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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Joe Biden says it is the "sacred duty" of the United States to provide for active-duty members of the military as well as care for their families.

Biden spoke Wednesday to a group of 240 active-duty servicemembers and veterans at the Naval Observatory before a Veterans Day lunch.

The vice president told the crowd he was grateful for their service and humbled by their sacrifices. As a military father himself, he said he understands the difficulty of waiting for your loved one to return from deployment. Biden was joined by wife Jill Biden and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. After the remarks the White House chaplain offered a moment of silence for the victims of the Fort Hood shooting.

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