[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 8 (Monday, February 28, 2005)]
[Pages 308-311]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to U.S. Troops at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Germany

February 23, 2005

    Thank you all. Thank you very much. Thank you for the warm welcome. 
Laura and I were in the neighborhood--[laughter]--and we thought we'd 
just drop by to say hello. Howdy. [Laughter]
    It's an honor to be here with so many outstanding soldiers, sailors, 
airmen, marines from this base and others in Germany. Laura and I are 
proud to be with you. I'm glad to be with the men and women of the 3d 
Support Command and the 421st Medical Evacuation Battalion. I see a lot 
of ``Big Red Ones'' here in the crowd. I know you've just back from 
Iraq. I'm pleased to say, ``Job well done.'' It's good to be at the 
proud home of the 1st Armored Division. Some of you ``Iron Soldiers'' 
might have seen me before. I was the guy serving turkey.
    I arrived this morning from Brussels, where I was meeting with some 
of our vital allies in the war on terror. I came to Wiesbaden to meet 
the men and women fighting on the frontlines of that war. You are 
carrying out challenging duties with skill and honor, and today I bring 
you a message from back home. The American people are grateful to you. 
Your communities are proud of you. And as you defend the cause of 
freedom, America stands with you.

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    I also want to thank all the military families who are here today. 
They tell me the quality of life here is really good--[laughter]--but 
it's a long way away from home, and it can be lonely when your loved 
ones are deployed on dangerous missions in distant lands; I know that. 
You built a strong, close-knit community here. You support all those who 
wear the uniform, and you support each other through difficult times. 
The service and sacrifice of America's military families is vital to our 
success in the war on terror, and your President is here to tell you I'm 
proud of our military families as well.
    I appreciate Major General Marty Dempsey's introduction, and his 
wife, Deanie. I appreciate their leadership. Today we've got General Jim 
Jones, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and his wife, Diane, with 
us.
    I'm traveling in some pretty good company. I like to be around 
strong women. I want your men listening to your wives just like I listen 
to mine. Laura is a fabulous First Lady for our country. I'm proud of 
her. This Nation has got a great Secretary of State in Condoleezza Rice.
    I appreciate Ambassador Dan Coats and wife, Marsha. Dan has been our 
Ambassador from the United States to Germany, and both have done a 
spectacular job on behalf of our Nation.
    I want to thank Diana DeGarmo for helping to entertain you. I don't 
know if you know this, Laura and I were raised in west Texas. Three boys 
were raised right down the street from us there in west Texas. Those 
were the Gatlin boys, and I'm proud they're here. Thanks for coming.
    The 1st Armored and 1st Infantry Divisions are two of the oldest, 
proudest units in the United States Army. You predecessors fought the 
great battles of World War II, stood vigil through the decades of the 
cold war, and served with distinction in Vietnam and Bosnia and Kosovo. 
And on this day 14 years ago, soldiers in both your divisions spent 
their final night in Saudi Arabia before charging into Iraq to crush the 
army of Saddam Hussein.
    On September the 11th, 2001, history brought new responsibilities to 
our Nation, new challenges. That morning, America witnessed the violence 
and grief that terrorists can inflict. We had a glimpse of the greater 
destruction the terrorists intend. On behalf of our Nation, I made a 
pledge: We will bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our 
enemies.
    And you are the ones who are carrying out this vital mission. Every 
one of you is a volunteer. You stepped forward to accept the hardest 
duties in this new war. And over the past 3 years, you have added to the 
great achievements of your divisions. You are part of the history of 
freedom and peace. You know that terrorists will not be stopped by 
negotiations or concessions or appeals to reason. Terrorists must be 
confronted, and they must be defeated. In this war, there is only one 
option for victory: We must take the fight to the enemy.
    At this hour, brave Americans in uniform are protecting our country 
and others by hunting down the terrorists around the world, one by one. 
Since September the 11th, more than three-quarters of Al Qaida's known 
key members and associates have been brought to justice. The rest of 
them are on the run, and the world's greatest fighting force is on their 
trail.
    The day our Nation was attacked, I also made it clear that regimes 
that support terror would be considered equally guilty of terrorist 
murder. A few weeks later, the Taliban found out what we meant. With 
good allies at our side, America's military liberated the people of 
Afghanistan from one of the most brutal regimes on Earth. We destroyed 
the training camps where the attacks of September the 11th were 
conceived. We showed the terrorists there's no cave deep enough to hide 
from American justice.
    Today, Afghanistan is a free country and an ally in the war on 
terror. After long years of oppression, women are participating in that 
society. Boys and girls are going to school. The Afghan Army and police 
are securing their country. And last October, more than 8 million Afghan 
citizens cast their votes in the first free Presidential election in 
Afghanistan's 5,000-year history.
    As our men and women in uniform helped to transform Afghanistan, we 
also confronted a growing danger in Iraq. One of the key lessons of 
September the 11th is that we

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must confront threats before they fully materialize. In Iraq, we found a 
threat to the entire world. Saddam Hussein supported terrorists; he 
pursued deadly weapons; he defied the just demands of the international 
community, year after year, resolution after resolution. The world gave 
him a final chance to disarm. And when he refused to comply, he met the 
might and the resolve of the United States military.
    At a decisive moment in the history of freedom, America once again 
turned to the 1st Armored Division, and once again, the ``Iron 
Soldiers'' answered the call. You moved into Iraq in April of 2003, and 
you stayed for 15 months. You waged an innovative, disciplined campaign, 
and because of your skill and sacrifice, Iraq is sovereign and Iraq is 
free.
    Before the ``Iron Soldiers'' left for Iraq, secret police held the 
population in fear. By the time you came home, you had trained thousands 
of Iraqi security forces who are now on the job defending their free 
country. Before ``Iron Soldiers'' left for Iraq, a terrible regime had 
decimated the country's education and health care systems. By the time 
you came home, you had repaired hundreds of schools and hospitals. When 
``Iron Soldiers'' left for Iraq, Saddam Hussein was sitting in a palace, 
and by the time you came home, he was sitting in a prison cell.
    You have served with honor and distinction--and a little longer than 
some of you expected. [Laughter] Some of you were boarding the plane 
home to return to your families when you got word that we'd extended 
your tour. I know that was a trying time. But no change in plans could 
shake your resolve. As a sergeant I met last year put it, ``We're 
soldiers, and we drive on.''
    In your final months in Iraq, you drove on to seven major cities, 
defeated Sadr's militias decisively; you restored control of Iraq's holy 
sites to peaceful citizens. With your victories in Najaf and Karbala, 
you helped the Iraqi people take critical steps toward freedom. And you 
proved to a watching world that the United States of America will never 
retreat before a band of thugs and assassins.
    The ``Iron Soldiers'' built the foundation for democracy in Iraq, 
and to help finish the job, we turned to the ``Big Red One.'' From 
Kirkuk to Samarra to Tikrit, the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division 
worked around the clock to prepare Iraq for free elections. Your 
challenges were unprecedented, and so was the outcome. More than 8 
million Iraqi voters defied the terrorists by lining up at the polls, 
dipping their fingers in ink, and casting the first free vote of their 
lives. Their courage was noteworthy and inspiring. One voter came to the 
polls in a wheelchair pushed by her grandson. She said, ``I am here to 
cast my vote. Saddam killed six members of my family. This is the best 
revenge.''
    The Iraqi people have now taken rightful control of their destiny, 
and that would not have been possible without the 1st Infantry Division. 
By helping the people of that country turn back the enemies of 
democracy, you have acted in the great liberating tradition of our 
Nation. And like generations of soldiers before you, you have shown that 
America's military is one of the world's greatest forces for good.
    Together, the 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Armored Division 
have helped to bring freedom and hope to a suffering people. These units 
have a few other things in common. They both count on the fearless 
soldiers of the ``Dustoff Europe'' battalion for medical care on the 
battlefield. They both rely on the 3d Support Command to deliver just 
about everything else they need. In a year of service in Iraq, the 3d 
Support Command delivered more than 185 million gallons of fuel, issued 
more than 50 million meals, and logged more than 25 million miles on the 
road. That's the equivalent of more than 1,000 trips around the world. 
The 3d Support Command carried out these duties on tight deadlines and 
often under enemy fire. Your courage is appreciated by every soldier at 
this base, every soldier in the theater, and I keep you--I thank you for 
keeping the force for the fight.
    In the war on terror, all of you have taken great risks on my 
orders, and your service reflects the best qualities of America. You 
have been brave in the face of danger, unshakable in the times of 
testing, and generous to those in need. Some in your units have survived 
terrible injuries, and a grateful America will do everything we can to 
help them recover. Some of you have said farewell

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to some fine Americans. They represent a new generation of heroes, as 
great as any who have come before. Their example of unselfish courage 
inspires all who serve, and America will honor their names forever.
    The sacrifices you have made will change the world for decades to 
come. By fighting terrorists in places like Baghdad and Karbala and 
Tikrit, you are making sure we do not face those enemies at home. By 
helping captive peoples gain their freedom, you have made a critical 
contribution to the history of liberty. And that means the world will be 
more peaceful and our children and grandchildren will be more secure. 
Your success is sending a clear message throughout the Middle East that 
the only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror 
and replace hatred with hope is the force of human freedom.
    You are serving in a critical period in freedom's history, and there 
will be more difficult work ahead. Yet I'm optimistic about our future, 
because I know the character of freedom's defenders. I know the history 
of those who have defended our freedom. Fifty years ago this summer, the 
Soviet Union imposed a blockade on West Berlin. Keeping free Berlin 
alive seemed an impossible task, yet America and our allies refused to 
give in. From this airfield, American pilots launched dangerous missions 
to supply Berlin, and they continued those flights at great risk for 11 
months. The heroes of the Berlin Airlift saved that city, and with their 
early resolve, they helped freedom triumph in the cold war.
    Today, America is again called to defend freedom. And once again, 
our military is answering the call. I have hope for our country and 
faith in our cause and great confidence in the men and women who wear 
our Nation's uniform. With your courage, with your determination, and 
with your skill, the cause of freedom will prevail, and we'll achieve 
the peace that we all want for future generations to come.
    Thank you for letting us come by. Thank you for serving our great 
land. May God bless you. May God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 4:56 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Maj. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, USA, commander, 1st Armored Division; 
entertainers Diane DeGarmo and the Gatlin Brothers; former President 
Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr.