[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.