-base classroom, children identified letters, and once they did, got to feed a green paper dinosaur that Austin and Biden took turns holding. The kids also sang a song about frogs.

Austin said the Pentagon is looking at new ways to give service members more support to address higher prices for goods and housing. He has made improving troop quality of life a goal during his time as defense secretary.

To that end, the Pentagon is increasing the number of days that military families can stay in paid temporary housing when they move from base to base in response to concerns that it’s been difficult to find off-base housing in competitive real estate markets. Austin also is looking at increasing the amount of money troops receive to cover uniform costs.

“We heard loud and clear that the families juggling work and raising kids need affordable child care and quality early childhood education,” Austin said.

His aim is to retain service members and show prospective recruits that the programs the Pentagon offers to support a military career, including more housing help, career assistance for spouses and pay raises.

Earlier this year, the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force reported they expect to meet recruitment goals for this budget year, but the Navy said it may fall short.

It has become more difficult for the military to recruit young people to serve. Fewer families have a direct connection to the military and more young people fall short of the fitness requirements to qualify.