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Skriven 2006-07-21 23:33:28 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0607216) for Fri, 2006 Jul 21
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Vice President's Remarks at a Rally for the Troops at Fort Stewart, Georgia
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
July 21, 2006

Vice President's Remarks at a Rally for the Troops at Fort Stewart, Georgia
Fort Stewart
Fort Stewart, Georgia



3:05 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: (Applause.) Mercy. (Laughter.) Well, thank you very
much. And, General Lynch, General Rodeheaver, distinguished guests, family
members, soldiers of the Third Infantry Division and the 48th Infantry
Brigade.

AUDIENCE: Whooa!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you for a warm welcome. It's great to be with all
of you, and to visit one of the finest military installations in America --
Fort Stewart, in the great State of Georgia.

AUDIENCE: Whooa!

THE VICE PRESIDENT I want to thank General Lynch for the kind words of
introduction, and all those who have arranged for us to come by this
afternoon. I also want to recognize the state and local officials who came
here today. We're joined by some fine members of Congress who support our
military -- Phil Gingrey, John Barrow, and Jack Kingston. Don't hold back.

AUDIENCE: Whooa!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: They pay the bills. (Applause.) And it's always an
honor to be joined by another strong supporter of our military, the
Governor of the great state of Georgia, Sonny Perdue. (Applause.)

Soldiers and families of Fort Stewart are reminded every day that you live
in a hard-working, patriotic part of the United States. Throughout Coastal
Georgia you find remarkable community spirit for the military, and I know
it means everything to our people in uniform and to their loved ones. So I
want to thank the cities of Hinesville, Savannah, and this entire region
for standing behind our military families. (Applause.)

This is not my first visit to Fort Stewart. I remember coming here almost
exactly 16 years ago, as Secretary of Defense, when we were getting ready
to deploy forces to Desert Storm and to fight the Persian Gulf War. Then,
as now, I was impressed by the work that is carried out here, by the
caliber of soldiers posted here. The Stewart/Hunter complex is the largest
Army installation east of the Mississippi, and it plays an absolutely vital
role in the defense of this nation. Your duties are not easy, but you carry
them out with skill and honor. You've made a tremendous difference for this
nation. So I'm proud to be in your company. I bring gratitude and good
wishes from our Commander-in-Chief, President George W. Bush. (Applause.)

America has always counted on the Army to defend our country and to man the
watchtowers of freedom. And in our own time, soldiers of the United States
are repaying that confidence every day as we fight the global war on
terror. When we were attacked on a terrible September morning nearly five
years ago, President Bush said that the struggle would be lengthy and
difficult, and would require our best effort and unfailing resolve. It's
tough; it's dangerous to fight enemies who dwell in the shadows, who target
the innocent, who plot destruction on a massive scale. And in this fight
some of the hardest duties have come to the men and women of the United
States Army.

Today we take special pride in recognizing some of our best -- the Third
Infantry Division. (Applause.) The Third I.D., of course, has one of the
most successful combat records of any division in Army history. (Applause.)
More than three years ago, at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the
Third I.D. was the spearhead unit into Baghdad.

AUDIENCE: Whooa!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: And you've continued to carry out difficult and
dangerous missions in support of the rising democracy in Iraq. On your most
recent deployment you conducted thousands of combat and supply route
patrols, convoy security missions, cordon and search operations. Soldiers
and aviators of the Third I.D. supported millions of pounds of cargo and
evacuated thousands of medical patients. You carried out raids and air
assaults against our enemies, provided security and humanitarian aid for
innocent people, and worked closely with Iraqi Security Forces. Every day
you went about your jobs with tremendous focus and skill, regardless of the
conditions -- and I know the desert over there can make a Georgia summer
look pretty mild.

AUDIENCE: Whooa!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: The Third I.D.'s performance in the field -- not just
the progress you've made, but also your character as men and women -- has
left a lasting impression on people up and down the chain of command. Once
again, the United States is grateful to the Third Infantry Division -- the
Rock of the Marne -- for a job well done. (Applause.)

We're grateful as well to members of a superb unit that returned home in
May -- the 48th Brigade Combat Team of the Georgia National Guard.
(Applause.) From helping to stand-up the new Iraqi government, to cordon
and search operations, to combat patrol and checkpoint security, to the
capture and detention of suspected terrorists -- the 48th has shown
toughness, great ability, and endurance. You saw heavy combat and logged
countless miles in thousands of vehicles. It was a hard deployment; you did
a superb job. Members of the 48th, welcome home. (Applause.)

In their conduct overseas, the men and women who wear this nation's uniform
have reminded people everywhere of America's purposes. For the sake of our
own security, and that of our friends, we've undertaken a lot of serious
work in the world. Yet when we use our military, it's not to conquer, but
to liberate. And after we throw back tyrants, we stand by our friends to
ensure that democratic institutions can take hold, and to help build
freedom that leads to peace in the long run.

Five years ago Iraq and Afghanistan were both in the grip of violent,
merciless regimes. Now they have democratically-elected governments, the
dictators are gone, and 50 million people are awakening to a future of hope
and freedom. And Americans who return home from that part of the world can
be proud of their service for the rest of their lives. (Applause.)

We maintain forces in those countries because we're a nation that keeps its
word, and because we understand what is at stake in that part of the world.
The terrorists understand it, as well. The terrorists know that as freedom
takes hold, the ideologies of hatred and resentment will weaken, and the
advance of free institutions in the broader Middle East will produce a
safer world for our children and grandchildren. The war on terror is a
battle for the future of civilization. It's a battle worth fighting. And it
is a battle we are going to win. (Applause.)

The terrorists have made Iraq the central front in this war. And we wage
this fight with good allies at our side, including an Iraqi Security Force
growing in size and ability. We'll continue to train the Iraqi forces so
they can defend their own country and make it a source of stability in a
troubled region. When it comes to our own troop levels, the President will
listen to the recommendations of commanders on the ground. And he'll make
the call based on what is needed for victory, not according to the polls,
and not by artificial time lines set by politicians in Washington, D.C.
(Applause.)

In our own country, we take democratic values seriously -- and so we always
have a vigorous debate on the issues. That's part of the greatness of
America. We wouldn't have it any other way. But there is a difference
between healthy debate and self-defeating pessimism. We have only two
options in Iraq -- victory or defeat. And I want you to know, as members of
the United States military, that the American people do not support a
policy of retreat or defeatism. (Applause.) We want to complete the
mission, to get it done right, and return with honor.

Although we have been in the struggle against terrorism for nearly five
years now, the terrorists were actually at war with this country long
before 2001. And they were the ones on the offensive. Over time, they came
to believe that they could strike America without paying a price -- because
they did so many times in the 1980s and '90s. And eventually, of course,
they hit us here in the United States on September 11th, 2001.

That day changed everything -- and the United States will never go back to
the false comforts of the world before 9/11. Terrorist attacks are not
caused by the use of strength. They are invited by the perception of
weakness. And this nation has made a decision: We will engage these enemies
-- facing them far from home, so we do not have to face them on the streets
of our own cities. (Applause.)

That effort includes a home front -- and the home front is every bit as
important as the battlefields overseas. To protect Americans, the President
also signed the Patriot Act, which is helping us to disrupt terrorist
activity, and break up terror cells within the United States, and to
protect the lives of Americans.

Another vital step the President took in the days following 9/11 was to
authorize the National Security Agency to intercept a certain category of
terrorist-linked international communications. There are no communications
more important to the safety of the United States than those related to al
Qaeda that have one end in the United States. If you'll recall, the report
of the 9/11 Commission focused criticism on our inability to uncover links
between terrorists at home and terrorists abroad. The authorization the
President gave after September 11th helped address that problem in a manner
that is fully consistent with his constitutional responsibilities and legal
authority and with the civil liberties of the American people.

As people who know first-hand what this war really involves, you can be
certain of this: The President will not relent in tracking the enemies of
the United States with every legitimate tool at his command. This is not a
war we can win on the defensive. Our only option against these enemies is
to monitor them, to find them, to fight them, and to destroy them.
(Applause.)

I'm afraid that as we get farther and farther away from September 11th,
2001, there is a temptation to let up in the fight against terror. We're
all grateful this nation has gone four years and 10 months now without
another 9/11. Obviously, no one can guarantee that we won't be hit again.
But getting through these years of wartime took a lot more than just luck.
We've been protected by sensible policy decisions by the President, by
decisive action at home and abroad, and by round-the-clock efforts on the
part of people in the armed forces, in law enforcement, in intelligence,
and homeland security.

The enemy that struck on 9/11 is weakened and fractured, yet still lethal
and still determined to hit us again. We've never had a fight like this --
and we have a lot more to do before it's finished. Either we are serious
about fighting this war or we are not. And the enemies of America need to
know: We are serious, and we will not let down our guard. (Applause.)

Everywhere I go in this country, I am struck by the depth of gratitude and
admiration that Americans have for our men and women serving in the
military. We do not take freedom for granted because we know it came with a
price. Many based at Fort Stewart, including a good number here today, have
been decorated for acts of bravery for outstanding performance. You have
also had to say a last farewell to some devoted comrades in arms. And the
families left behind need to know that their loved ones served in a noble
and a necessary cause. Their sacrifice has made our nation and the world
more secure. We will honor their memory forever. (Applause.)

In this war we have seen the highest military decoration of them all, the
Medal of Honor, presented to a member of the Third I.D.

AUDIENCE: Paul!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: In April of '03, a task force led by Sergeant Paul Ray
Smith came under surprise attack near Baghdad by Saddam Hussein's
Republican Guard. Under constant enemy fire, with his unit pinned down and
a number of men wounded, Sergeant Smith climbed onto a damaged vehicle and
manned a 50-caliber machine gun. Though in a completely exposed position,
Sergeant Smith started fighting. To another soldier he called out, "feed me
ammunition whenever you hear the gun get quiet." He fired at the enemy and
went through three boxes of ammunition until he took a fatal round. After
the firefight, the Army concluded that this one soldier had personally
killed as many as 50 Republican Guard and saved the lives of more than 100
of his fellow soldiers. Sergeant Smith's wife said, "Paul loved his
country. He loved the Army, he loved his soldiers." (Applause.)

For as long as citizens step forward to serve in uniform, Americans
soldiers will be inspired by this man's exceptional bravery under fire, and
by the honor he reflected on the Third I.D.

In this new generation we are seeing once again that the American soldier
in battle places the mission first, never accepts defeat, never quits,
never leaves a fallen comrade. (Applause.) The spirit of the American
soldier is to be honorable and just, and, even amid the cruelties of
battle, to be decent and humane. By their courage, members of our military
are taking the fight to the enemy and winning the war on terror. And by
their openness and their kindness to others in thousands of interactions
every day, members of our military have built permanent bonds of friendship
between the United States and the nations we've liberated.

By defending ourselves, and by standing with our friends, the United States
of America is meeting its responsibilities as freedom's home and defender.
(Applause.)

We're a nation founded on the ideals of liberty, equality, and justice. We
uphold those ideals at home, and we defend those ideals where they are
threatened. Standing here on Cottrell Field, I want to thank each and every
one of you for the vital work you're doing, and for your daily example of
skill, and perseverance, and honor. I came here today to thank you for what
you're doing for all of us. It's a privilege to be with you. You've made
this nation very proud. (Applause.)

END 3:22 P.M. EDT
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