    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [December 18, 2006]
    [Pages 2199-2201]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Swearing-In Ceremony for Robert M. Gates as Secretary of Defense in Arlington, Virginia
    December 18, 2006

        Thank you all. I'm pleased to join you here at the Pentagon. We're
    here to congratulate Bob Gates on becoming our Nation's 22d Secretary of
    the Defense.
        Bob Gates entered public service 40 years ago. He is an experienced
    and thoughtful leader. He has got a track record of steering large
    organizations through change and transformation. I know Bob Gates will
    be an outstanding Secretary of the Defense.
        I want to thank Bob's wife, Becky, and their
    family and their many friends who are with us here today. I appreciate
    the fact that the Vice President is here to
    administer the oath. I want to thank the members of my Cabinet who have
    joined us in welcoming a new member to the Cabinet. I appreciate so very
    much Senator John Warner and Senator Carl
    Levin for joining us. I thank the other Members
    of the United States Congress who are with us today, not the least of
    whom is my Congressman, Chet Edwards, from central Texas. [Laughter] I suspect he's here
    because of the Texas A&M connection. [Laughter]
        I want to thank Deputy Secretary England
    for joining us. I thank Dr. Harvey and Dr.
    Winter and Michael Wynne, Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, for joining
    us here today. I appreciate so very much General Pete Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and his wife,
    Lynne, as well as the other members of the Joint
    Chiefs of Staff. I thank our distinguished guests.
        Most importantly, I thank those who wear our uniform. This has got
    to be an exciting time for Bob Gates. I can't tell you what an honor it
    is to be the Commander in Chief of unbelievably fine people, and I
    suspect he will share that same sense of enthusiasm as the Secretary of
    the Defense.
        The job of Secretary of Defense is one of the most important
    positions in our Government. The Secretary must understand the
    challenges of the present and see the threats of the future and find the
    best ways

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    to prepare our Armed Forces to meet them.
        We are a nation at war. And I rely on our Secretary of Defense to
    provide me with the best possible advice and to help direct our Nation's
    Armed Forces as they engage the enemies of freedom around the world. Bob
    Gates is the right man to take on these challenges. He'll be an
    outstanding leader for our men and women in uniform, and he's going to
    make our Nation proud.
        Bob is a man of vision, integrity, and extensive experience. In
    1966, Bob began his rise from an entry-level position at the Central
    Intelligence Agency to become its director. During his years of public
    service, Bob Gates has worked under six Presidents from both parties. He
    spent nearly 9 years at the White House working on the National Security
    Council staff. He's amassed nearly 30 years of experience in national
    security matters. Bob Gates's lifetime of preparation will serve him
    well as the Secretary of Defense.
        Bob follows a superb leader at the Department of Defense. For nearly
    6 years, Don Rumsfeld has served with
    exceptional strength and energy at a time of challenge and change, and
    he produced impressive results. During his tenure, he developed a new
    defense strategy, established a new command structure of our Armed
    Forces, helped transform the NATO Alliance, took ballistic missile
    defense from theory to reality, and undertook the most sweeping
    transformation of America's global defense posture since the start of
    the cold war. He led our Armed Forces with determination and
    distinction. And on Friday at the Pentagon, the men and women he led
    showed their admiration and devotion to him. I want to thank Don
    Rumsfeld for his service, and I wish him and his family all the very
    best.
        As Bob Gates raises his hand and takes the oath of office, he does
    so at a time of great consequence for our Nation. He knows the stakes in
    the war on terror. He recognizes this is a long struggle against an
    enemy unlike any our Nation has fought before. He understands that
    defeating the terrorists and the radicals and the extremists in Iraq and
    the Middle East is essential to leading toward peace.
        As Secretary of Defense, he will help our country forge a new way
    forward in Iraq so that we can help the Iraqis achieve our shared goal
    of a unified democratic Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself, and
    defend itself and be an ally in our struggle against extremists and
    radicals.
        Bob Gates is a talented and innovative leader who brings a fresh
    perspective to the Department of Defense. I'm pleased that he's answered
    the call to serve our Nation again. He has my trust and my confidence,
    and he has the gratitude and the prayers of the American people.
        And so I look forward to working with Bob Gates. I congratulate you,
    sir. I appreciate you taking on this job. And now I'm going to ask the
    Vice President to administer the oath of office
    for our Nation's 22d Secretary of Defense.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:22 p.m. at the Pentagon. The transcript
    released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks
    of Secretary of Defense Gates. The Office of the Press Secretary also
    released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.

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