WEBVTT

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Hello , I'm Lloyd Austin . The

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Secretary of Defense United States has

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the finest , most lethal fighting force

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on earth because we have the best team

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period . So when I became Secretary of

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Defense , I made taking care of our

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people , one of my top priorities and

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over the past 3.5 years , my team and I

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have made major progress in the areas

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that our troops told us matter most to

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them and their families were holding

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down the home front . That means pay

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raises and housing , child care and

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health care , lower prices in the

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commissaries , bold programs to help

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the careers of military spouses and

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more . We've also taken important steps

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to end sexual assault and harassment in

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our ranks and to prevent suicide and to

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provide help for teammates who are

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hurting , but we're not stopping there

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today . I'm proud to announce a new set

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of initiatives to do right by our

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service members and their families . To

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start President Biden's budget for

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fiscal year 2025 asked for a 4.5%

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pay raise for outstanding troops . Now ,

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that's on top of the nearly 10% in pay

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raises that we've secured over the past

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two years , we're setting up health

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care , flexible spending accounts to

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help you cover out of pocket health

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care costs . We're making even more

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investments in our child care workforce

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and we're expanding eligibility for the

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My Career Advancement Account Program

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which provides financial assistance to

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help military spouses pursue

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professional licenses , certifications

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or associate's degrees . And we also

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know how tough repeated moves can be on

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a family . So we're expanding the

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temporary lodging expense for P CS

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moves from 14 to 21 days , an

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increasing temporary lodging allowance

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for MS back home from overseas .

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And we're expanding pilot programs to

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provide free Wi Fi in our barracks .

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You know , this is 2024 and service

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members need Wi Fi for online mission

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requirements for telehealth services

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and for staying in touch with family

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and friends . Those are just some of

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the ways that we're making life better

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and easier for you and your family and

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you can learn all about these benefits

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on military . One source and our troops

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stand by us and the Department of

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Defense will always stand by you .

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That's more than a promise . It's our

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duty .