Jill Biden to focus on military families on foreign trip

First lady Jill Biden is accompanying President Biden to the United Kingdom for their first foreign trip in the White House and will spend some of her time participating in military-focused events to highlight her Joining Forces military families initiative. 

Upon arriving in the U.K. later Wednesday, the president and first lady will meet with U.S. troops and their families stationed at Royal Air Force Mildenhall. According to the first lady’s office, Joining Forces partnered with Pixar and Disney+ to give families at the base an early screening of the upcoming animated film “Luca,” which is slated for release on June 18. 

On Friday, the first lady is scheduled to meet with members of the Bude Surf Veterans, a volunteer group based on Cornwall that aims to support military veterans through surfing, and meet with participating veterans and their families about the impact of the program. 

“Sometimes veterans have finished their service career but the memories and experiences can live on in distressing ways,” the organization’s website states. “Engaging in BSV activities, specifically surfing plus being understood without having to explain oneself, and knowing support is there if needed, all help in an individual’s recovery.”

The first lady on Sunday will meet with veterans who participated in the 2018 Walk of America, a 12-week expedition in which six wounded veterans from the U.S. and U.K. walked 1,000 miles across the U.S. to raise awareness about veterans’ mental health and physical injuries. Jill Biden served as a patron for the expedition at the time and joined the participants in St. Louis. 

The events aboard are meant to put focus on Joining Forces, an initiative that Jill Biden started with then-first lady Michelle Obama during the Obama administration. Earlier this year, the first lady laid out her plans for the initiative to focus on military spouse employment, military child education, and the health and wellbeing of military veterans and their families over the next four years. 

In addition to her independent schedule, Jill Biden is expected to join Joe Biden when he meets with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday and when he participates in the Group of Seven summit later this week.

The first couple are also scheduled to meet with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on Sunday. Jill Biden plans to return to Washington after the U.K. leg of the trip and will not join Joe Biden for his meetings with NATO and European leaders in Brussels or his one-on-one with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva.