    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [October 15, 2001]
    [Pages 1243-1244]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Welcoming Ceremony for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
    Staff in Arlington, Virginia
    October 15, 2001

        Thank you all. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, thanks for those kind remarks, and congratulations once
    again. I know your family is proud, and I want to congratulate Mary
    Jo, Rich, and your
    daughters, Nicole and Erin.
        I also want to congratulate Pete Pace, who
    succeeds General Myers as the Vice
    Chairman. Pete, I want to congratulate Lynne as
    well, Tiffany, Lieutenant Pete Pace; and of course, I've got to congratulate your mom,
    Doris. Moms are pretty important, as I learned
    firsthand, and so did you.
        Mr. Secretary, we did a fine job in
    picking these two men. There's no question we made the right choice. And
    there's no question I made the right choice when I named you Secretary
    of Defense. The country is coming to know Don like I know him. He's a no-nonsense kind of guy. He speaks
    his mind. He's results oriented. He's the right man at the right time to
    defeat the evil ones. I appreciate your service. I appreciate the
    service of Paul Wolfowitz, your Deputy,
    and all the folks you've assembled at the Defense Department.
        I also want to welcome the Members of Congress who are here. I know
    Congressman Ike Skelton is here, and others are
    as well.
        General Myers and I have spent a lot of
    quality time together recently. He has my complete confidence. Richard
    B. Myers is the 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, taking his
    place in a line that began with another general who was born in
    Missouri, Omar Bradley. And like Omar Bradley, General Myers is known
    for his calm manner, sound judgment, and his clear strategic thinking.
    Now, at any time those qualities would be important; but today, they're
    indispensable.
        When General Myers and General
    Pace stood at my side in Crawford, Texas, this
    summer, I spoke of our duty to protect and defend America's values and
    interests in the world. Since that time, those values and interests have
    come under direct attack.
        America has awakened to a great danger. We have entered a different
    kind of war. And the enemy is finding out we are ready. We are fighting
    this war, and we will win this war on many fronts--by diplomacy, law
    enforcement, financial sanctions, and intelligence. And our military is
    playing an essential role. Eight days ago, I sent the Armed Forces into
    action. They have performed with skill and precision. They know their
    work, and they know the American people are behind them.
        I made a commitment to every service man and woman: For the mission
    that lies ahead, you will have everything you need, every resource,
    every weapon, every means to assure full victory for the United States,
    our allies, our friends, and the cause of freedom.
        In the war against terror, there will be times of swift and visible
    action. There will

    [[Page 1244]]

    be times of steady and quiet progress. We will be patient, and we will
    be persistent. The terrorists are beginning to understand: There is no
    place to run; there is no place to hide; there is no place to rest.
        During last week's memorial service at the Pentagon, Secretary
    Rumsfeld observed that the terrorists
    reserve special contempt for the United States military. And it's easy
    to see why. In the values and traditions of our military, you represent
    everything they hate. You defend human freedom. You value life. Here and
    around the world, you keep the peace that they seek to destroy. You live
    by a code of honor and a tradition of loyalty and decency.
        The new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
    represents the best in this tradition. Since the day he was commissioned
    as second lieutenant in 1965, Dick Myers has brought great credit to his
    uniform and to his country. He and his outstanding Vice Chairman have assumed crucial positions at a crucial hour, and
    our country is thankful for your service.
        May God bless you all, and may God bless the United States.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:30 p.m. in Conmy Hall at Fort Myer. In
    his remarks, he referred to Mary Jo Myers, wife of Gen. Richard B.
    Myers, USAF, and their son, Rich, and daughters, Nicole and Erin; and
    Lynne Pace, wife of Gen. Peter Pace, USMC, their son, Lt. Pete Pace,
    USMC, their daughter, Tiffany, and General Pace's mother, Doris Pace.