    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [February 23, 2005]
    [Pages 304-307]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to United States Troops at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Germany
    February 23, 2005

        Thank you all. Thank you very much. Thank you for the warm welcome.
    Laura and I were in the neighborhood--
    [laughter]--and we thought we'd just drop by to say hello. Howdy.
    [Laughter]
        It's an honor to be here with so many outstanding soldiers, sailors,
    airmen, marines from this base and others in Germany. Laura and I are proud to be with you. I'm glad to be with the
    men and women of the 3d Support Command and the 421st Medical Evacuation
    Battalion. I see a lot of ``Big Red Ones'' here in the crowd. I know
    you're just back from Iraq. I'm pleased to say, ``Job well done.'' It's
    good to be at the proud home of the 1st Armored Division. Some of you
    ``Iron Soldiers'' might have seen me before. I was the guy serving
    turkey.
        I arrived this morning from Brussels, where I was meeting with some
    of our vital allies in the war on terror. I came to Wiesbaden to meet
    the men and women fighting on the frontlines of that war. You are
    carrying out challenging duties with skill and honor, and today I bring
    you a message from back home. The American people are grateful to you.
    Your communities are proud of you. And as you defend the cause of
    freedom, America stands with you.
        I also want to thank all the military families who are here today.
    They tell me the quality of life here is really good--[laughter]--but
    it's a long way away from home, and it can be lonely when your loved
    ones are deployed on dangerous missions in distant lands; I know that.
    You built a strong, close-knit community here. You support all those who
    wear the uniform, and you support each other through difficult times.
    The service and sacrifice of America's military families is vital to our
    success in the war on terror, and your President is here to tell you I'm
    proud of our military families as well.
        I appreciate Major General Marty Dempsey's introduction, and his wife, Deanie. I appreciate their leadership. Today we've got General
    Jim Jones, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander
    Europe, and his wife, Diane, with us.
        I'm traveling in some pretty good company. I like to be around
    strong women. I want your men listening to your wives just like I listen
    to mine. Laura is a fabulous First Lady for our
    country. I'm proud of her. This Nation has got a great Secretary of
    State in Condoleezza Rice.
        I appreciate Ambassador Dan Coats and
    wife, Marsha. Dan has been our Ambassador
    from the United States to Germany, and both have done a spectacular job
    on behalf of our Nation.
        I want to thank Diana DeGarmo for helping
    to entertain you. I don't know if you know this, Laura and I were raised in west Texas. Three boys were raised right down the street from us there in west
    Texas. Those were the Gatlin boys, and I'm proud they're here. Thanks
    for coming.
        The 1st Armored and 1st Infantry Divisions are two of the oldest,
    proudest units in the United States Army. You predecessors fought the
    great battles of World War II, stood vigil through the decades of the
    cold war, and served with distinction in Vietnam and Bosnia and Kosovo.
    And on this day 14 years ago, soldiers in both your divisions spent
    their final night in Saudi Arabia before charging into Iraq to crush the
    army of Saddam Hussein.
        On September the 11th, 2001, history brought new responsibilities to
    our Nation, new challenges. That morning, America witnessed the violence
    and grief that terrorists can inflict. We had a glimpse of the greater
    destruction the terrorists intend. On behalf of our Nation, I made a
    pledge:

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    We will bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies.
        And you are the ones who are carrying out this vital mission. Every
    one of you is a volunteer. You stepped forward to accept the hardest
    duties in this new war. And over the past 3 years, you have added to the
    great achievements of your divisions. You are part of the history of
    freedom and peace. You know that terrorists will not be stopped by
    negotiations or concessions or appeals to reason. Terrorists must be
    confronted, and they must be defeated. In this war, there is only one
    option for victory: We must take the fight to the enemy.
        At this hour, brave Americans in uniform are protecting our country
    and others by hunting down the terrorists around the world, one by one.
    Since September the 11th, more than three-quarters of Al Qaida's known
    key members and associates have been brought to justice. The rest of
    them are on the run, and the world's greatest fighting force is on their
    trail.
        The day our Nation was attacked, I also made it clear that regimes
    that support terror would be considered equally guilty of terrorist
    murder. A few weeks later, the Taliban found out what we meant. With
    good allies at our side, America's military liberated the people of
    Afghanistan from one of the most brutal regimes on Earth. We destroyed
    the training camps where the attacks of September the 11th were
    conceived. We showed the terrorists there's no cave deep enough to hide
    from American justice.
        Today, Afghanistan is a free country and an ally in the war on
    terror. After long years of oppression, women are participating in that
    society. Boys and girls are going to school. The Afghan Army and police
    are securing their country. And last October, more than 8 million Afghan
    citizens cast their votes in the first free Presidential election in
    Afghanistan's 5,000-year history.
        As our men and women in uniform helped to transform Afghanistan, we
    also confronted a growing danger in Iraq. One of the key lessons of
    September the 11th is that we must confront threats before they fully
    materialize. In Iraq, we found a threat to the entire world. Saddam
    Hussein supported terrorists; he pursued
    deadly weapons; he defied the just demands of the international
    community, year after year, resolution after resolution. The world gave
    him a final chance to disarm. And when he refused to comply, he met the
    might and the resolve of the United States military.
        At a decisive moment in the history of freedom, America once again
    turned to the 1st Armored Division, and once again, the ``Iron
    Soldiers'' answered the call. You moved into Iraq in April of 2003, and
    you stayed for 15 months. You waged an innovative, disciplined campaign,
    and because of your skill and sacrifice, Iraq is sovereign and Iraq is
    free.
        Before the ``Iron Soldiers'' left for Iraq, secret police held the
    population in fear. By the time you came home, you had trained thousands
    of Iraqi security forces who are now on the job defending their free
    country. Before ``Iron Soldiers'' left for Iraq, a terrible regime had
    decimated the country's education and health care systems. By the time
    you came home, you had repaired hundreds of schools and hospitals. When
    ``Iron Soldiers'' left for Iraq, Saddam Hussein was sitting in a palace, and by the time you came
    home, he was sitting in a prison cell.
        You have served with honor and distinction--and a little longer than
    some of you expected. [Laughter] Some of you were boarding the plane
    home to return to your families when you got word that we'd extended
    your tour. I know that was a trying time. But no change in plans could
    shake your resolve. As a sergeant I met last year put it, ``We're
    soldiers, and we drive on.''
        In your final months in Iraq, you drove on to seven major cities,
    defeated Sadr's militias decisively; you
    restored control of Iraq's holy sites to peaceful citizens. With

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    your victories in Najaf and Karbala, you helped the Iraqi people take
    critical steps toward freedom. And you proved to a watching world that
    the United States of America will never retreat before a band of thugs
    and assassins.
        The ``Iron Soldiers'' built the foundation for democracy in Iraq,
    and to help finish the job, we turned to the ``Big Red One.'' From
    Kirkuk to Samarra to Tikrit, the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division
    worked around the clock to prepare Iraq for free elections. Your
    challenges were unprecedented, and so was the outcome. More than 8
    million Iraqi voters defied the terrorists by lining up at the polls,
    dipping their fingers in ink, and casting the first free vote of their
    lives. Their courage was noteworthy and inspiring. One voter came to the
    polls in a wheelchair pushed by her grandson. She said, ``I am here to
    cast my vote. Saddam killed six members of my family. This is the best
    revenge.''
        The Iraqi people have now taken rightful control of their destiny,
    and that would not have been possible without the 1st Infantry Division.
    By helping the people of that country turn back the enemies of
    democracy, you have acted in the great liberating tradition of our
    Nation. And like generations of soldiers before you, you have shown that
    America's military is one of the world's greatest forces for good.
        Together, the 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Armored Division
    have helped to bring freedom and hope to a suffering people. These units
    have a few other things in common. They both count on the fearless
    soldiers of the ``Dustoff Europe'' battalion for medical care on the
    battlefield. They both rely on the 3d Support Command to deliver just
    about everything else they need. In a year of service in Iraq, the 3d
    Support Command delivered more than 185 million gallons of fuel, issued
    more than 50 million meals, and logged more than 25 million miles on the
    road. That's the equivalent of more than 1,000 trips around the world.
    The 3d Support Command carried out these duties on tight deadlines and
    often under enemy fire. Your courage is appreciated by every soldier at
    this base, every soldier in the theater, and I keep you--I thank you for
    keeping the force for the fight.
        In the war on terror, all of you have taken great risks on my
    orders, and your service reflects the best qualities of America. You
    have been brave in the face of danger, unshakable in the times of
    testing, and generous to those in need. Some in your units have survived
    terrible injuries, and a grateful America will do everything we can to
    help them recover. Some of you have said farewell to some fine
    Americans. They represent a new generation of heroes, as great as any
    who have come before. Their example of unselfish courage inspires all
    who serve, and America will honor their names forever.
        The sacrifices you have made will change the world for decades to
    come. By fighting terrorists in places like Baghdad and Karbala and
    Tikrit, you are making sure we do not face those enemies at home. By
    helping captive peoples gain their freedom, you have made a critical
    contribution to the history of liberty. And that means the world will be
    more peaceful and our children and grandchildren will be more secure.
    Your success is sending a clear message throughout the Middle East that
    the only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror
    and replace hatred with hope is the force of human freedom.
        You are serving in a critical period in freedom's history, and there
    will be more difficult work ahead. Yet I'm optimistic about our future,
    because I know the character of freedom's defenders. I know the history
    of those who have defended our freedom. Fifty years ago this summer, the
    Soviet Union imposed a blockade on West Berlin. Keeping free Berlin
    alive seemed an impossible task, yet America and our allies refused to
    give in. From this airfield, American pilots launched dangerous missions
    to supply Berlin, and they continued

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    those flights at great risk for 11 months. The heroes of the Berlin
    Airlift saved that city, and with their early resolve, they helped
    freedom triumph in the cold war.
        Today, America is again called to defend freedom. And once again,
    our military is answering the call. I have hope for our country and
    faith in our cause and great confidence in the men and women who wear
    our Nation's uniform. With your courage, with your determination, and
    with your skill, the cause of freedom will prevail, and we'll achieve
    the peace that we all want for future generations to come.
        Thank you for letting us come by. Thank you for serving our great
    land. May God bless you. May God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 4:56 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    Maj. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, USA, commander, 1st Armored Division;
    entertainers Diana DeGarmo and the Gatlin Brothers; former President
    Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr.