Biden Marks First Veterans Day in Two Decades Without Troops in Active Combat

WASHINGTON — President Biden paid homage connected Thursday to veterans, calling them the “solid alloy spine” of the United States and the “soul of America” arsenic helium marked the archetypal Veterans Day successful 2 decades without troops engaged successful an progressive warfare overseas.

For Mr. Biden, who ended the 20-year struggle successful Afghanistan this summer, the infinitesimal was intelligibly a idiosyncratic 1 arsenic helium expressed his gratitude to the thousands of work members and their families who were affected by the warring successful that country.

In abbreviated but somber remarks astatine Arlington National Cemetery, Mr. Biden thanked them for their work and pledged to guarantee that those who returned from conflict would person what helium called “the world-class benefits that they’ve earned.” He promised to support pushing to grow services for veterans.

“Being president of the United States, you are afforded galore opportunities to effort to explicit your love, committedness and admiration for the American people,” Mr. Biden said. “And I indispensable accidental to you that the azygous top grant I’ve been afforded arsenic president is to basal earlier truthful galore of you.”

Mr. Biden’s determination to retreat from Afghanistan was divisive. Allies complained astir his deficiency of consultation. Republicans criticized him for making a premature decision. And helium received wide condemnation for a haphazard and chaotic evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies. Even immoderate veterans groups expressed dismay astatine the mode the struggle ended.

But the president has repeatedly said helium has nary regrets astir the determination to propulsion retired of a warfare that helium agelong believed should person ended years ago. In erstwhile speeches, Mr. Biden has said helium could nary longer nonstop members of the subject to combat a conflict that helium nary longer believed was successful the country’s champion interests.

On Thursday, Mr. Biden made lone a little notation to his decision, noting that “for 2 decades, the lives of our work members and their families and veterans person been shaped by the conflicts successful Iraq and Afghanistan.”

He noted that 53,323 Americans had been killed oregon wounded successful the 2 conflicts, and helium said that members of the subject continued to service successful the look of threats astir the globe.

But the president suggested that the lack of warfare was an accidental to absorption attraction connected those who had served, survived and returned. He urged work members not to disregard the intelligence challenges that often travel wartime service, immoderate much than they would disregard a wounded limb oregon limb erstwhile they returned home.

“I privation to accidental intelligibly to each our veterans, if you’re struggling — you’re truthful utilized to ne'er asking for thing — if you’re struggling, scope out,” Mr. Biden said.

“If you’re having occupation reasoning astir things,” helium added, “it’s nary antithetic than if you had a coiled successful your arm.”

Mr. Biden, arsenic helium has often successful erstwhile speeches, recalled his ain son’s work successful the military. As a large successful the Delaware Army National Guard, Beau Biden spent a twelvemonth successful Iraq earlier returning to the United States and aboriginal succumbing to encephalon cancer.

“Our grandkids learned what it meant to person their dada overseas successful a warfare portion alternatively of backmost astatine location for a year, tucking them into furniture and speechmaking that communicative each night,” the president said. “Thousands of Americans, tens of thousands, person had that experience.”

But helium spent much clip paying tribute to the communicative of the archetypal American combatant from World War I to beryllium enactment to remainder astatine the Tomb of the Unknowns precisely 100 years ago.

During Mr. Biden’s remarks, helium recalled the travel the worker made from the battlefield successful France to lying successful authorities astatine the Capitol successful the aforesaid spot that Abraham Lincoln had.

“He was escorted from the Capitol by the president of the United States, the main justness of the Supreme Court, members of Congress, General Pershing, the chiefs of staff, Medal of Honor recipients,” Mr. Biden recalled, adding, “The archetypal chartless lies present with his brethren, unnamed warriors from aboriginal wars, chap patriots who picked up the mantle of honor.”

Before speaking, Mr. Biden participated successful the yearly ceremonial astatine the tomb, placing a wreath and saluting portion a bugler played taps.

Afterward, helium urged Americans to “stand successful solemn awe of specified fidelity due to the fact that for america to support religion with American veterans, we indispensable ne'er hide precisely what was fixed us.”

Earlier connected Thursday, Mr. Biden’s medication announced efforts to supply much enactment to veterans who person been exposed to biology hazards during their service, including those who person symptoms from vulnerability to “burn pits” portion serving overseas.

The actions are aimed astatine making it easier for work members to nexus diseases and vulnerability to the burning of quality discarded and electronics, which was communal connected bases successful Iraq and Afghanistan.

The contented is idiosyncratic for the president, who has said helium believes his lad whitethorn person developed his encephalon tumor due to the fact that of vulnerability to carcinogens successful the pitchy substance utilized to acceptable the pain pits connected occurrence portion helium served successful Iraq.

“For the newest procreation of veterans, concerns astir pain pits and different exposures proceed to mount,” a connection from the White House said. “The Biden-Harris medication is committed to doing much to alteration timely entree to services and benefits for those perchance exposed to hazardous materials.”

Mr. Biden’s enforcement actions volition little the grounds needed for veterans to beryllium a nexus to vulnerability during their service, and volition adhd respective conditions to the database of diseases automatically presumed to beryllium caused by the exposure.