An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Feb. 25, 2010

Biden helps stuff care packages for Florida Guard families

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy National Guard Bureau

WASHINGTON, - United Service Organization (USO) volunteers were joined by Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, at a stuffing party for the families of 3,000 Florida National Guard Soldiers, who will deploy in the coming weeks.

"The items in these packages will make life just a little bit easier for them," said Biden. "Whether it's a disposable camera, a grocery-store gift card or a pre-paid phone card. For the servicemembers serving abroad and missing their loved ones, these packages will bring some comfort, knowing that their families have not been forgotten."

The event, which was held here at the District of Columbia National Guard Armory, was the first of its kind, said USO officials. The care packages are for family members rather than for servicemembers.

"It's really a message to all of our military families," said Sloan Gibson, president and chief executive officer of the USO. "It's really a reminder to all Americans of the profound sacrifice that our families are going through at the very same time that their loved ones are serving and sacrificing in harm's way."

Biden, whose son is a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard, understands how much these packages mean to the troops.

"I have seen firsthand just how much a small act of kindness can mean to a servicemember," she said. "When my son, Beau, touched down on U.S. soil after a yearlong deployment to Iraq, he was greeted by veterans and volunteers who shook his hand, handed him a cell phone to call home and said, 'Thank you for your service.'

"He said, 'Mom, you have no idea how that meant to every member who was on that plane returning home.'"

Cheryl McKinley, the wife of Air Force Gen. Craig. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said she was excited that the USO wanted to include the National Guard in this first-ever event.

 "I thought that was a great idea," she said.

As they filled the care packages, volunteers said they hoped that the items would make some aspect of daily life a little easier for the family members of deploying Guardsmen.

"Today is about our military families," said Gibson. "And it's an opportunity for all of us to say thank you to the several thousand National Guard families that are going to receive these packages."

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air National Guard civilian firefighters, assigned to the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department, pose in front of the fire truck that was the first on scene, South Burlington, VT, June 4, 2025. These firefighters provided the first fire truck on scene to a local fire.
Vermont Air Guard First on Scene of South Burlington Fire
By Airman Raymond LaChance, | June 4, 2025
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – Doireann Chesbrough, a civilian firefighter for the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department, was sitting next to the radio in the dayroom of the station as the sun began to set over the Green...

Paratroopers from the Colorado National Guard and the Jordanian Armed Forces stand together before the first joint Colorado-Jordan airborne Friendship Jump, Watkins, Colorado, April 23, 2025. Members parachuted from a CH-47 Chinook as part of an event to strengthen interoperability and deepen the partnership between the two forces.
Airborne Operation Strengthens Colorado Guard, Jordan Partnership
By Senior Airman Melissa Escobar-Pereira, | June 4, 2025
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – In a display of cooperation and capability, Soldiers from the Colorado Army National Guard and the Jordanian Armed Forces recently conducted a joint airborne operation in Watkins, Colorado.The April 23...

Army Guard Soldiers assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission, also known as KFOR, host a multinational non-commissioned officer academy, referred to as the Jungleer Academy, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, May 8, 2025. 11 Sergeants Major from seven countries shared their experience with the soldiers, and many nations showcased their weapons, gear, vehicles and took a flight or hoisted in the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
Army Guard Soldiers in Kosovo Host Inaugural Event for Non-Commissioned Officers
By Sgt. Cheryl Madolev, | June 4, 2025
CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – National Guard Soldiers assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission recently hosted an inaugural multinational event for non-commissioned officers (NCOs), focusing on...