    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [May 17, 2007]
    [Pages 595-597]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Joint Reserve Officer Training Corps Commissioning Ceremony
    May 17, 2007

        Thank you. Good afternoon. Welcome. Here we are in the East Room, a
    room that has had a long history. When President John Adams moved in,
    his wife Abigail used it to dry the family's laundry. [Laughter] Abraham
    Lincoln's children once raced their goats in this room during a
    reception. [Laughter]
        Over the rooms, this year--this room has been used for dances,
    concerts, weddings, funerals, award presentations, press conferences,
    and bill signings. Today we add

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    another event to the storied legacy of the East Room: the first joint
    ROTC commissioning ceremony. And we're glad you're here.
        The young men and women we honor today represent the great diversity
    of the American people. You come from different backgrounds. You
    represent all 50 States and the District of Columbia as well as Guam,
    Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. And when you
    leave here today, you will wear on your shoulders the same powerful
    symbol of achievement: the gold bars of an officer of the United States
    Armed Forces.
        Mr. Secretary, thank you for joining us;
    proud to be here with Secretary Bob Gates and Becky. I thank Pete Geren, Acting Secretary of the Army. I appreciate so very
    much General Pete Pace, Chairman of the Joint
    Chiefs; General George Casey, Chief of
    Staff of the U.S. Army. You all have brought out some of the brass.
    [Laughter]
        I appreciate Senator Ben Nelson,
    United States Senator, for taking his time out to be here today.
    Senator, it means a lot that you're here. I thank the ROTC members being
    commissioned here today. I welcome your friends, and, most importantly,
    I welcome your families. I appreciate all the others in our military
    here too. Thanks for coming.
        We gather at a solemn moment for this country. Many of you were
    still in high school when terrorists brought death and destruction to
    our streets on September the 11th, 2001. You were high school students.
    And yet, some of you understood that the cause of freedom would soon
    depend on your generation's willingness to step forward to defend it.
    And when it came time to be counted, each of you volunteered, knowing
    full well the risks involved during a time of war. As your Commander in
    Chief, I salute your decision to serve, and I congratulate you on a fine
    achievement.
        The idea of providing college students an opportunity to train for a
    military commission has its roots in the old land-grant universities of
    the 19th century, which included a program of military science. The
    modern program dates to 1916, when the Government established the
    Reserve Officers Training Corps to improve and standardize the training
    of junior officers. ROTC starts by identifying men and women of
    leadership and ability. It then prepares them morally, mentally, and
    physically for their responsibilities as officers in the finest Armed
    Forces in the world.
        As part of this preparation, you have been taught a way of life that
    elevates service above self. You have learned that honor is not just a
    word; it is a sacred inheritance to be preserved and handed down. You
    have learned that courage is not the absence of fear; it is the ability
    to do the right thing in spite of your fears. And you have learned that
    much is expected of our military officers.
        For most of you, a ROTC scholarship helped pay for your college
    education. The American people provide these funds willingly. And in
    return they ask one thing: When their sons and daughters are put in
    harm's way, they will be led by officers of character and integrity.
        The path you have taken to this day is not an easy one. When your
    roommates slept in--[laughter]--you got up at dawn for a 3-mile run.
    While others spread out on the grass on a sunny day, you marched in
    formation. And when your friends called it a night and headed out to the
    town, you stayed back to shine your shoes and iron your uniform in
    preparation for the next day's inspection.
        All of you have made many sacrifices to receive your commission. Yet
    some of you have had to endure even greater hardships because your
    universities do not allow ROTC on campus. For those of you in this
    position, this can require long commutes several times a week to another
    campus that does offer ROTC, so you can attend a military class,
    participate in a drill. Most of all, it means living a split existence,

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    where your life as a cadet or midshipmen is invisible to most of your
    fellow students.
        Every American citizen is entitled to his or her opinion about our
    military, but surely the concept of diversity is large enough to embrace
    one of the most diverse institutions in American life. It should not be
    hard for our great schools of learning to find room to honor the service
    of men and women who are standing up to defend the freedoms that make
    the work of our universities possible. To the cadets and midshipmen who
    are graduating from a college or university that believes ROTC is not
    worthy of a place on campus, here is my message: Your university may not
    honor your military service, but the United States of America does. And
    in this, the people's house, we will always make a place for those who
    wear the uniform of our country.
        In a few minutes, you will raise your right hands and swear an oath
    to defend our Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic,
    knowing that these enemies are real. You will receive your commissions
    as officers, knowing that you will soon have the lives of other men and
    women in your own hands. You will leave this room with heads held high,
    knowing that you take your place in one of the greatest forces of
    freedom in the history of mankind.
        So I ask you today: Bring honor to the uniform; set high standards
    for yourself; do not ask of those under your command anything that you
    would not ask of yourselves. If you do all these things, your career
    will take care of itself, your service will be a source of pride, and
    you will help build a safer and more hopeful world for our fellow
    citizens.
        So congratulations to our new lieutenants and ensigns. And may
    Almighty God keep you close as you keep the American people safe.
        And now I ask the Secretary of Defense
    to administer the oath.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:12 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary of Defense Robert M.
    Gates.