Text 3581, 257 rader
Skriven 2006-11-03 23:47:58 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0611035) for Fri, 2006 Nov 3
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Vice President's Remarks at a Welcome Home Rally with the Troops at Fort
Carson
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
November 3, 2006

Vice President's Remarks at a Welcome Home Rally with the Troops at Fort
Carson
Butts Army Airfield
Fort Carson, Colorado



1:31 P.M. MST

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Mercy. Well, thank you very much. Thank you, General
Mixon, Admiral Keating, General Milano, General MacDonald, Command Sergeant
Major McWilliams, distinguished guests, soldiers and families: It's great
to be with all of you, and to be at one of the finest military
installations in America -- Fort Carson, in the great State of Colorado.
(Applause.)

We've been looking forward to visiting the Mountain Post. I want to thank
everybody who helped put this event together. And I also want to thank the
U.S. Air Force Academy Band and all the distinguished guests who've joined
us. The reason I'm here is to say thank you -- to thank you for what you've
done for all of us.

The men and women serving at Fort Carson are reminded every day that you
live in a hard-working, patriotic part of the United States. There's
tremendous community support for our military throughout the Pikes Peak
region, and I know it means everything to our soldiers. So I want to thank
the people of Colorado Springs and this entire region for standing with our
military families. (Applause.)

As a former Secretary of Defense -- that's when I had a real job --
(applause) -- and now as Vice President, I can tell you how impressed I am
by the work that is carried out at Fort Carson, how much I admire the
caliber of soldiers posted here. Your duties are not easy, but you carry
them out with skill and honor, and you play an absolutely vital role in the
defense of our nation. I'm proud to be in your company today, and 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 war on terror. When
we were attacked on a terrible September morning more than five years ago,
President Bush said the struggle would be lengthy and difficult and would
require our best effort and unfailing resolve. It is tough and it is
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, including fine
units that have just recently returned from Iraq. We're grateful to the
Third Brigade Combat Team of the Fourth I.D. (Applause.)

Thirty-eight hundred strong, you've trained Iraqi soldiers and police,
giving them the skills they need to defend their country and to protect
their fellow citizens. You did the job well, and America is proud of the
Iron Brigade.

We're grateful to the 43rd Area Support Group. (Applause.) You work hard to
"Provide with Pride," and you've done so repeatedly in both Iraq and
Afghanistan.

The job of the Tenth CSH -- (applause) -- is to provide essential trauma
medicine and care to coalition forces. Thanks to your dedication and
professionalism, I'm told you finished the recent deployment with a 94
percent survival rate. Congratulations. (Applause.)

We're grateful to the Tenth Special Forces Group. (Applause.) The Green
Berets know what it means to undertake missions that are difficult,
dangerous, urgent, and secret. You've engaged the enemy in Iraq with the
toughness, and precision, and effectiveness that we expect of you, and we
are grateful.

We're joined today by many family members of the Second Brigade Combat
Team, of the Second Infantry Division. (Applause.) These men and women have
faced a challenging rotation, starting in Korea and then to Iraq. The
record of the Strike Force Brigade testifies to the endurance and the
dedication of the American soldier. They are now on duty in Iraq, and
they're doing an outstanding job for the United States.

Let me also recognize the good work of other units hosted at Fort Carson:
The Second Brigade Combat Team, Fourth I.D. (Applause.) Division West,
First Army. (Applause.) The 91st Training Brigade. (Applause.) The 71st
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group. (Applause.) The First Squadron of the
Sixth Cavalry. (Applause.) The "Desert Battalion" of the Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion. (Applause.) The Medical and Dental Activities of
Fort Carson and Evans Army Hospital. (Applause.) The Gunslingers of the
13th Air Support Operations Squadron. (Applause.) The Fort Carson
Veterinary Facility. (Applause.) We didn't want to leave anybody out.
(Laughter.) And the U.S. Army Garrison of Fort Carson. (Applause.) I also
want to thank the 651st Area Support Group of the Army from Denver.
(Applause.)

In their conduct at home and abroad, 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 this world. Yet when we use our military, it is 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 the freedom that leads to peace in the long run.

At the beginning of this young century, Iraq and Afghanistan were both in
the grip of violent, merciless regimes. Now they have democratically
elected governments and the dictators are gone. And Americans who return
home from that part of the world can be proud of their service for the rest
of their lives.

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. It's a
battle we are going to win.

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. Our goal in Iraq is victory -- with a nation
that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself. In terms of how
to carry out the mission, General Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, put it best: "From a military standpoint," he said, "every day is
reassessment day." We'll be flexible. We'll do all we can to adapt to
conditions on the ground. We'll make every change necessary to do the job.
And I want you to know, as members of the Army, that the American people do
not support a policy of retreat. We want to complete the mission, we want
to get it done right, and we want to return with honor. (Applause.)

Although we have been in the struggle against terrorism now for more than
five years, the terrorists were actually at war with this country long
before 9/11. 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. Then they hit us inside the
United States on September 11th and killed 3,000 of our fellow citizens.

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. (Applause.) 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 abroad in this kind of conflict. To protect
Americans, the President signed the Patriot Act, which is helping us to
disrupt terrorist activity, break up terror cells within the United States,
and 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 9/11 Commission in its report focused
criticism on our inability to uncover links between terrorists at home and
terrorists abroad. The authorization the President made after September
11th helped address that problem in a manner that is fully consistent with
his constitutional responsibilities and 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 that 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 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 more than five years without another attack. Obviously, no
one can guarantee that we won't be hit again. But getting through five
years of wartime without an attack on the homeland took a lot more than
luck.

We've been protected by sensible policy decisions, by decisive action at
home and abroad, and by round-the-clock efforts on the part of people in
our armed services, 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.)

Ladies and gentlemen, everywhere I go in this country, I am struck by the
depth of gratitude and admiration that the American people have for our
military. In this challenging time for our country, we have learned the
stories of so many Americans who have faced the enemy, and who have lost
their lives or who suffered serious injury. With us today are Sergeant
Brian Gray, Specialist Marcella Neiswonger, Specialist Kevin Spangler,
Specialist Jeffery Enlow, Sergeant Gabrielle Rivera, Master Sergeant
Darrell Utt, Chief Warrant Officer-2 Bill McKenna, and Captain Sarah Piro
-- recipients of the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal, and
other military distinctions -- fellow citizens of ours who have paid the
price for this nation's freedom. Soldiers, it's a high honor to be in your
presence. You make all of us proud to be Americans. (Applause.)

Fort Carson is also a post where the families of the deployed soldiers are
cared for by some great Family Support Groups. We want to thank their
leaders -- Ruth Mixon, Holly Dailey, Adele Snook, Julie McRee and Reece
Hinkle -- for their dedication and service.

This nation loves our military because it represents the best values of a
generous and idealistic country. When we look at the Armed Forces of the
United States, here is what we see: An all-volunteer force, serving and
sacrificing for this land. We see men and women who know what it's like to
be deployed a long way from home, to work shifts of 14, 16, 18 hours a day
or more, to carry heavy packs in the desert during the heat of the day, or
to hike mountain passes in the cold of the night. And yet, regardless of
the conditions, you keep your mind alert. You think quickly but carefully.
You act decisively. And you win every engagement with this country's
enemies. Soldiers of the United States Army: You are the best-prepared,
best-educated, most highly trained fighting force the world has ever seen,
and this nation is proud of each and every one of you. (Applause.)

More than that, ladies and gentlemen, the people of this country admire
your character. You've taken an oath to serve. You live by a code of honor.
And no words could fully express just how much you mean to this country. In
a new generation we're seeing once again that the American soldier in
battle places the mission first, never accepts defeat, never quits, and
never leaves a fallen comrade. 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 they are winning the war on terror. (Applause.)

By defending ourselves, and by standing with our friends, the United States
of America is meeting its responsibilities as freedom's home and defender.
We're a nation founded on the ideals of liberty, equality, and justice. We
uphold those ideals at home, and we defend those ideals when they are
threatened. Standing here at the Mountain Post, I want to thank each and
every one of you for the work you are doing. The war on terror is a test of
our strength, a test of our capabilities, and above all a test of our
character. I have never had more confidence in the nerve and the will of
the American people and our military. We love our country only more when
she is threatened. America's cause is right. America's cause is just. And
with you in the fight, America's cause will prevail.

Thank you very much.

END 1:50 P.M. MST

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