    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [May 28, 2008]
    [Pages 730-735]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Commencement Address at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado
    Springs, Colorado
    May 28, 2008

        Thank you. Mr. Secretary, thank you for
    the kind introduction. General Moseley,
    General Regni, Mr. Congressman: Thank you. Academy staff and faculty, distinguished
    guests, and proud family members: I am so pleased to stand before the
    future leaders of the United States Air Force.
        I have something I'd like to say to the Cadet Wing: Class of 2008!
    [Applause] Yes, that's good. I was a little worried you we're going to
    yell, ``Give him the Bird!'' [Laughter]
        You're the 50th graduating class in the history of the Air Force
    Academy. Each of you has worked hard to reach this mo-

    ment. You survived ``Beast,'' ``Terrazzo sailing,'' ``fatty bags'' at
            Mitch's. [Laughter] You earned your ``prop and wings'' at
            Pinnacle. And today you will receive your degree and commission
            as Air Force officers. Your teachers are proud of you, your
            parents are proud of you, and so is your Commander in Chief. Job
            well done.

        The superintendent informs me that some of
    you are still on restriction. [Laughter] It might be because you were
    caught running from the ``lightning van.'' [Laughter] Or it might be
    because of ``Jimmy Chad's apple.'' [Laughter] Whatever the

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    reason you got your form 10, help has arrived. [Laughter] In keeping
    with a longstanding tradition, I hereby absolve all cadets who are on
    restriction for minor conduct offenses. As for your grades, well, some
    things are even beyond the powers of the President. [Laughter]
        In becoming officers of the United States Air Force, you have chosen
    a vocation that is both hazardous and rewarding. As a former F-102
    pilot, I know the exhilaration of flight. As the son of an aviator who was shot down in combat, I know its perils.
    Whether you serve in the skies above or on the ground below, each of you
    has stepped forward to defend your country. You've chosen to face danger
    in foreign lands so your fellow citizens do not have to face danger in
    our own land. And I want to thank you for making this courageous choice.
    And all of America is grateful to the class of 2008.
        When you put on your second lieutenant bars in a few moments, you
    will become part of a great history, a history that is still only
    beginning to unfold. By any standard, air power is still a relatively
    new phenomena. Men have been fighting on land and at sea for thousands
    of years, yet there are still Americans among us who were born before
    man ever flew. In the lifetime of one generation, our Nation has seen
    aviation progress from that first tentative lift-off at Kitty Hawk to an
    age of supersonic flight and space exploration.
        And as flight has progressed, it changed the face of war. In the
    20th century, air power helped make possible freedom's victory in great
    ideological struggles with fascism and communism. In those struggles,
    our Nation faced evil men with territorial ambitions and totalitarian
    aims who murdered the innocent to achieve their political objectives.
    Through a combination of military strength and national resolve and
    faith in the power of freedom, we defeated these adversaries and secured
    the peace for millions across the world.
        And now in the 21st century, our Nation is once again contending
    with an ideology that seeks to sow anger and hatred and despair, the
    ideology of Islamic extremism. In today's struggle, we are once again
    facing evil men who despise freedom and despise America and aim to
    subject millions to their violent rule. And once again, our Nation is
    called to defeat these adversaries and secure the peace for millions
    across the world. And once again, our enemies will be no match for the
    men and women of the United States Air Force.
        You know, what's remarkable about this class is that each of you
    knows the stakes in the war on terror. You applied to this Academy after
    seeing the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. You came to this Academy
    knowing that the responsibility of our military is to protect the
    American people. And you now leave this Academy to take your place in
    this great struggle. Today I've come to talk to you about the battle
    you're about to join, the lessons we can learn from the conflicts of the
    past, and what they can teach us about the challenges we face in the war
    on terror that will dominate your military careers.
        First lesson is this: In both the 20th century and today, defeating
    hateful ideologies requires all elements of national power, including
    the use of military power. The military power that you will wield in
    your military careers is much more precise and effective than in past
    generations.
        When the United States entered World War II, the age of long-range
    bombing was just beginning. There were no computer guidance, no GPS
    targeting, or laser-guided munitions. The allied bombing raids against
    Germany and Japan resulted in horrific civilian casualties and
    widespread destruction. It took nearly 4 years before the regimes in
    Berlin and Tokyo finally capitulated, with difficult battles from the
    deserts of North Africa to the forests of France to the islands of the
    Pacific.
        Today, revolutionary advances in technology are transforming
    warfare. During

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    Operation Iraqi Freedom, for example, we employed military capabilities
    so precise that coalition air crews could take out a tank hiding under a
    bridge without damaging the bridge. With this military technology, we
    can now target a regime without targeting an entire nation. We've
    removed two cruel regimes in weeks instead of years. In Afghanistan,
    coalition forces and their Afghan allies drove the Taliban from power in
    less than 2 months. In Iraq, with the help of the United States Air
    Force, our troops raced across 350 miles of enemy territory to liberate
    Baghdad in less than 1 month, one of the fastest armored advances in
    military history.
        These facts create both opportunities and challenges. One
    opportunity is that if we have to fight our enemies, we can now do so
    with greater precision and greater humanity. In the age of advanced
    weapons, we can better strike--we can better target strikes against
    regimes and individual terrorists. Sadly, there will be civilian
    casualties in war. But with these advances, we can work toward this
    noble goal: defeating the enemies of freedom while sparing the lives of
    many more innocent people, which creates another opportunity, and that
    is, by making war more precise, we can make war less likely.
        For hostile dictators, it is a powerful deterrent to know that
    America is willing and able to target their regimes directly. When
    rulers know we can strike their regimes while sparing their populations,
    they realize they cannot hide behind the innocent. And that means they
    are less likely to start conflicts in the first place.
        Our unmatched military power also creates challenges. Because no
    adversary can confront and defeat our military directly, the enemies of
    the 21st century will increasingly turn to the use of asymmetric
    warfare. We've seen this in Afghanistan and Iraq. In those countries,
    our adversaries did not lay down their arms after the regime had been
    removed. Instead, they blended into the civilian population and with the
    help of stateless terrorist networks continued the fight through suicide
    bombings and attacks on innocent people. In the 21st century, this
    Nation must be prepared to fight this new kind of warfare.
        To meet this new challenge, we need to continue to develop
    technologies that put unprecedented speed and precision and power in
    your hands. And that's what we're doing. Since 2002, the number of
    unmanned aerial vehicles in our arsenal has increased nearly 40-fold to
    more than 5,000, and we're increasing them even more. We've transformed
    the Special Operations Command and more than doubled its budget. We're
    improving our intelligence and surveillance and reconnaissance
    capabilities. We're transforming our ground forces for the wars of the
    21st century, making them faster and more agile and more lethal.
        And you'll see the impact of these changes in your own Air Force
    careers. Instead of serving at 10,000 feet, some of you will serve on
    the ground as battlefield airmen, deploying behind enemy lines and using
    laser technology to fix targets on--for aviators circling above. Instead
    of sitting in jet fighter cockpits, some of you will sit before computer
    consoles at bases here in the United States, where you'll guide Predator
    UAVs half a world away and use them to strike terrorist hideouts. These
    and other changes will increase your ability to prevail in asymmetric
    warfare. They will make you more effective in the defense of freedom.
        Another challenge of asymmetric warfare is that it requires
    patience. Our new enemies know they can't defeat us militarily. So their
    strategy is to cause us to lose our nerve and retreat before the job is
    done. They take advantage of the information age and the 24-hour news
    cycles, creating images of chaos and suffering for the cameras in the
    hope that these images will horrify the American people and undermine
    resolve and morale here at home. This means that to win the first war of
    the 21st century,

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    we need to prevail not just in the battle of arms but also in the battle
    of wills. And we need to recognize that the only way America can lose
    the war on terror is if we defeat ourselves.
        The second lesson is this: In both the 20th century and today,
    defeating hateful ideologies requires using our national resources to
    strengthen free institutions in countries that are fighting extremists.
    We must help these nations govern their territorial--territory
    effectively so they can deny safe haven to our common enemies. And in
    Afghanistan and Iraq, where we removed regimes that threatened our
    people, we have a special obligation to help these nations build free
    and just societies that are strong partners in the fight against these
    extremists and terrorists.
        We've assumed this obligation before. After World War II, we helped
    Germany and Japan build free societies and strong economies. These
    efforts took time and patience, and as a result, Germany and Japan grew
    in freedom and prosperity. Germany and Japan, once mortal enemies, are
    now allies of the United States. And people across the world have reaped
    the benefits from that alliance. Today, we must do the same in
    Afghanistan and Iraq. By helping these young democracies grow in freedom
    and prosperity, we will lay the foundation of peace for generations to
    come.
        We face a number of challenges in undertaking this vital work. One
    challenge is that in the past, in Germany and Japan, the work of
    rebuilding took place in relative quiet. Today, we're helping emerging
    democracies rebuild under fire from terrorist networks and state
    sponsors of terror. This is a difficult and unprecedented task, and
    we're learning as we go.
        For example, in Iraq, we learned from hard experience that newly
    liberated people cannot make political and economic progress unless they
    first have some measure of security. In 2006, Iraqis did not have this
    security, and we all watched as their capital descended into sectarian
    violence.
        So this year, we changed our strategy. Instead of retreating,
    instead of pulling back and hoping for the best, I made the decision to
    send in 30,000 additional troops with a new mission: Protect the
    American people--Iraqi people from terrorists and insurgents and illegal
    militias. Together, U.S. and Iraqi forces launched new offensives across
    the country to clear the enemy out of its strongholds. And as this
    military surge brought security to neighborhoods that were once in the
    grip of terror, it was followed by a civilian surge, with Provincial
    Reconstruction Teams deploying to work with Iraqis to ensure military
    progress was quickly followed by real improvements in daily life.
        And today, we're seeing the fruits of the new strategy. Violence in
    Iraq is down to the lowest point since March of 2004. Civilian deaths
    are down; sectarian killings are down. And as security has improved, the
    economy has improved as well. Political reconciliation is taking place
    at the grassroots and national level. The surge is working. Our men and
    women in Iraq are performing with skill and valor, and they have earned
    the respect of the people of the United States of America.
        This experience will help shape your careers as officers in the
    United States Air Force. During your time in uniform, some of you will
    have to help young democracies build free institutions amid chaos and
    confusion. You'll have to work with civilians on the battlefield in ways
    generations never imagined. To support your efforts, to help you make
    young democracies transition from tyranny to freedom, one thing is for
    certain: The United States Congress better make sure you have all the
    resources you need to do your job.
        Another challenge in this new and unprecedented era is defining
    success. In the past, that was relatively easy to do. There were public
    surrenders, a signing ceremony on the deck of a battleship, victory
    parades in American cities. Today, when the war continues after the
    regime has fallen, the

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    definition of success is more complicated. So in Iraq and Afghanistan,
    we set a clear definition of success. Success will come when Al Qaida
    has no safe haven in those countries and the people can protect
    themselves from terror. Success will come when Iraq and Afghanistan are
    economically viable. Success will come when Iraq and Afghanistan are
    democracies that govern themselves effectively and respond to the will
    of their people. Success will come when Iraq and Afghanistan are strong
    and capable allies on the war on terror. Men and women of the Air Force:
    These successes will come, and when they do, our Nation will have
    achieved victory, and the American people will be more secure.
        The third lesson is this: For all the advanced military capabilities
    at our disposal, the most powerful weapon in our arsenal is the power of
    freedom. And we can see this story in the 20th century. In 1941, when
    Nazi bombers pounded London and Imperial Japan attacked Pearl Harbor,
    the future of freedom appeared bleak. There were only about a dozen
    democracies in the world. It seemed that tyranny, not liberty, was on
    the march. And even after Japan and Germany were defeated in World War
    II, freedom's victory was far from clear. In Europe, the advance of Nazi
    tyranny was replaced by the advance of Soviet tyranny. In Asia, the
    world saw the Japanese Empire recede and communism claim most of its
    former territory, from China to Korea to Vietnam.
        Imagine if a President had stood before the first graduating class
    of this Academy five decades ago and told the Cadet Wing that by the end
    of the 20th century, the Soviet Union would be no more, communism would
    stand discredited, and the vast majority of the world's nations would be
    democracies. The cadets probably would have said he had done one too
    many ``chariot races.'' [Laughter]
        Many throughout history have underestimated the power of freedom to
    overcome tyranny and transform whole societies. Yet in the end, despite
    challenges and setbacks, freedom ultimately prevails because the desire
    for liberty is written by our Creator in every human heart. We see that
    desire in the citizens of Georgia and Ukraine who stood up for their
    right to free and fair elections. We see that desire in the people of
    Lebanon who took to the streets to demand their independence. We see
    that desire in the Afghans who emerged from the tyranny of the Taliban
    to choose a new President and a new parliament.
    We see that desire in the jubilant Iraqis who held up ink-stained
    fingers and celebrated their freedom. And in these scenes, we see an
    unmistakable truth: Whenever men and women are given a real choice, they
    choose to live in freedom.
        The enemies of freedom understand this, and that is why they're
    fighting desperately to deny this choice to men and women across the
    Middle East. But we understand some things too. We understand that
    freedom helps replace the conditions of hopelessness that extremists
    exploit to recruit terrorists and suicide bombers. We understand that
    free societies are peaceful societies and that people who live in
    liberty and hope do not turn to ideologies of hatred and fear. And that
    is why, for the security of America and the peace for the world, the
    great mission of your generation is to lead the cause of freedom.
        This is the last time I'll address a military academy commencement
    as a President. Over the past 8 years, from Annapolis to West Point to
    New London to Colorado Springs, I have looked out at the best young men
    and women our Nation has to offer, and I have stood in awe. And I stand
    in awe again today. Each of you is a volunteer who stepped forward to
    accept the burdens of war, knowing all the dangers you would face upon
    graduation. You willingly risk your lives and futures so that our
    country can have a future of freedom and peace. Our enemies say that
    America is weak and decadent and does not have

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    the stomach for the long fight. Our enemies have never set foot on the
    campus of the United States Air Force Academy.
        A nation that produces citizens of virtue and character and courage,
    like you, can overcome any challenge and defeat any adversary. So I'll
    leave this campus today filled with the confidence in the course of our
    struggle and the fate of our country because I've got confidence in each
    of you.
        We see the strength and spirit of this class in a cadet named Erik
    Mirandette. In 2003, Erik felt a tug at his
    heart from the Almighty to take time off from the Academy and do
    humanitarian work in Morocco. After nearly 2 years there, Erik and his
    brother Alex and two childhood friends decided to ride across the African continent on
    dirt bikes. The last stop in their journey was Cairo, where a suicide
    bomber attacked them by exploding a bucket filled with nails. The blast
    killed Erik's brother, injured his two friends, and left Erik bleeding
    on the street. Doctors did not think he'd ever walk again. He never gave
    up his dream of coming back to this Academy. And 14 months ago, after
    surviving the blast, Erik returned to this campus. Today he begins his
    career as a proud officer in the greatest Air Force known to man.
        He still has got dozens of nails in his
    body, but he has a fierce determination in his heart to protect his
    country, defeat the forces of terror. Erik puts it this way: ``I'll live
    the rest of my life scarred inside and outside. But I've got a sense of
    calling. I want to prevent attacks on other good people.''
        Each of you gathered here this morning has answered that same call.
    I want to thank you for stepping forward to serve. The security of our
    citizens and the peace of the world will soon be in your hands--the best
    of hands. Be officers of character and integrity. Keep your wings level
    and true. Never falter, do not fail. And always know that America stands
    behind you.
        Thank you. May God bless. And congratulations to the class of 2008.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:15 a.m. at Falcon Stadium. In his
    remarks, he referred to Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne, who
    introduced the President; Gen. T. Michael Moseley, USAF, chief of staff,
    U.S. Air Force; Lt. Gen. John F. Regni, USAF, superintendent, U.S. Air
    Force Academy; Rep. Doug Lamborn; and President Hamid Karzai of
    Afghanistan.