    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [December 15, 2006]
    [Pages 2189-2191]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at an Armed Forces Full Honor Review for Secretary of Defense
    Donald H. Rumsfeld in Arlington, Virginia
    December 15, 2006

        Thank you all. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary and
    Joyce. Mr. Vice President, thank you for your kind words. Lynne and Senator Warner, Deputy
    Secretary England, Secretary Harvey, Winter, Wynne, General Pace, members of
    the Joint Chiefs of Staff, distinguished guests, men and women of the
    Armed Forces: I'm pleased to join you as we pay tribute to one of
    America's most skilled, energetic, and dedicated public servants, the
    Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld.
        Don Rumsfeld has been at my side from the moment I took office.
    We've been through war together. We have shared some of the most
    challenging moments in our Nation's history. Over the past 6 years, I
    have come to appreciate Don Rumsfeld's professionalism, his dedication,
    his strategic vision, his deep devotion to the men and women of our
    Nation who wear the uniform, and his love for the United States of
    America.
        That devotion began at an early age, inspired by a man in uniform he
    called dad. His father, George, was 37 when America was attacked at
    Pearl Harbor. Too old to be drafted, he volunteered for service in the
    United States Navy. One of Don's earliest memories is of standing on the
    hangar deck of his dad's aircraft carrier, the USS Hollandia, at the age
    of 11. He was taking in the sights and sounds of the ship as it prepared
    to leave for the Pacific war.
        His father's example stayed with him, and after graduating from
    Princeton, Don Rumsfeld joined the United States Navy, rising to become
    a pilot, a flight instructor, and a member of the Naval Reserve for
    nearly 20 years.
        In the decades since he first put on the uniform, Don Rumsfeld has
    served with distinction in many important positions: Congressman,
    Counselor to the President, Ambassador to NATO, White House Chief of
    Staff, Secretary of Defense. Yet, to this day, the title that has
    brought him his greatest pride is dad, and now granddad. And so today,
    as we honor a fine man, we also honor his family, Joyce
    Rumsfeld and his
    children.
        Don is the only man--Don Rumsfeld is the only man to have served as
    Secretary of Defense for two Presidents in two different centuries.
    [Laughter] In 2001, I called him back to the same job he held under
    President Gerald Ford, and I gave him this
    urgent mission: Prepare our Nation's Armed Forces for the threats of a
    new century.
        Don Rumsfeld brought vision and enthusiasm to this vital task. He
    understood that the peace of the post-cold-war years was really the calm
    before the next storm and that America needed to prepare for the day
    when new enemies would attack our Nation in unprecedented ways. That day
    came on a clear September morning, and in a moment of crisis, our Nation
    saw Donald Rumsfeld's character and courage.
        When the Pentagon was hit, Secretary Rumsfeld's first instinct was
    to run toward danger. He raced down smoke-filled hallways to the crash
    site so he could help rescue workers pull the victims from the rubble.
    And in the weeks that followed, he directed the effort to plan our
    Nation's military response to the deadliest terrorist attack in our
    Nation's history.
        Under Secretary Rumsfeld's leadership, U.S. and coalition forces
    launched one of the most innovative military campaigns in the history of
    modern warfare, sending Special Operations forces into Afghanistan to
    link up with anti-Taliban fighters, to ride with them on horseback, and
    to launch a stunning assault against the enemy. In Operation Enduring
    Freedom we combined

    [[Page 2190]]

    the most advanced laser-guided weapons with one of the oldest tools in
    the military arsenal, a man with a weapon on a horse.
        History will record that the first major ground battle in the 21st
    century involving American forces began with a cavalry charge. I guess
    that's what you get when you bring together a President from Texas with
    a Secretary of Defense who actually remembers when America had a
    cavalry. [Laughter]
        In 2003, on my orders, Secretary Rumsfeld led the planning and
    execution of another historic military campaign, Operation Iraqi
    Freedom. In this operation, coalition forces drove Saddam
    Hussein from power in 21 days. And in the
    years that followed, Don Rumsfeld helped see the Iraqi people through
    the resumption of sovereignty, two elections, a referendum to approve
    the most progressive Constitution in the Middle East, and the seating of
    a newly elected Government.
        On his watch, the United States military helped the Iraqi people
    establish a constitutional democracy in the heart of the Middle East, a
    watershed event in the story of freedom.
        As he met the challenges of fighting a new and unfamiliar war, Don
    Rumsfeld kept his eyes on the horizon and on the threats that still
    await us as this new century unfolds.
        He developed a new defense strategy and a new command structure for
    our Nation's Armed Forces, with a new northern command to protect the
    homeland, a new joint forces command to focus on transformation, a new
    strategic command to defend against long-range attacks, and a
    transformed U.S. special operations command ready to take the lead in
    the global war on terror.
        He launched the most significant transformation of the Army in a
    generation. He led my administration's efforts to transform the NATO
    Alliance, with a new NATO response force ready to deploy quickly
    anywhere in the world. On his watch, NATO sent its forces to defend a
    young democracy in Afghanistan, more than 3,000 miles from Europe. It
    was the first time NATO has deployed outside the North Atlantic area in
    the history of the Alliance.
        He helped launch the Proliferation Security Initiative, an
    unprecedented coalition of more than 80 nations working together to stop
    shipments of weapons of mass destruction on land, at sea, and in the
    air.
        He undertook the most sweeping transformation of America's global
    defense posture since the start of the cold war, repositioning our
    forces so they can surge quickly to deal with unexpected threats and
    setting the stage for our global military presence for the next 50
    years.
        He took ballistic missile defense from theory to reality. And
    because of his leadership, America now has an initial capability to
    track a ballistic missile headed for our country and destroy it before
    it harms our people.
        Most importantly, he worked to establish a culture in the Pentagon
    that rewards innovation and intelligent risk taking and encourages our
    military and civilian leaders to challenge established ways of thinking.
        The record of Don Rumsfeld's tenure is clear. There have been more
    profound change--there has been more profound change at the Department
    of Defense over the past 6 years than at any time since the Department's
    creation in the late 1940s.
        And these changes were not easy, but because of Don Rumsfeld's
    determination and leadership, America has the best equipped, the best
    trained, and most experienced Armed Forces in the history of the world.
    All in all, not bad for a fellow who calls himself a ``broken-down ex-
    Navy pilot.'' This man knows how to lead, and he did, and the country is
    better off for it.
        In every decision Don Rumsfeld made over the past 6 years, he always
    put the troops first, and the troops in the field knew it. A few years
    ago, the editors at

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    Time magazine came to his Pentagon office, and Don correctly suspected
    they were thinking of naming him ``Person of the Year.'' Without
    hesitation, Don Rumsfeld told them, ``Don't give it to me. Give it to
    our men and women in uniform.'' And that's exactly what Time magazine
    did.
        Don Rumsfeld's selfless leadership earned him the admiration of our
    soldiers and sailors and airmen and marines. And we saw how they feel
    about him this week when he paid a farewell visit to our troops in Iraq.
        Don Rumsfeld's strong leadership has earned him my admiration and
    deep respect. We stood together in hours of decision that would affect
    the course of our history. We walked amid the rubble of the broken
    Pentagon the day after September the 11th, 2001. He was with me when we
    planned the liberation of Afghanistan. We were in the Oval Office
    together the day I gave the order to remove Saddam Hussein from power.
        In these and countless other moments, I have seen Don Rumsfeld's
    character and his integrity. He was--always ensured I had the best
    possible advice, the opportunity to hear and weigh conflicting points of
    view. He spoke straight. It was easy to understand him. He has a sharp
    intellect, a steady demeanor, and boundless energy. He began every day
    at the Pentagon with a singular mission--to serve his country and the
    men and women who defend her.
        Mr. Secretary, today your country thanks you for 6 outstanding years
    at the Department of Defense. And I thank you for your sacrifice and
    your service and your devotion to the men and women of our Armed Forces.
        I want to thank Joyce for her poise and
    her grace and for the example she has set for our Nation's military
    families. Laura and I will miss you both, and we
    wish you all the best in the years to come.
        And now, ladies and gentlemen, I bring to this podium America's 21st
    Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:50 p.m. at the Pentagon. In his remarks,
    he referred to Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney;
    Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter; and Secretary of the Air Force
    Michael W. Wynne. The transcript released by the Office of the Press
    Secretary also included the remarks of Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld.