Governor Josh Stein and North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Secretary Jocelyn Mallette visited Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, where they attended the North Carolina Commanders Council (NCCC) quarterly meeting. The visit included discussions with commanders from military installations across the state about supporting service members, military families, and veterans.
“North Carolina’s military installations are critical to our national security and state economy, with more than 130,000 military and civilian Department of Defense personnel across North Carolina,” said Governor Josh Stein. “I was pleased to listen to and learn from the Commanders Council about how the state can best support our service members and their families through the challenges they face while on duty.”
“Supporting military families is not just an act of gratitude—it is a commitment to the strength, resilience, and future of our state,” said Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Secretary Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette. “North Carolina has the fourth largest active-duty population of any state, and when the leaders of our state and the commanders of our military installations stand together, military families win.”
“I’m grateful for Governor Stein’s visit to Camp Lejeune and his engagement with the North Carolina Commanders Council,” said Brigadier General Ralph Rizzo. “His commitment to military families, veterans, and the communities that support our installations helps ensure they remain resilient power projection platforms that are capable of projecting combat power at the time and place of our Nation’s choosing. By strengthening partnerships and building awareness of the challenges facing our bases, our collaborative efforts will directly enhance the readiness of our Marines and Sailors.”
The NCCC serves as a forum for leaders from North Carolina’s military bases to discuss priorities affecting service members stationed in the state.
This month, North Carolina joined a joint initiative between Blue Star Families and the National Governors Association by becoming a Do Your Part State. This program aims to help states implement policies that support military families.
Governor Stein has signed four new laws this year designed to assist service members and their families. These measures address issues such as helping spouses transfer professional licenses from out-of-state locations, simplifying remote driver’s license renewals, aiding parents enrolling children in public schools, and making it easier for military students to afford tuition within the University of North Carolina System.
