    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [April 22, 2005]
    [Pages 653-655]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Nomination of General Peter Pace
    To Be Chairman and Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., To Be Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
    Staff
    April 22, 2005

        The President. Good morning. As President, my most solemn duty is
    protecting the American people. In meeting this responsibility, one of
    the most important decisions I make is the appointment of the Chairman
    of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Today I'm pleased to announce my decision
    to nominate General Peter Pace to take on this vital job.
        When confirmed by the Senate, General Pete Pace will be the first
    marine in history to hold this vital position. He knows the job well.
    For the past 3\1/2\ years, he has served under our superb Secretary of
    Defense, Don Rumsfeld. He has been the
    Deputy to one of the most outstanding Chairmen our Nation has ever had,
    General Richard Myers.
        As my most senior military adviser, General Myers has helped prepare military forces so they can meet the
    threats of this new century. This is a huge task, even in peacetime.
    Dick Myers did it while defending America from one of the most
    determined and vicious enemies we have ever faced. On General Myers's
    watch, we toppled two brutal dictatorships in Afghanistan and Iraq and
    liberated more than 50 million people. By removing the Taliban and
    Saddam Hussein, we have made America safer
    and put a troubled region on the path to freedom and peace.
        I want to thank General Dick Myers for
    his able service over four decades and his tireless dedication to duty
    and country. And I also thank his wife, Mary Jo. Dick Myers has had four jobs with four stars, but the
    distinction that he is proudest of is not a military one. Last year, the
    National Father's Day Council named him Father of the Year.
        I'm confident that the great work that General Dick Myers set in motion at the Pentagon will continue under
    the leadership of General Pete Pace. The first thing America needs to
    know about Pete Pace is that he is a marine. To the American people,
    marine is shorthand for ``can do.'' And I'm counting on Pete Pace to
    bring the Marine spirit to these new responsibilities.
        General Pete Pace's life is the story of the American Dream. His
    father was an immigrant from Italy. Pete Pace was born in Brooklyn. He
    grew up in New Jersey, and he graduated from the U.S. Naval

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    Academy. He was a rifle platoon leader in Vietnam. He commanded marines
    in Somalia, and he went on to command U.S. Marine forces in the Atlantic
    and became the head of the U.S. Southern Command. It tells you something
    about Pete Pace's devotion to his troops that under the glass on his
    desk at the Pentagon, he keeps a photo of Lance Corporal Guido Farinaro.
    He was the first marine he lost in combat in Vietnam.
        I've come to rely on Pete Pace's wisdom, judgment, and sense of
    humor. I will continue to rely on those qualities as he serves our
    Nation as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We'll need his wisdom
    and determination as we continue to transform our Armed Forces so we can
    defeat today's enemies while preparing ourselves for military challenges
    we will face as this new century unfolds.
        General Pete Pace also understands the critical role military
    families play in the success of our Armed Forces. That's because he has
    a great military family himself. I'm pleased to welcome his wife,
    Lynne, and daughter, Tiffany, who have joined us today. They're proud of Pete, and they
    should be.
        Because he has served in the job, General Pete Pace also understands
    the important role that the Vice Chairman plays. Today I am pleased to
    announce that I have nominated an outstanding military officer, Admiral
    Ed Giambastiani. [Laughter] He shall be known as Admiral G. [Laughter]
    Anyway, he's going to be the Vice Chairman. [Laughter]
        For the past 2\1/2\ years, Admiral G, as his friends and now the
    President calls him--[laughter]--has been serving our Nation while
    wearing two important hats. As Commander of the U.S. Joint Forces
    Command in Norfolk, he has been transforming our Armed Forces so they
    can better work together to defeat the threats of the 21st century. As
    the first Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, he's been leading
    the effort to bring reform to NATO military so our Alliance is prepared
    for the threats of tomorrow.
        Admiral G is joined today by his wife, Cindy, daughter, Cathy, and his
    son, Pete, a Navy lieutenant, and Pete's
    wife, Jennifer.
        I appreciate the willingness of these men and their families to take
    on these new assignments in an extraordinary moment in our Nation's
    history. We still face ruthless adversaries who wish to attack our
    country. With the leadership of men like these, the outcome of the
    struggle is assured: America will defeat freedom's enemies and ensure
    the security of our country for generations to come.
        It's my honor to bring to the podium General Pete Pace.

    [At this point, Chairman-designate Pace made brief remarks.]

        The President. Thanks for bailing me out. [Laughter]

    [Chairman-designate Pace continued his remarks, and then Vice Chairman-
    designate Giambastiani made brief remarks.]

        The President. Thank you all for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:12 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to former President Saddam
    Hussein of Iraq. The transcript released by the Office of the Press
    Secretary also included the remarks of Chairman-designate Pace and Vice
    Chairman-designate Giambastiani.

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