Morgan Rybold commentary: Joe Biden will take care of our military families

Recently, a 2018 photo of former Vice President Joe Biden and a homeless veteran sharing an intimate moment outside of D.C. movie theatre has been going viral. In a quiet moment, we see the former vice president of the United States not just providing a few dollars for a meal, but staying back to talk for a few minutes.

Moments like these, the unscripted ones, aren’t usually where politicians are at their best. Biden is the exception.

Biden shines when he has the opportunity to speak with people face-to-face. That’s because he leads through empathy and compassion.

That is the type of leader that this country needs in our next president.

One of the most important and sacred responsibilities that a president has is protecting our troops, their families, and our veterans. As a Navy wife and the daughter of a combat-wounded Vietnam veteran, when a president says “may God protect our troops,” it has never been just lip service to me; it is something that I, and so many others, take very seriously. We can also tell when a leader means it, or when he or she is just saying it for political expediency.

Biden, alongside his wife Dr. Jill Biden, are dedicated, long-standing advocates for our military families in large part because it’s also personal for them. Dr. Biden is the daughter of a veteran, and together, she and Joe know what it’s like to have a loved one, their late son Beau, be sent into harm’s way. Knowing our leaders share this experience makes me confident that they will prioritize our military families and veterans.

Having the Bidens in the White House means having strong, steadfast allies for service members and their families at the very top. Joe’s plan for military families demonstrates a strong understanding of the issues close and important to us, including reforming the military compensation system, comprehensively addressing the impact of frequent military moves, and most notably, re-launching Dr. Biden and former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Joining Forces initiative, an innovative program that has empowered more than 1.5 million members of military families through employment, education, and wellness.

Most importantly, Biden has the steady and thoughtful hand that we need in a commander-in-chief. Like many of us, I’ve been following the events in Iran closely, and deeply worry about what it could mean for our troops. Biden is a calm and measured statesman that we can trust to navigate us away from conflict, while continuing to uphold our national security interests.

The way a president takes care of our troops, military families, and veterans speaks volumes about the type of leader he or she is; it also says a lot about who we are as a country. A current president that attacks military gold-star families or proposes cuts to the health care programs so many veterans, including my father, rely on, doesn’t speak well to our American values.

Luckily, in February, we have the option here in Nevada to caucus and choose a different path forward. I urge you to consider Biden, a leader we can feel confident will put our troops and their families first. That’s why on Feb. 22, I will be a precinct captain here in Fallon, convincing my neighbors, family, and community to caucus for Biden.

Morgan Rybold is a Churchill County teacher.