[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
[November 21, 2006]
[Pages 2114-2116]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to the Troops at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii
November 21, 2006

    Thank you all. Admiral, thanks for the 
introduction. Thanks for the warm breakfast, and thanks for the good 
view. I appreciate the tight ship you run here. And I thank you all very 
much for serving our country.
    Laura and I are honored to be with you. We're 
honored to say thanks on behalf of a grateful nation. And I'm pleased to 
tell you that the work you're doing will lead to peace for generations 
to come.
    You serve at a time when we witness an ideological struggle between 
those who

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love freedom and those who hate freedom. And the outcome of this 
struggle will determine how your children and grandchildren live. And 
I'm determined, like you are determined, that freedom prevails.
    Today we saw again the vicious face of those who oppose freedom. We 
strongly condemn the assassination today in Lebanon of Pierre 
Gemayel, who was a minister in the Government 
of Prime Minister Siniora. We support the 
Siniora Government and its democracy, and we support the Lebanese 
people's desire to live in peace. And we support their efforts to defend 
their democracy against attempts by Syria, Iran, and allies to foment 
instability and violence in that important country.
    I call for a full investigation of the murder to identify those 
people and those forces behind the killing. We call on the international 
community to support Prime Minister Siniora's 
Government. And one clear way to do so is for the United Nations 
Security Council to take all remaining steps needed to establish a 
special tribunal concerning the assassination of former Prime Minister 
Hariri and to assure that those behind that killing, and others that 
followed, are brought to justice. I strongly believe the United Nations 
Security Council ought to act today. For the sake of peace, the free 
world must reject those who undermine young democracies and murder in 
the name of their hateful ideology.
    I want to thank our Secretary of State 
for joining us. You know, one of the jobs of the President is to 
surround himself with smart, capable, strong people, and I have done so 
in Condoleezza Rice.
    I also did so at the altar. [Laughter] And I'm pleased Laura is here as well. We're on our way back home after a 
trip in Southeast Asia. I had meetings in Singapore and Indonesia, as 
well as a meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Vietnam. 
And they're important meetings. It gave me a chance to discuss with 
leaders from the Pacific region about our common threats: the common 
threat of terrorism; the common threat of pandemic outbreaks; and the 
common threat of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
    I told them that the United States of America remains committed to 
Asia because we have key economic and national security interests in the 
region. It's in our national interests that we be involved in the Asia-
Pacific region. And the Pacific Command bares the primary responsibility 
for defending our interests in that part of the world. You represent the 
oldest and largest unified command in the United States military. You 
cover an area that spans more than half of the surface area of the 
Earth. You've got a really important job, and I'm here to thank you for 
doing a good job.
    You serve freedom's cause in a lot of ways. When you help deliver 
humanitarian relief to victims of natural disasters, you serve freedom's 
cause. When you fight terrorists wherever we find them, you serve 
freedom's cause. Every branch of our military is playing a vital role. 
The Army and Marine Corps have deployed thousands of soldiers and 
marines to Afghanistan and to Iraq. You've been joined by units from 
Hawaii's Army and Air National Guard.
    Earlier this year, the Pacific fleet conducted one of the largest 
multinational maritime exercises in the world, involving 8 nations, 35 
ships, 180 aircraft, and 19,000 personnel. You serve freedom's cause 
when you help others to be able to defend themselves. You serve 
freedom's cause when you help young democracies fight off the extremists 
who try to impose their hateful vision of the world. What happens in 
Asia-Pacific matters to America's security here at home.
    The Air Force has brought humanitarian aid to victims in earthquakes 
and typhoons. You provided airlift support to places like East Timor. 
The Coast Guard works closely with China as part of an effort to improve 
enforcement of laws against maritime drug traffickers.

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    Some of the troops from this command who were deployed to combat 
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan didn't come home. We remember their 
courage. We pray for their families and loved ones left behind, and we 
resolve to honor their sacrifice by completing the missions for which 
they gave their lives.
    The men and women who wear the uniform are the best that America has 
to offer. You belong to the finest Armed Forces the world has ever 
known. I appreciate the fact that you have volunteered to wear our 
uniform in these troubled times, that you have volunteered knowing the 
dangers into which you might be sent. It's an incredible country when 
people of character stand up and say, ``I want to serve something 
greater than my self-interests.''
    I want to thank you for your sacrifice. I particularly thank your 
families for joining you in this noble cause. We'll succeed, and when we 
do, generations of Americans will look back on this period and say, 
``Thank God the United States had such men and women of character at the 
beginning of the 21st century.''
    God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 7:45 a.m. in the Officers Club. In his 
remarks, he referred to Adm. William J. Fallon, USN, commander, U.S. 
Pacific Command; and Prime Minister Fuad Siniora of Lebanon.