[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 31 (Monday, August 11, 2008)]
[Pages 1092-1094]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to Military Personnel and Their 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 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]

[[Page 1093]]

    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. 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. Donald ``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 Senator Ted Stevens.

[[Page 1094]]