[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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