US President Joe Biden is set to make his first visit to the Pentagon Wednesday as the US military aims to address far-right extremism and racism among its troops. Biden and vice President Kamala Harris will cross the Potomac River to the iconic seat of the Department of Defense in the early afternoon where they will be accompanied by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, civilian officials, and senior generals, according to the White House.

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Biden will “talk about foreign and defense policy issues, as appropriate,” said John Kirby, Defense Department spokesman.

The two primary aims of Biden’s visit were to discuss to senior leaders on foreign and defense policy and then to address the huge Pentagon workforce, he added.

Austin, a retired general and former US Middle East commander, is the first African American to take charge of the position.

He has listed his priorities on battling COVID-19 in the US forces to preserve readiness, on supporting Biden’s national 100-day plan to prevent the virus from spreading, and to eliminate racism and related extremism in over two million uniformed service members.

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Issues of racism and extremism have always challenged the force, but risen after hundreds of extremist supporters of former president Donald Trump, some of them backing white supremacy ideology, invaded the US Capitol on January 6.

Setting a theme for his administration, Biden has decided to provide greater opportunities for minorities across the entire government.

He will visit a Pentagon exhibit showcasing the history of African Americans in the military.

The visit could also set the tone for the US defense stance as Biden takes stock of Trump’s push to remove nearly all US forces from Iraq and Afghanistan after approximately two decades of war.