Insight from retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral John Bird, senior vice president at USAA; for more information visit usaa.com/coronavirus
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Will welcome back
will welcome back
since the beginning of the
pandemic military members faced
unprecedented challenges.
Now the Usaa pledging
thirty dollars million to help our heroes
here with more retired navy, vice
admiral, John Byrd,
admiral thanks so much for
being here with us
before we get to Usaa how they
are helping to solve the
problem.
Help us understand the problem.
What he was going on with
military families through this
pandemic
hey good morning, will
thanks for having me
its a real pleasure to be with
you
happy Labor Day,
you know
of our military members are out
protecting our country on the
front line and domestically with
the guard
on any given day in normal times.
If you will, the military faces
many challenges
as a pandemic, and it becomes
just really heightened in terms
of some of those things:
spouse spouse unemployment.
The friction of many moves.
Family separation,
child care, so there is many
needs that our military families
are facing all the time and with
the pandemic, especially so
will spousal on employment,
admiral child care. Moving
costs do
this for me. If you would
put a face on this,
describe the soldiers describe
the military families that are
being hit the hardest
at what level? What rank,
who are the men and women
specifically dealing with this
crisis?
Hey will great question.
I had a thirty five naval career. I can
describe it exactly.
We had many junior enlisted
young folks, inexperienced have
families, you know couple kids
and then they rely on two
incomes, as many Americans do,
but you know face it. The
military is on the low end of
the pay ban for those junior
enlisted
with that, when that spouse gets
unemployed,
when one member has to deploy,
and then there is lack of child
care because of the pandemic,
these families face hardships,
sometimes food insecurity,
sometimes challenges meeting the
bills
and thats. What our donation
from Usaa is all about to help
these families that do so much
these are young patriots,
help them out in their time of
need.
Will young soldiers, young
families
lets get to what Usaa is doing?
Thirty dollars million is awesome.
Great thing to celebrate on
there labor Day
tell us exactly what Usaa can do
and is going to do to help these
families
will. Thank you.
Usaa was founded by the military
for the military.
This is right in our wheel
house.
This is our largest one time
philanthropic donation of
thirty dollars million.
Throughout the year we have
given forty five dollars million.
This goes to military charity
that help out.
These are professional
organizations. They have a long
history of helping our military,
they are hand in hand with the
military. Looking out for these
members.
Marine corps release,
Army Corps, ehe, release,
coast, guard mutual assistance.
All of them are there helping
out our military and looking for
ways to support them
will just as an example,
admiral, if you are a young
military family right now. What
can you find and give me help
with
example of specifics? They could
go, find
well sure
they could go with an example
speaking to a sailor to their
local Navy Marine Corps relief
society
go in. There identify their
problems, issues what they need,
and the professionals there,
many of them military spouses
themselves who have dealt with
the military will help them out
budget, giving them zero
interest loans or, in some cases,
a granted if theyre in real
need,
will all right.
Families hurting through this
pandemic, young families losing
a dual income now available to
get loans and hem through the
Usaa.
By the way, can you help and
donate through
Usaa dot com, slash coronavirus,
admiral? Thank you for what you
are doing on Labor day
appreciate you coming on Fox AMP
friends and telling us all.
Transcript generated on 2020-09-08.