    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [November 24, 2003]
    [Pages 1605-1607]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Signing the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
    Year 2004 in Arlington, Virginia
    November 24, 2003

        Thank you for the warm welcome, and good morning. I'm honored to be
    here at the Pentagon with the men and women who are defending America
    and who are fighting the war on terror. America is counting on your
    skill and courage.
        People in our military depend upon the support of the Congress and
    the President and the administration. Today, with the National Defense
    Authorization Act, our Government is meeting its obligations. We're
    sending a clear message: In a time of conflict and challenge, America
    stands with the United States military.
        Mr. Secretary, you are doing a
    fantastic job for America. You lead with courage; you lead with clear
    vision; and you lead with strength. I appreciate General Dick
    Myers and the members of the Joint Chiefs
    who are with us. Thank you for your great service to our country. I want
    to thank the ranking enlisted personnel who are with us today, Sergeant
    Major John Estrada and Master Chief Petty
    Officer Terry Scott. I appreciate you all
    being up here as well. Thank you for your fine service. I want to thank
    the Department of Defense personnel who are with us today. Thank you for
    working with the Secretary and Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz and others for making sure the Pentagon does its job
    and does its job well.
        I want to thank the Members of Congress who are here. I particularly
    want to single out Chairman Warner and
    Chairman Hunter: John Warner of Virginia,
    United States Senate; Duncan Hunter of California, the House of
    Representatives. I want to thank both of you for working on this
    important piece of legislation, for solving issues inside the bill, and
    getting a good bill to this desk. Thank you--[inaudible].
        I also thank Senator Carl Levin, who's the
    ranking member, Senator Susan Collins from
    Maine, and Congressman Tom Davis for joining us on
    this stage and for their leadership in this important piece of
    legislation. I want to thank the other Members of the United States
    Senate and the House of Representatives who have joined us. Thank you
    for supporting this piece of legislation.
        It's an important signal we're sending, because, you see, the war on
    terror is different than any war America has ever fought. Our enemies
    seek to inflict mass

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    casualties without fielding mass armies. They hide in the shadows, and
    they're often hard to strike. The terrorists are cunning and ruthless
    and dangerous, as the world saw on September the 11th, 2001, and again
    in Istanbul last week. Yet these killers are now facing the United
    States of America and a great coalition of responsible nations, and this
    threat to civilization will be defeated.
        In this new kind of war, our military needs to be fast and smart and
    agile, and it is. Right now, America's Armed Forces are the best
    trained, best equipped, and best prepared in the world, and this
    administration will keep it that way. The bill I sign today authorizes
    $400 billion over the next fiscal year to prepare our military for all
    that lies ahead. We will do whatever it takes to keep our Nation strong,
    to keep the peace, and to keep the American people secure.
        First, this legislation respects and supports the men and women of
    our military and their families, all of whom are a vital source of our
    national strength. For more than three decades, America has been well
    served and well defended by our All Volunteer Force. The quality and
    professionalism of that force has never been higher. Whether you wear
    four stars or one stripe, our military is making America proud.
        In this time of war, our military is facing greater sacrifice. Our
    men and women in uniform are facing longer separations. Your families
    are feeling great pride, and sometimes they worry. America is grateful
    for your willingness to serve, and we are showing our gratitude. This
    bill authorizes an across-the-board pay increase averaging 4.15 percent.
    It extends through next year the increase of extra pay earned by
    servicemembers who volunteer for hazardous duty and who endure long
    separations from their families. The bill further reduces housing costs
    for those living off posts. It reauthorizes bonus pay for those with
    specialized skills. Those who risk their lives for our liberty deserve
    to be fairly paid and fairly treated, and this bill keeps those
    commitments.
        Second, this legislation helps America remain prepared and fully
    equipped for the challenges of our time. In our new struggle, threats
    can emerge suddenly, and so we must always be ready. This bill
    authorizes funds for realistic training, because battles are won with
    the effective training of our people.
        The Congress has authorized the full $9.1 billion that I requested
    for ballistic missile defense. The spread of ballistic missile
    technology, along with the spread of weapons of mass destruction, is a
    terrible danger to America and to the world, and we must have the tools
    and the technologies to properly protect our people.
        This bill also advances the vital work of transforming the personnel
    system for civilian defense workers, so that we can place the right
    person in the right job to meet the challenges we face. Nearly 700,000
    civilian defense workers have been laboring under a cumbersome,
    inefficient system designed for another century. The bill I sign today
    reforms this system. It gives DOD managers the flexibility to place
    civilian workers where they are most needed, without needless delay. It
    speeds up the hiring process so that new employees will not have to face
    a wait of many months before beginning their service to our country. It
    introduces pay-for-performance bonuses and streamlines the promotion
    process, making a career at the Defense Department more attractive to
    talented workers.
        These are landmark reforms, the most ambitious of their kind in a
    quarter-century and similar in scope and purpose to those enacted for
    the Department of Homeland Security. To win the war on terror, America
    must fully utilize the skills and talents of everyone who serves our
    country, and this bill will help us achieve that goal.
        Every member of the United States military is now involved in a
    great and historic task, and the stakes for our country could

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    not be higher. We face enemies that measure their progress by the chaos
    they inflict, the fear they spread, and the innocent lives they destroy.
        America's military is standing between our country and grave danger.
    You're standing for order and hope and democracy in Afghanistan and
    Iraq. You're standing up for the security of all free nations and for
    the advance of freedom. The American people and your Commander in Chief
    are grateful, and we will support you in all your essential missions.
        And now it is my honor to sign the National Defense Authorization
    Act for Fiscal Year 2004.
        May God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:10 a.m. at the Pentagon. In his remarks,
    he referred to Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld; Sgt. Maj. John
    L. Estrada, USMC, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps; and Master Chief
    Petty Officer of the Navy Terry D. Scott, USN. H.R. 1588, approved
    November 24, was assigned Public Law No. 108-136.