Was Joe Biden in the Military? Biography, Family, Policies, & Facts

– Was Joe Biden in the Military? –

Having to constantly think about something and never get to figure it out might frustrate sometimes, but when the moment you get it all figured out, there comes a sign of relief.

Was Joe Biden in the Military

However, the question this article seeks to answer is, was Joe Biden in the military? Biography, family, policies, and facts.

Who Is Joe Biden?

Was Joe Biden in the Military

Before entering politics, Joe Biden worked as an attorney for a short time. He became the fifth-youngest senator in history and the longest-serving senator in Delaware’s history.

Although his 2008 presidential campaign stalled, democratic contender Barack Obama chose him as his running mate, and Biden spent two terms as the United States’ 47th vice president.

Obama awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the end of his presidency in 2017. Biden launched his presidential campaign two years later and was elected as the 46th President of the United States.

His Early Life/Biography

Biden, who was born on November 20, 1942, grew up in the blue-collar community of Scranton in northeast Pennsylvania before rising to one of the country’s top political offices.

Biden attributes his toughness, hard work, and perseverance to his parents. His mother allegedly told him, “Bloody their nose so you can walk down the street the next day,” after he returned home grumpy after being bullied by one of the neighborhood’s older kids.

Interestingly, Biden attended Scranton’s St. Paul’s Elementary School. The family moved to Mayfield, Delaware, when he was 13 years old, a rapidly rising middle-class community-supported mostly by the nearby DuPont chemical business.

More About His Early Life/Biography

Biden had a stammer as a child, and kids mocked him by calling him “Dash” and “Joe Impedimenta.” He eventually overcome his stutter by memorizing long portions of poetry and speaking them aloud in front of a mirror.

Biden went to St. Helena School until he was accepted into Archmere Academy. Biden had long wished to join the school despite having to labor to help his family finance tuition by washing school windows and weeding the gardens.

Biden was a talented student at Archmere and an excellent football receiver, despite his little stature. His coach recalled; that he was a small child, but he was one of the best pass receivers. In 1961, Biden graduated from Archmere.

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College, Marriage, and Law School

College, Marriage, and Law School

Biden studied history and political science at the University of Delaware, where he also played football. He was more interested in football, girlfriends, and partying than academics during his first two years of college.

During these years, though, he developed a keen interest in politics, sparked in part by John F. Kennedy’s stirring inauguration in 1961.

Biden met Syracuse University student Neilia Hunter on a spring break trip to the Bahamas during his junior year. Encouraged by his new love, he devoted himself more entirely to his studies and, after graduating from Delaware in 1965, was admitted into Syracuse University Law School.

The following year, in 1966, Biden and Hunter married. Biden was a lousy law student. He failed a class his freshman year at Syracuse for failing to refer to a law review article.

More About College, Marriage, and Law School

Despite his claims that it was an oversight, the episode would come back to haunt him later in his career. Biden moved to Wilmington, Delaware, after graduating from law school in 1968 to begin his legal career.

He also joined the Democratic Party and was elected to the New Castle County Council in 1970. In 1971, while still a councilor, Biden established his own law company.

Biden had three children, Joseph “Beau” (born in 1969), Robert “Hunter” (born in 1970), and Naomi “Amy” (born in 1970), besides his increasingly active professional life.

Other Things to Know

 In 1972, the Delaware Democratic Party recruited a 29-year-old Biden to run for the United States Senate against popular Republican incumbent J. Caleb Boggs.

Biden launched a diligent campaign, primarily arranged by family members, despite the fact that few felt he had a chance. His campaign manager was Valerie Biden Owens, and both of his parents campaigned every day.

In 1972, the Delaware Democratic Party recruited a 29-year-old Biden to run for the United States Senate against popular Republican incumbent J. Caleb Boggs.

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Senator Biden and First Presidential Run

Biden was re-elected five times following that, starting in 1978. He served in the Senate for 36 years, eight of them as chair of the Judiciary Committee and four of them as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Joe pushed to maintain Delaware’s business-friendly environment, enacted legislation to fight domestic abuse, and drafted an anti-crime plan that included 100,000 extra cops on the streets, the prohibition of assault weapons, and heavier punishments for drug dealers.

Biden voted to allow the use of force in Iraq nearly a decade later. Despite this, he became a critic of George W. Bush’s administration’s handling of the conflict.

Still on Senator Biden and First Presidential Run

In June 1987, Biden launched his first presidential campaign after raising a sizable sum of money. He began paraphrasing British Labour leader Neil Kinnock on the campaign road.

Biden was caught on camera inflating his academic credentials after rumors revealed he had also allegedly plagiarized passages from Robert F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey.

With his campaign on the ropes, Biden stepped down in September to focus on the Bork hearings. He then collapsed from a life-threatening brain aneurysm the following February, underwent two surgeries, and took a seven-month vacation from the Senate.

Presidential Election of 2020

Presidential Election of 2020

Biden stayed in politics and was a prominent opponent of President Donald Trump. In 2019, a number of women accused Biden of making unwanted physical contact, including hugging and kissing.

Despite the fact that his response “I’m sorry I didn’t comprehend more, I make no apologies for anything I’ve ever done. His popularity remained high despite his admission that “I’ve never been purposely nasty to a guy or a woman.”

Biden announced his campaign in April 2019, joining a crowded Democratic field, after mounting rumors that he will run for president in 2020.

Biden quickly rose to the top of the polls, and he ran on a moderate platform, especially when compared to competitors like Bernie Sanders.

More About Presidential Election of 2020

However, Biden’s performance in the party’s first debate in June 2019 prompted suspicions about him, and his popularity dropped. 

Concerns about Sanders’ general election viability mobilized moderate voters, and Biden secured a landslide victory in South Carolina in late February.

Several contenders dropped out as a result, and by early March, the competition was narrowed to Biden and Sanders. Biden quickly gained a commanding lead in delegates as he racked up more victories.

Sanders dropped out in April because the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States halted the campaigns, and Biden became the likely Democratic nominee.

Still on Presidential Election of 2020

In the months that followed, Biden drafted a program that included a number of progressive-friendly initiatives. He was a strong supporter of government aid to low-income neighborhoods, ambitious climate change legislation, and others. 

During this time, Biden acquired a significant lead over Trump in national polls, owing in part to criticism of Trump’s response to the COVID-19 epidemic, which had triggered an economic depression comparable to the Great Depression.

Biden chose Kamala Harris as his running mate in August 2020, making her the first African American woman to stand on a major party’s national ticket. 

Despite pre-election polls showing Biden with a sizable advantage in key battleground states, the actual election was much closer. Nonetheless, Biden and Harris were successful in constructing the so-called “Blue Wall”.

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More On Presidential Election of 2020

Biden received 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232, and he received more than seven million votes in the popular vote. Following the election, Trump and several other Republican leaders contested the results, claiming voter fraud.

Despite the fact that a number of lawsuits were brought, there was no proof to back up the allegations, and the large majority of the cases were dismissed.

Biden and Harris initiated the transition to a new administration during this time, declaring an agenda and appointing staff.

All states had recognized the election results by early December, and the process had now proceeded to Congress for final certification.

Important Things to Know

On January 6, 2021, a large crowd of Trump supporters marched to the United States Capitol from a gathering near the White House, where Trump had delivered an impassioned speech repeating bogus charges of Democratic voter fraud and encouraged his supporters to “fight like hell.”

Overpowering Capitol police, rioters rushed the complex and looted and trashed the interior, killing five individuals, including one Capitol officer.

The building was finally seized after many hours, and Biden and Harris were declared the winners. Biden was sworn in as president two weeks later, in front of a large security presence.

Was Joe Biden in the Military?

Was Joe Biden in the Military

President Biden did not serve in the military or in a war. During his tenure as an undergraduate at the University of Delaware and at Syracuse University, where he studied law, he earned five student draft deferments due to medical exclusions.

He was classed as I-Y during a physical examination in April 1968, which indicated he could only be drafted in the event of a national emergency.

Biden did not serve as Vice President during the Obama administration because he was “disqualified from duty because of asthma as a teenager,” according to a spokeswoman.

Did any of Joe Biden’s kids serve in the military?

Did any of Joe Biden's kids serve in the military

Although Biden did not serve in the military, his son Beau did. Beau enlisted in the military in 2003 and ascended through the ranks to become an army major in the JAG Corps, which consists of officers who are also attorneys.

Between 2008 and 2009, he served in Iraq for a year and received the Bronze Star Medal for his efforts. Beau was the eldest of Biden’s three children with his first wife, Neilia Biden.

He was Delaware’s Attorney General from 2007 to 2015 after his military service. He came close to following in his father’s footsteps in 2010 when he pondered running for the US Senate, but a small stroke forced him to withdraw.

Beau died of brain cancer on May 30, 2015, at the age of 46. Hunter Biden, Beau’s brother, also served in the military. He served in the US Naval Reserve before being discharged in 2014 after testing positive for cocaine.

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How is Joe Biden’s health?

Following President Biden’s trek up the stairs to Air Force One in late March 2021, the White House announced that a “comprehensive” report on the president’s health will be released, but no date has been set.

After being caught on film tripping on the stairs leading to Air Force One, the White House has been on the defensive about Biden’s health.

Before traveling to Georgia, Biden was seen on camera falling three times on the steps of Air Force One. Many have questioned his health because the 78-year-old frequently makes grammatical errors.

Biden seemed to forget what he was talking about during his first solo press conference last week, saying something that wasn’t clearly heard by the camera before walking away from the podium mid-question.

Ronny Jackson, a former White House doctor, said Biden’s mistakes should worry Americans.

Joe Biden’s Family

Joe Biden's Family

At the age of 29, Joe Biden became one of the youngest members of the United States Senate. After his Senate win, tragedy hit the Biden family when his wife Neilia and daughter Naomi were killed in an auto accident.

At his sons’ hospital bedsides, Biden was sworn into the United States Senate, and he began commuting from Wilmington to Washington every day, first by vehicle, then by train, to be with his family.

Biden married Jill Jacobs in 1977, and their family was complete when Ashley Blazer Biden was born in 1980. Jill returned to teaching as an English professor at a community college in Virginia after earning her Ph.D. in education.

Beau Biden, the Attorney General of Delaware, and Joe Biden’s eldest son died in 2015 after a long battle with brain cancer, which he fought with the same integrity, fortitude, and strength he displayed every day of his life. 

Do Presidents Need Military Experience to Become Elected?

Was Joe Biden in the Military

It is not a legal requirement for a president to have served in the military before being elected. Some citizens, however, believe that a president’s military experience is essential.

This is especially true when the country is engaged in an international conflict. They will be better Commanders-in-Chief as a result of their experience.

Others feel that because a president is surrounded by military specialists, he or she does not require military experience. Their advisors are to blame for any lack of understanding they have.

Biden’s Policies

Biden's Policies

Below are some of Joe Biden’s policies:

Economic Policy of the Joe Biden Administration

Biden took office nine months after the COVID-19 recession ended, and his first year in office was marked by strong growth in real GDP, employment, wages, and stock market returns, all while inflation remained high.

The fastest rate of growth in real GDP in 37 years was 5.7 percent. The unemployment rate declined at the quickest rate on record during the year, despite the record job growth.

Inflation had reached a nearly 40-year high of 7.1 percent by the end of 2021, which was largely offset by the biggest wage and income rise in at least 20 years. At the bottom of the pay bracket, income growth was quite substantial.

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Infrastructure and Environmental Policies

Biden offered the American Jobs Plan, a $2 trillion package covering issues such as transportation infrastructure, utility, housing, schools, and workforce development, as part of his Build a Back Better platform in late March 2021.

After months of negotiations between Biden and lawmakers, the Senate passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, in August 2021.

The bill covers infrastructure related to transportation, utilities, and broadband. In mid-November 2021, Biden signed the bill into law.

The Build Back Better Act, a $3.5 trillion social spending package that increases the social safety net and incorporates important climate change provisions, was another key component of the Build Back Better agenda. 

More About Infrastructure and Environmental Policies

Because the bill lacked Republican support, Democrats sought to pass it on a party-line vote through budget reconciliation, but Senator Joe Manchin refused to support it, despite the price being reduced to $2.2 trillion. 

Manchin eventually voted against the bill, thereby killing it. Biden supported an agreement between the United States and the European Union to decrease methane emissions by a third by 2030.

He attempted to get China and Australia to do more. He organized an online Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change to encourage other countries to improve their climate policies.

 By 2024, Biden wants to increase climate financing to underdeveloped countries. At COP26, the United States and China also secured an agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Together, they are responsible for 40% of global emissions.

Education Policy

Biden co-authored the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and supported the Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994. He voted for the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, but in 2007 he urged for it to be repealed or rewritten. 

He favors reducing class sizes and investing in early childhood education. Biden has proposed tripling Title funds (which go to low-income schools) to pay for increased student support and teacher salaries.

He is also doubling the number of school guidance counselors, psychologists, social workers, and nurses; and fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act within a decade during his 2020 presidential campaign.

Biden also supports federal infrastructure legislation that would fund school buildings, allow high school students to use Pell Grants for dual enrollment, and increase professional and technical education through partnerships between schools, community colleges, and employers.

More About Education Policy

Biden opposes government financing for for-profit charter schools (which account for a small percentage of all charter schools), as well as “private school vouchers and other measures that siphon taxpayer-funded resources away from the public school system.” 

He believes that parents and kids should have the option of attending traditional public schools, magnet schools, or “high-performing” charter schools. 

The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, both major U.S. teachers’ organizations, supported Biden’s initiatives and endorsed him in 2020.

For persons earning up to $125,000 per year, Biden advocated canceling student debt from public colleges and universities as well as minority-serving institutions in April 2020.

Trade Policy

Biden supported “a US-led, rules-based international order with an emphasis on lowering trade obstacles and defining global trade standards” in the Senate.

He voted in favor of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement, and the Morocco–US Free Trade Agreement, but against the free trade agreements with Singapore and Chile.

In 1998, he voted for fast track trade promotion authority, and in 2000, he voted for permanent normal trade ties with China.

Biden was a staunch supporter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership during the Obama administration, stating that the US departure from the TPP “placed China in the driver’s seat” by allowing it to “create the rules of the road for the globe” without the US.

More About Trade Policy

Biden has criticized Chinese trade practices such as steel “dumping” and intellectual property theft in the United States.

He believes that the United States, not China, should design trade laws that safeguard “workers, the environment, transparency, and middle-class wages.”

Biden also chastised Trump for designating Canada and the European Union as “national security risks,” claiming that this undermines multilateral efforts with partners to battle Chinese trade violations. 

 He favors putting pressure on China on environmental issues, as well as the US–Mexico–Canada Agreement.

Some Facts About Joe Biden

1. Joe Biden Grew Up in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Joe Biden Grew Up in Scranton, Pennsylvania

His excellency was the first of four children born into the family of Catherine Eugenia and Finnegan Biden, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1942.

Joe battled with a stutter as a child and was unable to correct his speech with traditional speech treatment, so he decided to tackle the problem on his own.

He studied poetry as he was very interested in it. He practiced reading poetry aloud in front of a mirror to help him speak without stuttering. 

2. Joe Moved to Delaware and Graduated From Law School

Joe Moved to Delaware and Graduated Law School

Biden’s family moved to Delaware in 1953, and after graduating from high school, he enrolled in the University of Delaware.

He had earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware in 1968, as well as a Law degree from a University in New York.

Joe returned to Delaware after graduating and began working as an attorney for a corporate law company before switching careers and becoming a public defender.

His career in this field was brief, and in 1970 he joined the New Castle County Council. He also stayed on the council until 1972 when he was elected to the United States Senate.

3. Joe Biden is the 5th Youngest Person Elected to the U.S. Senate

Joe Biden is the 5th Youngest Person Elected to the U.S. Senate

In 1972, Joe Biden decided to run for the Senate against J. Caleb Boggs, who had already served two terms in the Senate. Joe sought his family’s support to run the campaign.

His sister was the campaign manager, while his brother was in charge of fundraising, and his wife followed him door-to-door. Joe was elected to the Senate at the age of 29, becoming the 5th youngest person ever elected to the Senate.

Joe has the distinction of being Delaware’s longest-serving senator, having been re-elected six times. Joe’s victory was bittersweet, as tragedy struck immediately after his election in 1972.

4. Joe’s Wife and Daughter Perished in an Auto Accident

Joe’s Wife and Daughter Perished in an Auto Accident

Just weeks after being elected to the Senate, Joe Biden’s world was turned upside down. Joe’s wife, Neilia, died in a car accident with a tractor-trailer while he was out Christmas shopping with their children.

This resulted in the loss of both Neilia and their daughter, as well as the hospitalization of both of their sons with significant injuries.

Joe decided to continue in the Senate after some persuasion from his friends and he was sworn in next to his son’s hospital bed.

Joe chose to stay with his family and travel to Washington every day, whether by vehicle or train. In 1977, Joe married Jill Jacobs, but their family problems were far from ended.

5. Joe’s Eldest Son Died of Brain Cancer

Joe’s Eldest Son Died of Brain Cancer

In 1977, Joe Biden began to rebuild his family, and everything appeared to be going well until the 2000s. Biden’s family appeared to be a typical family, his children had grown up and established their own lives.

Beau, his eldest son, became attorney general and also served in the United States military in Iraq. He had another tragedy when he suffered a stroke in 2010 and subsequently developed brain cancer in 2013.

He received a variety of treatments, as well as surgery to remove a brain tumor. However, these treatments were fruitless, and Beau died in 2015, sparking Joe Biden’s desire to help the fight against cancer.

6. Joe Biden Was an Adjunct Professor

Joe Biden Was an Adjunct Professor

Joe began teaching law at Widener University as a lecturer in 1991. He would set up his classroom around a single conference room to foster discussion and make the class feel more real.

Biden also took his students to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to provide them real-world experience.

He left Widener University in 2008 to support Barack Obama in his presidential campaign, but it wasn’t his first time trying to get into the White House.

Knowledge will always give you some level of confidence. This article has done justice in providing information about Joe Biden. Let us know if you found this helpful by dropping a comment in the comment section.

FAQs About Was Joe Biden in the Military? Biography, Family, Policies, & Facts

1. Did Joe Biden Serve in the US Military?

President Biden did not serve in the military or in a war.


2. Was Biden in the Military?

No, Joe Biden was not in the military


3. Was Joe Biden Last in his College Class?

When Joe Biden graduated from law school, he placed 76th out of 85 students. He was in the bottom 12% of his class when he graduated.


4. What was Joe Biden’s GPA?

He graduated from the University of Delaware in Newark with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science.


5. What did Joe Biden do Before Politics?

Before running for government, he was licensed to the Delaware bar in 1969 and worked as a lawyer.


6. Has Joe Biden Ever Held a Real Job?

No. Joe is a con artist. It has always been. As the Clintons and Obamas have shown, that can be a very lucrative profession.


7. Does Joe Biden have a Doctorate Degree?

Biden received a Juris Doctor degree from Syracuse University College of Law in 1968, rated 76th in his class of 85.


8. Does Joe Biden have Any Tattoos?

No, Joe Biden does not have any tattoos


9. What did Beau Biden do to Get the Bronze Star?

He most certainly accomplished an excellent job, and his commander appreciated his efforts. Some may argue that he received the honor because he is the son of the Vice President.


10. What do Veterans Think of President Joe Biden?

The veterans actually prefer Donald Trump to Joe Biden.

 

 

 

 

 

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