[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 26 (Monday, July 2, 2007)]
[Pages 870-872]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on the Nomination of Admiral Michael G. Mullen To Be Chairman of 
the Joint Chiefs of Staff and General James E. Cartwright To Be Vice 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

June 28, 2007

    The President. Good morning. Thank you all for coming. Mr. 
Secretary, thank you for joining us. I am sending to the United States 
Senate my nomination of Admiral Mike Mullen to be America's next 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and I'm sending my nomination of 
General James Cartwright to be the next Vice Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff.
    Mike Mullen and Hoss Cartwright are experienced military officers. 
They're highly qualified for these important positions. I thank them for 
agreeing to serve their country in these new capacities. We welcome 
Mike's wife, Deborah, and sons, John and Michael. Thank you all for 
coming. Thanks for wearing the uniform. Hoss's wife got stuck on an 
airplane. [Laughter] I'm sure she's going to forgive him--[laughter]--
and hopefully forgive me. I thank you all for being here and joining on 
this--joining these good men on this exciting day for them.
    America is at war, and we're at war with brutal enemies who have 
attacked our Nation and who would pursue nuclear weapons, who would use 
their control over oil as economic blackmail, and who intend to launch 
new attacks on our country. In such times, one of the most important 
decisions a President makes is the appointment of the Chairman of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Chairman is our Nation's highest-ranking 
military officer. He is the principal military adviser to the President, 
to the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and the 
Homeland Security Council. He is responsible for ensuring that our 
military forces are ready to meet any challenge.
    Admiral Mike Mullen is uniquely qualified to take on these important 
responsibilities. Mike has had an illustrious military career, spanning 
nearly four decades. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy 
in 1968. He earned an advanced degree from the Naval Postgraduate 
School. He has commanded three ships, a cruiser-destroyer group, and an 
aircraft carrier battle group. He served as commander of NATO's Joint 
Forces Command in Naples, Italy, with responsibility for Alliance 
missions in the Balkans, Iraq, and Mediterranean. He served as commander 
of U.S. Naval Forces Europe.
    At the Pentagon, he has served as the Navy's Director of Surface 
Warfare, Deputy

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Chief of Naval Operations for Resources, Requirements, and Assessments, 
Vice Chief of Naval Operations, and Chief of Naval Operations. Mike is a 
man of experience, of vision, and high integrity. He is the right man to 
lead America's Armed Forces. And, Mike, I thank you for agreeing to take 
on this important assignment.
    I'm also nominating an outstanding military officer to serve as Vice 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Hoss Cartwright. He's a 
graduate of the University of Iowa. He earned an advanced degree from 
the Naval War College. He completed a fellowship at MIT. He's a Marine 
aviator who has commanded deployed marines at all levels. He has broad 
experience on the Joint Staff, having served twice in the Directorate of 
Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment.
    And since 2004, he's served as head of the U.S. Strategic Command. 
In that position, Hoss has been in charge of America's nuclear arsenal, 
missile defenses, space operations, information operations, global 
command and control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and 
our Nation's efforts to combat weapons of mass destruction. These are 
vital responsibilities, and Hoss has met them with honor, skill, and 
integrity. He has earned my trust and my confidence. He's going to make 
an outstanding Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
    Upon confirmation by the Senate, Mike Mullen and Hoss Cartwright 
will succeed two of America's finest military officers, General Pete 
Pace and Admiral Ed Giambastiani. Pete Pace has been at my side most of 
my Presidency, serving first as my Vice Chairman--as the Vice Chairman 
and then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We've been through a lot 
together. Pete was with me after the attacks of September the 11th. He 
played a key role in planning America's response to that brutal assault 
on the American homeland.
    With the help of his leadership, our men and women in uniform 
brought down brutal dictatorships in Afghanistan and Iraq. It liberated 
50 million people from unspeakable oppression. He's helped lead our 
military through unprecedented campaigns. And as he has done so, Pete 
never took his eye off the horizon and the threats that still lie ahead. 
He played a critical role in transforming our military for challenges of 
a new century. He made sure that future benefits--future generations 
will benefit from the reforms that he has set in motion.
    Pete made history as the first marine to serve as Vice Chairman and 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I'm going to remember him simply 
as one of the best military officers and finest men I've been privileged 
to know. I'm grateful for his friendship, his sense of humor, and his 
character. I also thank him for the life of service, and I thank his 
wife, Lynne, and his children as well.
    I'm also grateful to Admiral Ed Giambastiani. I just call him 
``Admiral G.'' I appreciated his outstanding leadership as Vice Chairman 
of the Joint Chiefs. He's an officer of character and vision, and I 
appreciate his insights and his strong military advice.
    Prior to his service as Vice Chairman, Admiral G helped lead the 
transformation of our military as commander of the U.S. Joint Forces 
Command. He helped strengthen the NATO Alliance as the first Supreme 
Allied Commander Transformation. Ed has given 37 years of dedicated 
service to our country. His work will affect the security of our Nation 
for decades to come. I thank him for his devotion to duty. I thank his 
wife, Cindy, and their children as well.
    Pete Pace and Ed Giambastiani are hard acts to follow. I can think 
of none more qualified to follow them than the men whose nominations I 
am sending to the United States Senate today. I call on the Senate to 
quickly confirm Mike Mullen and Hoss Cartwright. I thank these fine 
officers and their families for continuing to serve our country.
    Thank you all for coming.

[At this point, Chairman-designate Adm. Mullen and Vice Chairman-
designate Gen. Cartwright made brief remarks.]

    The President. Thank you all. Thanks.

Note: The President spoke at 8:47 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the 
White House. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary of Defense Robert 
M. Gates. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary 
also included the remarks

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of Chairman-designate Adm. Mullen and Vice Chairman-designate Gen. 
Cartwright.