(applause) The President:
Thank you so much, everybody. Hooah! Audience:
Hooah! The President:
To General Lloyd Austin, thanks
for the introduction and your leadership, leading our troops
in Iraq and taking care of our soldiers now that
they are at home. And right at the top, let me say
that our hearts are obviously with all the folks who are down
in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, who are dealing with the
aftermath of Hurricane Isaac. Our prayers are with those
who've lost loved ones. And I've directed the federal
government to keep doing everything that it can to help
our partners at the state and local level. As a country, we stand united
with our fellow Americans in their hour of need. I want to thank General Pittard
and all your great commanders for welcoming me here today. I want to give a shout-out to
the Sergeant Major of the Army, Ray Chandler. (Hooah!) And Command Sergeant
Major Ronnie Kelley. (Hooah!) These guys remind us that our
noncommissioned officers are the backbone of our military -- (Hooah!) -- leading the finest
enlisted force in the world. (Hooah!) It is great to be back at
Fort Bliss, home to the Army, Air and Missile Defense
Command -- "Swift and Sure." (Hooah!) We've got Guard
and Reserve here. (Hooah!) Of course, it's home to the
legendary 1st Armored Division, "Old Ironsides." (Hooah!) We've got a lot
of brigades here, including the "Iron Eagles,"
"Iron Brigades," "Bulldogs," and "Ready First." (Hooah!) And I also want to salute
Lucille Pittard and Alice Kelley and all the extraordinary
spouses and military families who are here. Give them a big
round of applause. (applause) I know that all of you are
grateful for the incredible support you receive from
your civilian neighbors. So I want to acknowledge two
champions of Fort Bliss -- we've got Congressman
Silvestre Reyes and we've got Mayor John Cook. And we've also got all the great
folks in El Paso and New Mexico. Give them a big
round of applause. (applause) I've come back to Bliss
for a simple reason. Two years ago, I was here to
mark a historic moment in the life of our nation
and our military -- the end of major combat
operations in Iraq. It was a chance for me to say on
behalf of the American people to you and all who served
there -- welcome home, and congratulations
on a job well done. Audience:
Hooah! The President:
In every major phase of
that war, you were there, the Iron Soldiers. Because of your
speed and strength, American troops toppled a
dictator in less than a month. Because of your commitment, you
stayed on extended tours and went back, tour after
tour, year after year. Because of your
determination to succeed, you turned back an insurgency. You stood firm against
sectarian strife. You helped pull Iraq back from
the abyss and you trained Iraqis to take the lead. That was the progress you made
possible with your service and your courage. And so, two years ago, I was
able to come here to Bliss and mark the end of
our combat mission. And that night I told the
American people that all our troops would be out of Iraq by
the end of the following year. At the time, I know some
folks didn't believe me. They were skeptical. Some thought the end of
combat was just word games and semantics, but I
meant what I said. (Hooah!) So you kept training
up those Iraqi forces. We removed nearly 150,000
troops, and this past December, under General
Austin's leadership, the last American
troops came home, including the 4th Brigade
Combat Team from Bliss. (Hooah!) (applause) You left Iraq with honor,
your mission complete, your heads held high. After nearly nine years,
our war in Iraq was over. And today Iraq has a chance
to forge its own destiny, and there are no American troops
fighting and dying in Iraq. On this anniversary, we honor
the memory of all who gave their lives there -- nearly
4,500 American patriots, including 198 fallen heroes
from Fort Bliss and the 1st Armored Division. And we salute all
who served there. When I was here two years ago
I told you something else, though -- that we
had more work to do, including taking the
fight to al Qaeda. (Hooah!) And there, too, I
meant what I said. With allies and partners, we've
taken out more top al Qaeda terrorists than at
any time since 9/11. And thanks to the
courage of our forces, al Qaeda is on the road to
defeat and bin Laden will never again threaten the
United States of America. (applause) Two years ago I also told you
that we'd keep up the fight in Afghanistan. And I know that some of
you recently got back. On behalf of a grateful
nation, welcome home. Some of your buddies are
in Afghanistan right now -- (Hooah!) -- and our thoughts and prayers
are with all the troops from Bliss deployed around the
world, including Afghanistan -- the "War Eagles" and
the "Highlanders." And I know that some of you will
be deploying later this year. (Hooah!) And I've got to tell
you the truth -- this is still a
very tough fight. You know this. You carry in your hearts the
memory of comrades who made that ultimate sacrifice, including
six heroes from Bliss who gave their lives on that
awful day last month. I just had the opportunity to
meet with some of our Gold Star families, and our
message to them is this: Your loved ones live on in the
soul of our nation and we will honor them always. Because of their sacrifice,
because of your service, we pushed the Taliban back. We're training Afghan forces. The transition to Afghan lead
is underway, and as promised, more than 30,000 of our
troops will have come home by next month. Just as in Iraq, we are going
to end this war responsibly. Next year, Afghans will take
the lead for their own security. In 2014, the transition
will be complete. And even as this war ends,
we will stay vigilant so Afghanistan is never
again a source for attacks against America. Never again. (Hooah!) (applause) So we're not just
ending these wars. We're doing it in a way that
keeps America safe and makes America stronger. And that includes our military. Think about it. Just four years ago, there were
some 180,000 American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. By next month we will
have cut that number by nearly two-thirds. So most of our troops
have come home. And as more Afghans step
up, more of our troops will come home. And what does that mean for you? Well, after 10 years of
continuous operations, it means fewer deployments. It means more time for training. It means more time
to improve readiness, more time to prepare
for the future. And it means more time on the
home front with your families -- your spouses and your kids. (Hooah!) The President:
So make no mistake -- ending the
wars responsibly makes us safer and it makes our
military even stronger. And ending these wars is
letting us do something else -- restore American leadership. If you hear anyone trying to say
that America is in decline or that our influence has
waned, don't you believe it. Because here's the truth --
our alliances have never been stronger. We're leading on
behalf of freedom, including standing with the
people of Libya that are finally free from Muammar Qaddafi. (Hooah!) Around the world, there's a
new attitude toward America, new confidence in
our leadership. When people are asked, which
country do you admire most, one nation always
comes out on top: The United States of America. (Hooah!) (applause) And that's the progress
that we've made, thanks to your
incredible service. We're winding down
a decade of war. We're destroying terrorist
networks that attacked us. And we've restored
American leadership. And today, every American can be
proud that the United States is safer, the United
States is stronger, and the United States is
more respected in the world. Now, when I was here
last, I made you a pledge. I said that, as President, I
will insist that America serves you and your families as
well as you've served us. And there again, I
meant what I said. Because part of ending wars
responsibly is caring for those who fought in it. That's why I wanted to come back
to Bliss on this anniversary to reaffirm our solemn obligations
to you and your families. You see, we may be turning
a page on a decade of war, but America's responsibilities
to you have only just begun. (a baby shouts) The President:
Hey! (laughter) I hear you. So here's my pledge to you. In a world of serious threats, I
will never hesitate to use force to defend the United States
of America or our interests. (Hooah!) At the same time, I will only
send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary. And when we do, we will give
you the equipment and the clear mission and the smart strategy
and the support back home that you need to get the job done. We owe you that. (applause) With the end of the wars,
our military will be leaner, but we'll keep making historic
investments to keep you the absolute best military
in the world -- bar none. The United States will
always maintain our military superiority. (Hooah!) In you, we've got the
best-trained, best-led, best-equipped military
in human history. And as Commander-In-Chief,
I'm going to keep it that way. (applause) And by the way, you've been
hearing some folks out there trying to talk about the
budget and trying to scare you. Last year, Congress pledged
to find a plan to reduce the deficit, and they said if they
couldn't agree there would be big cuts across the
board, including defense. But understand, nobody
wants these cuts, and that's why Congress
threatened them, to force themselves to
make hard decisions. Here's the thing. There's no reason those cuts
should happen because folks in Congress ought to come together
and agree on a responsible plan that reduces the deficit and
keeps our military strong. (Hooah!) That's what needs to happen. That's what you and
your families deserve. And that's how we're going to
keep America safe and strong and grow our economy all
at the same time. (applause) That's a pledge that
we need to make to you. And just as we give you the best
equipment and technology on the battlefield, we need to give you
the best support and care when you come home. Audience Member:
I say hooah! The President:
Hooah! Audience:
Hooah! The President:
We just had a roundtable
with some soldiers and their families, talking about how
coming home can be its own struggle, especially for
our wounded warriors. So we've poured tremendous
resources into this effort, unprecedented support for our
troops with Traumatic Brain Injury, for our troops
and veterans with PTSD -- more counselors, more
clinicians, more care, more treatment. And I know you've been a
leader on this here at Bliss, making it clear that everyone
has a responsibility to help a comrade who's hurting. So today we're
taking another step. I've signed a new executive
order to give our troops, our veterans, and our
families better access to mental health care. (Hooah!) (applause) We're going increase the number
of folks manning those crisis hotlines so help is there
when you need it most. We're going to add even
more counselors and mental health providers. We're launching a new awareness
campaign, starting tomorrow, and I'm directing a new task
force to find out what works best so we're doing everything
we can to help those in need and save lives. And I know that you join me in
saying to everyone who's ever worn the uniform:
If you're hurting, it's not a sign of
weakness to seek help; it's a sign of strength. (Hooah!) We are here to help you
stay strong -- Army Strong. (Hooah!) That's a commitment
I'm making to you. And we're going to keep taking
care of our remarkable military families, too. (Hooah!) This is something I care deeply
about, but even if I didn't, I'd have no choice because
Michelle would tell me what to do. (laughter) And along with Michelle
and Dr. Jill Biden, they have been doing everything
they can to get civilians involved in this process,
not just our government. So today more people all across
America are joining forces to give our military families the
respect and the support that they deserve, and that's
especially important right now. Now, this may be a
political season, and folks may be arguing
about all sorts of things. But one thing that we
Americans are united on is our support for you. Only 1% of Americans
may wear the uniform -- (Hooah!) -- but 100% of Americans need
to be supporting you and your families 100%. (Hooah!) And so this brings me to the
final pledge I made here at Bliss two years ago. When you take off the uniform,
we are going to help you fully participate in our economy. Every single one of you has
defended the American Dream for the rest of us, and every single
one of you deserves a chance to live the American
Dream yourselves. (Hooah!) And that includes jobs worthy
of your incredible talents. And by the way, it's
not just good for you. It's good for the country --
because after a decade of war, the nation we need to be
rebuilding is the United States of America. (Hooah!) (applause) And all of you have the
skills that America needs. So with a million more of you
rejoining civilian life in the years ahead, we're upping
our game at every stage of your careers. We've overhauled the
Transition Assistance Program, creating a kind of reverse
boot camp as you leave service, to help you find a job,
or pursue that degree, or start that business. And hopefully this will be one
boot camp you actually like. (laughter) We'll keep helping you and your
families pursue your education under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. (Hooah!) And by the way, we're cracking
down on those schools that have been trying to take your money
and then rip you off by not giving you the education
that you paid for. That needs to stop. We're going to bring
an end to that. (Hooah!) We're going to keep hiring our
newest veterans in the federal government, and in communities
as police officers and firefighters and
first responders. Because we passed tax credits,
more businesses can hire our veterans and wounded warriors. We're making it easier for you
to transfer your outstanding military skills to the licenses
and credentials that you need to get that civilian job. If you've been a
medic in theater, you shouldn't have to start at
nursing 101 if you decide you want to go into the medical
profession here in the United States. (Hooah!) (applause) If you've been a mechanic on
a multimillion-dollar piece of equipment, you shouldn't have
to come back and start all over again in getting credentialed
to work on a car here in the United States. (Hooah!) And maybe you've heard -- last
year I challenged the private sector to hire or train 100,000
veterans or military spouses. Well, last week Michelle was
able to announce that patriotic companies across America have
actually exceeded that goal ahead of schedule
with 125,000 jobs. (Hooah!) (applause) But we've still got
more work to do. So today I'm again calling
on Congress to act. They've got some
work they need to do. Pass the Veterans Jobs Corps
so we can put more vets to work protecting and
rebuilding America. Extend tax credits to businesses
that hire our veterans. (applause) And I say to every
company in America: If you want somebody who
knows how to get the job done, if you want somebody who
is going to make you proud, just like they made America
proud -- then hire a vet. (Hooah!) Hire a vet. (applause) Because after
fighting for America, you shouldn't have to
fight for a job in America. (Hooah!) So, Team Bliss, these are
America's commitments to you and all who serve -- because we need
to be there for you just like you were there for us --
not just this year or next, but for all the years to come. That's the lesson of a soldier
I had the honor to meet the last time I was in Afghanistan,
visiting some of our wounded warriors in the
hospital at Bagram. Sergeant Chase Haag
is 22 years old. This past spring he was with his
team when their vehicle got hit by an IED the day
that I flew in. So when I arrived at
his hospital room, he and his buddies were
all in pretty bad shape. And he was certainly
in bad shape -- his leg was broken,
his back was fractured. He was laying there on his bed. He was under a lot of
medication, face was swollen, his eyes were shut. And at first, my attitude was
I didn't want to disturb him because I thought
he was sleeping. And the doctor said, no, I think
he can understand what you're saying even if he
can't acknowledge it, and I think he'd appreciate
knowing that you're by his side. So I leaned in and I told Chase
how proud I was of him and how proud the country was of him,
and how we'd be praying for his recovery. And I was turning to leave
and then something happened. There was a rustling
under his blanket. And Chase never opened his
eyes, couldn't make a sound, but suddenly you saw the blanket
lift and his arm came out. And he shook my hand --
a firm Army handshake. (Hooah!) And I don't think there
was a dry eye in that room. And then a few months later
I was visiting our wounded warriors at Walter Reed, and I
walk around the corner and who's there but Chase. He had endured
multiple surgeries. He was persevering
through physical therapy. But this time he
was on his feet. He was walking again. And he had his dad next to him. And today he's back where
every soldier wants to be -- back with his unit. (Hooah!) (applause) And it made me think, that's
just one moment in the life of one American soldier. But it captured the spirit,
the resilience, the tenacity, the discipline, the resolve,
the patriotism of all of you. For a decade, you have served
under the dark cloud of war. You've endured great loss, and
good men and women have given their last full
measure of devotion. But we Americans are strong,
and we are resilient, and we have resolve. And now, we can see a light
-- the light of a new day on the horizon. And that's because of you. The war in Iraq is over. The transition is
underway in Afghanistan. Our troops will
keep coming home. And we are keeping our
military ready for whatever the future may hold. But know this, Bliss -- we are
moving forward stronger and more confident in knowing that
when faced with great trials, we Americans do
what we always do. We don't just endure; we
emerge stronger than before. And as we go forward
as one nation, if the American people
ever need inspiration, they just have to look at Bliss. They need only to look at you. For in you, we see the best
that our country has to offer -- the virtues that have made
America great for more than two centuries, and the values
that will keep us great for centuries to come. It's the belief that all
men are created equal; that we are endowed by our
Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these are
life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It's the sense of duty that says
our country and our freedoms are worth fighting for. It's the selflessness that
says I don't care who gets the credit, but I'll do my part
and we'll get the job done. The trust in one another,
knowing that when the chips are down, the person next to
you has got your back and you've got theirs. (Hooah!) The strength you draw from every
part of our American family, every color, every
creed, every background, every faith coming together,
succeeding together as one American team. That's who you are. That's who we are. We are Americans. We pledge allegiance
to the same proud flag. And we all love this country and
all it represents to the world -- the hope, the opportunity. And we stand united in support
of our troops and your families. And when we stand together
and when we work together, when we take care of each other,
we remind ourselves there's nothing we can't do, America's
greatest days are yet to come, and that we remain the greatest
force for freedom that the world has ever known. So God bless you. God bless all our men
and women in uniform. And God bless the United
States of America. (applause)
