[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
[August 4, 2008]
[Pages 1099-1101]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks to Military Personnel and Families at Eielson Air Force Base,
Alaska
August 4, 2008
The President. Thank you all. Thank you for the warm welcome. I am
honored to be with you. No better place to refuel an airplane than right
here. I appreciate you all coming out. I'm traveling today with the
First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush, our
daughter Barbara Bush.
I've just got one thing to ask the folks here at Eielson. Iceman
Team, ready to go?
Audience members. At 50 below!
The President. Absolutely! I thank the Iceman Team for joining us. I
also want to thank the Arctic warriors of Fort Wainwright for being here
as well.
You know, I've been to a lot of military bases around the world. I
don't think I've ever been to one where a moose can cause a traffic jam
or a base where the snowmobile is considered a lawn ornament. [Laughter]
And for you moms and dads out there, it must be a little strange in the
summertime to say to your children, ``Make sure you get home before
dark.'' [Laughter]
I want to thank General Graper and his
wife Melinda for their hospitality, and thank
you for your service to our country, General. I want to thank Colonel
Tim Jones, U.S. Army garrison commander of
Fort Wainwright, and Theresa. I want to
thank Colonel Wenke and his wife Wendy from the mighty 168th Air Fueling Wing.
The United States military has had no better supporter and stronger
friend than Senator Ted Stevens. Thank
you for coming, Senator; thank you for bringing your
[[Page 1100]]
daughter. Nothing wrong with a father bringing
his daughter to an event like this.
I'm also pleased that the Governor of the great State of Alaska,
Governor Sarah Palin, and her husband
Todd are with us today too.
I first want to say something to our military families. I can't
thank you enough for all the sacrifices you have given. There is no
question, we have the finest military in the world, and one reason why
is because we've got the finest military families in the world. These
have been tough times on our families, and I want to thank you for
staying in the fight.
I'm also proud to be here with people who have volunteered in the
face of danger. There is no more important mission than to protect the
United States from harm. Many of you volunteered after the attacks on
the homeland on 9/11/2001. You understand what I know, that it is best
to defeat the enemy overseas so we do not have to face them here in the
United States.
We have been unrelenting in our efforts to protect America, and I
want to thank you for your service. There is no finer honor than being
the Commander in Chief of a fine group of men and women, and I'm proud
to be in your midst.
I want to thank the members of the 354th Fighter Wing. I appreciate
what you do; I appreciate your efforts. I want to thank you for keeping
us safe on the Nation's western flank. I thank you for your training
missions. The people in the lower 48 send their very best.
I want to thank the more than 200 airmen from Eielson who are
deployed around the world, many in the Middle East. Their service in
Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere is making this Nation safer. And for
the family members of those airmen, God bless you, and thank you for
standing with your loved one.
Eielson is also the home of the ``Guardians of the Last Frontier,''
the men and women of the Alaska Air National Guard 168th Air Refueling
Wing. I'm an old Guard pilot myself. I want to thank the pilots who are
here, and I thank those who help these planes stay in the air. Your
contributions to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom
are significant and important.
I want to thank the soldiers from Fort Wainwright. I'm proud to be
standing with the men and women of Task Force 49 and the mighty Stryker
Brigade. You got to know the folks from Task Force 49 are pretty tough;
after all, they train in 50 below, and they fight in 120 above.
[Laughter]
I appreciate what you're doing to support our missions, and I fully
understand that a Stryker brigade will soon deploy to Iraq. The other
day I made it clear that our policy on rotations is now 12 months in, 12
months out. I know the Stryker brigade from Fort Wainwright was one of
the first brigades to extend, and I understand it puts stress on the
families. Because of the progress we're making in Iraq, there's now
certainty in the rotations.
Deployments are difficult, but they are necessary. We are a nation
at war. Oh, some in America say, ``This is a simple law enforcement
matter; dealing with these extremists who would do us harm is law
enforcement.'' Well, if it's a law enforcement matter, that means you
react after the crime. I think it's important, and I know most of you
here think it's important, to stop the crime from happening in the first
place.
And therefore, the United States, today and tomorrow, must stay on
the offense and keep the pressure on this enemy and bring them to
justice so they don't hurt the American citizen again. And we've got no
greater asset than the United States military.
The Stryker brigade that's heading into Iraq will be heading into a
different situation than the previous Stryker brigade when they first
went into Iraq. About a year ago, people thought Iraq was lost and
hopeless.
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People were saying, ``Let's get out of there; it doesn't matter to our
national security.'' Iraq has changed a lot thanks to the bravery of
people in this hangar and the bravery of troops all across our country.
The terrorists on the run--the terrorists will be denied a safe haven,
and freedom is on the march. And as a result, our children are more
likely to grow up in a peaceful world. And I thank you for your service,
and I thank you for your sacrifice.
It is important for the United States of America never to forget the
transformative power of liberty. I believe there's an Almighty, and I
believe a gift of that Almighty to every man, woman, and child on the
face of the Earth is freedom. And I know free societies yield the peace
we all want. It's in our national interest to keep the pressure on the
terrorists, to give them no safe haven, no place to hide, to keep them
on the run.
It's also in our national interest to help others realize the
blessings of a free society, so that when we look back at the initial
chapters of the 21st century, we will say, we've done our duty. We
defended the United States of America, and we laid the foundation for
peace to come.
I want to thank you for your contributions to that hopeful chapter.
I thank you for your courage. And there is no doubt in my mind that we
will prevail. I've seen firsthand the character of the men and women who
wear our uniform. I know such a man named Sergeant Gregory
Williams. He's right here with us today.
He was on night patrol in Baghdad when
his vehicle was hit by an explosive device. The blast caused Sergeant
Williams to lose consciousness. He recovered, and he put out the flames
that were beginning to engulf him and the soldiers around him. He gave
emergency aid to members of his platoon until he realized he was under
enemy fire, and then he provided covering fire. He pulled his platoon
leader out of the smoldering vehicle. Williams
performed these actions despite the fact that he was burned himself,
that he was wounded. His heroism that night saved the lives of his
fellow soldiers, and for that he received the Distinguished Service
Cross. And I'm proud to be in the presence of such a courageous American
citizen.
All here have my pride and have my gratitude, and you have the
thanks of our entire Nation. We honor your service. We appreciate the
sacrifice of your families. A lot of Americans will keep you in their
prayers. May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United
States of America. Thank you all.
Note: The President spoke at 4:52 p.m. at the Thunderdome. In his
remarks, he referred to Brig. Gen. Mark W. Graper, USAF, commander,
354th Fighter Wing, who introduced the President; Col. D. Scott Wenke,
USAF, commander, 168th Air Refueling Wing, Alaska Air National Guard;
Col. Wendy Wenke, USAF, director of staff (air), Joint Force
Headquarters--Alaska; and Susan Covich, daughter of Sen. Ted Stevens.