Photo By Brad Rhen | Capt. Nicole Barela-Vess and her children, Michael and Isabella, tour the White House...... read more read more
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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – A Pennsylvania National Guard Soldier recently attended a holiday reception at the White House with First Lady Jill Biden.
Capt. Nicole Barela-Vess and her children, Michael and Isabella, attended Biden’s Joining Forces Holiday Reception Dec. 2.
The reception was held for junior grade National Guard members from the 54 states and territories and their families. Each state or territory’s representative was announced, and they had the opportunity to meet and take a photo with Biden.
“Never in a million years did I ever think I would visit the White House, and the fact that I was able to do it with my children and as a representative of the Pennsylvania National Guard was very special,” Barela-Vess said.
A resident of Alburtis, Pennsylvania, Barela-Vess is assigned to the 228th Transportation Battalion, 213th Regional Support Group. She works full-time as a Warfighter exercise project officer at Fort Indiantown Gap.
Her husband, Sgt. 1st Class Michael Vess, is currently deployed to the Horn of Africa with the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
“With my husband deployed with Task Force Associator, it is sometimes difficult to explain to young children what our jobs in the military entail, but having this experience for my kids and having it as something for them to look forward to and tell their friends and teachers at school about helped them understand how special it is to be military children,” Barela-Vess said.
In addition to attending the reception and meeting Biden, the National Guard members also toured the White House and viewed its newly unveiled holiday decorations.
“There is nothing like the holiday decorations or Christmas at the White House,” Barela-Vess said. “It is on a whole different level. It felt like a scene out of the movies.”
In her remarks – a video of which was shared on YouTube – Biden noted that her late son, Beau, was a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, so she understands what makes Guard life different.
“You don’t live on bases, and one day you’ll be in a uniform, and the next you’ll be running a small business or practicing law or teaching at a community college,” Biden said. “You live and work and worship among civilians, and through your service you become the beating heart of all of your communities. But I know that that life isn’t easy. It asks you to balance the demands of a career and the responsibilities of stepping up for our country to spend time away from your families, sometimes at a moment’s notice, to put your lives on the line to answer the call of duty.”
As First Lady, Biden said she has made military families a priority.
“Over the past four years, through our initiative to support military families called Joining Forces, I’ve been making sure National Guard kids have the support they need in schools and that spouses have the career opportunities that they deserve,” she said.
Barela-Vess said she is very thankful that she was nominated and had the opportunity to attend this “once in a lifetime” event and represent the Pennsylvania National Guard.
“I am proud to be a Pennsylvania Guardsman and a military spouse,” she said. “This experience is now a lifelong memory that my family and I will be able to share for years to come.”
| Date Taken: | 12.06.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2024 11:31 |
| Story ID: | 486822 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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