For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 14, 2004
President's Remarks to the General Conference of the National Guard Association of the United States
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
12:13 P.M. PDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for the warm welcome. I am
glad to join you here in Nevada. I'm also honored to be up here with
the Governor. He said to remind you of an important thing here. He
said, what happens in Vegas -- (laughter) -- stays in Vegas. (Laughter
and applause.) I hope you've enjoyed yourself in this fantastic part of
our country. I'm honored to be invited to the 126th national
conference. It's a pleasure to be with the brave men and women of the
National Guard.
As the General just said, you've had many famous Americans in your
ranks, including men named Jefferson, Madison, Lincoln and Truman.
Nineteen individuals have served both in the Guard and as President of
the United States, and I am proud to be one of them. (Applause.)
The men and women -- the men and women of the National Guard are
deployed around the world today, fighting the forces of terror in
Afghanistan and Iraq, and helping Americans threatened with natural
disasters, like hurricanes here at home. I am proud to be their
Commander-in-Chief, and I respect and honor all of those who serve in
the United States Armed Forces -- active, Guard, and Reserve.
(Applause.)
I want to thank General Hargett for his leadership. I appreciate
your for your invitation. I want to thank the Governor. I want to
thank the Lieutenant Governor. I want to thank the Attorney General,
Brian Sandoval. I want to thank the Secretary of State, Dean Heller,
for joining us today. It's a pretty important group when you get that
many politicians here in one room. (Laughter.) I thank General Blum,
General Harrison. I thank my fellow Texan, Danny James, General
James. (Applause.) General Schultz. I want to thank the leadership
and convention delegates. Most of all, thank you for inviting me
today.
When I landed, by the way, at the airport, I had the honor of
meeting Theresa Bunker. She is a volunteer with the Las Vegas National
Guard Family Support Center. I met her brave son -- he just came back
from Iraq. I like to tell people the strength of this country is in
the hearts and souls of our citizens -- people like Theresa, who have
taken time out of her life to volunteer, provide support for family
members, to send care packages overseas. No, we're going to keep our
military strong -- but never forget, the strength of this country are
the great citizens of America who serve this country one heart and one
soul at a time. (Applause.)
The Guard has been fighting for America since before America was a
nation. From its birth in the 1630s, the Guard protected the early
colonists and helped win the War on Independence. Today, each of you
carries on the great tradition of those early citizen-soldiers, who
picked up muskets to defend our freedom. Weapons have changed, and so
have our enemies, but one thing remains the same: The men and women of
the Guard stand ready to put on the uniform and fight for America. Our
country is stronger, our freedom more secure because each of you has
volunteered to serve. (Applause.)
You have taken an oath to stand by America in times of crisis, war
and emergency. You're fulfilling that oath in many ways. Across the
state of Florida -- I happen to know the Commander-in-Chief of the
Guard there -- (laughter) -- thousands of Guard members have mobilized
in response to Hurricanes Charley and Frances. They are helping to
control traffic, provide security, conduct search and rescue
operations, and distribute food and water. One resident of Punta
Gorda, Florida put it, "I don't know what this town would have done
without the National Guard." When tragedy strikes, Americans can
always count on the Guard. (Applause.)
When tragedy came on September the 11th, 2001, the response of the
Guard was outstanding. A thousand Guard volunteers came forward to
help that day, and by sunrise on September the 12th, more than 5,000
Guard volunteers were on the job. In the past three years, Guard units
have defended the American homeland against further attack ?- you've
taken the battle to our enemies abroad. The National Guard has played
a critical role in every aspect of Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom. More than 185,000 Guard members have been
called up to serve on every front in the war on terror. You are a
vital part of our strategy to defend America. You're fighting
terrorist enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan, and across the globe, so we
do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.) America is safer
because of your service, and we are grateful. (Applause.)
And we are grateful for your families, who share in your
sacrifice. There are few things more difficult in life than seeing a
loved one go off to war. When the call to duty comes, your families
miss you and they worry about you. By standing behind you, they also
serve our country. America is grateful for the service and sacrifice
of our Guard families. (Applause.)
Your service would not be possible without the understanding and
support of your employers. In offices, and schools, and factories, and
hospitals across this country, businesses do without your talents so
that you can serve our nation. Employers across this country are
supporting the Guard, because they know the -- because they know the
stakes in this war are high. These companies are showing their
patriotism, and they, too, have the gratitude of our country.
(Applause.)
I know this time of call-ups, and alerts, and mobilizations, and
deployments has been difficult for Guard members and their families and
employers. And when our nation must call on you, we owe you some
things in return. We're working to provide you at least 30 days
notification before you're mobilized, so you have time to make
arrangements. We're working to give you as much certainty as possible
about the length of your mobilization -- you deserve to know when you
can expect to resume civilian life. We're working to minimize the
number of extensions and repeat mobilizations, by moving forces out of
low-demand specialties, such as heavy artillery, and increasing the
number of available troops with skills that are in high-demand -- such
as military police, civil affairs, and special operations.
We're improving benefits and the quality of life for our nation's
citizen-soldiers. My administration has spent almost $14 billion for
construction, maintenance and support for Guard and Reserve facilities
across the United States. We have expanded health care benefits for
Guard and Reserve forces and their family members, giving them access
to the military's TRICARE system for up to 90 days before they report
and 180 days after deactivation -- and I will ask Congress to make that
expansion permanent. (Applause.)
I called upon Congress to increase the monthly educational benefit
for Guard and Reserve forces mobilized for more than 90 days in the war
on terror by 40 to 80 percent, depending on the length of their
mobilization. Congress must pass this piece of legislation.
(Applause.) This administration stands for the Guard and its family.
And we do so because we need the service of Guardsmen and women,
because of the times we live in. These are dangerous times. My most
solemn duty as the President is to protect the American people. If
America shows uncertainty and weakness in this decade, the world will
drift toward tragedy. This is not going to happen on my watch.
(Applause.)
Since that terrible morning three years ago, America has been at
war. We fought the terrorists across the earth -- not for pride, not
for power, but because the lives of our citizens are at stake. Our
strategy is clear: we're defending the homeland, we're transforming
our military, we're strengthening our intelligence services. We're
staying on the offensive. We will strike the terrorists abroad so they
can't come here and hurt us. (Applause.) We will advance liberty in
the broader Middle East and around the world, because freedom will
bring a future of hope and peace we all long for. And we will
prevail. (Applause.)
Our strategy is succeeding. Four years ago, Afghanistan was the
home base of al Qaeda, Pakistan was a transit point for terrorist
groups, Saudi Arabia was fertile ground for terrorist fundraising,
Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons, Iraq was a gathering
threat, and al Qaeda was largely unchallenged as it planned attacks.
Because we acted, the government of a free Afghanistan is fighting
terror, Pakistan is capturing terrorist leaders, Saudi is making raids
and arrests, Libya is dismantling its weapons programs, the army of a
free Iraq is fighting for freedom, and more than three-quarters of al
Qaeda's key members and associates have been detained or killed.
(Applause.) We have led, many have joined, and America and the world
are safer. (Applause.)
All this progress involved careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose,
and some tough decisions. And the toughest came on Iraq. We knew
Saddam Hussein's record of aggression and support for terror.
Remember, he housed Abu Nidal -- he's the guy that killed Leon
Klinghoffer -- housed him and his associates. Zarqawi was in and out
of Baghdad. He's the fellow who cuts people's heads off and hopes we
cringe and shirk our duty. Saddam paid the families of suicide
bombers. We knew his long history of pursuing, and even using, weapons
of mass destruction. And we know that after September the 11th, our
country must think differently. We must take threats seriously, before
they fully materialize. (Applause.)
In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat. So I went to the United States
Congress. Members of both political parties -- including my opponent
and his running mate -- looked at the same intelligence, remembered the
same history we remembered, and concluded that Saddam Hussein was a
threat and they authorized the use of force. Before the
Commander-in-Chief commits troops into harm's way, we must try all
avenues to deal with the threat. I was hopeful that diplomacy would
work, that why I went to the United Nations.
The U.N. Security Council looked at the same intelligence we looked
at, remembered the same history we remembered, and came to this
conclusion. They said to Saddam Hussein by a 15 to nothing vote in the
U.N. Security Council: disclose, disarm or face serious consequences.
As he had for over a decade, Saddam Hussein ignored the demands of the
world. Matter of fact, when they sent inspectors into his country, he
systematically deceived them. It was clear to me diplomacy wasn't
working. So I had a choice to make: Do I forget the lessons of
September the 11th and take the word of a madman -- or take action
necessary to defend America? Given that choice, I will defend America
every time. (Applause.)
Because we acted -- because we acted to defend our country, more
than 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq are free. It wasn't all
that long ago that many young girls weren't allowed to go to school in
Afghanistan, because of the dark vision of the Taliban. Wasn't all
that long ago that the moms were taken to a sports stadium and executed
because they wouldn't toe the line of these barbaric people.
And today, over 10 million Afghanistan citizens -- 41 percent of
whom are women -- are registered to vote in the upcoming presidential
elections. (Applause.) Despite ongoing violence in Iraq, that country
now has a strong Prime Minister, a national council, and national
elections are scheduled in January. The world is changing for the
better. Our nation is standing with the people of Afghanistan and
Iraq, because when America gives its word, America must keep its word.
(Applause.)
We're also serving a vital and historic cause that'll make our
country safer. Free societies in the Middle East will be hopeful
societies, which no longer feed resentments and breed violence for
export. Free governments in the Middle East will fight terrorists
instead of harboring them, and that helps us keep the peace. So our
mission in Afghanistan and Iraq is clear: We'll help new leaders to
train their armies, move toward elections, and get on the path of
stability and democracy as quickly as possible. And then our troops
will return home with the honor they deserve. (Applause.)
I have made a pledge to those who wear the uniform that they will
have the resources and the tools they need to do their jobs. That's
why I went to the United States Congress last September and requested
$87 billion for vital funding -- funding for our troops in harm's way,
funding for those who wear the uniform of America in Afghanistan and
Iraq. I was pleased with the overwhelming bipartisan support for this
important funding request. Matter of fact, the support was so strong,
that only 12 members of the United States Senate voted against it. Two
of whom are my opponent and his running mate.
They asked him why and he said: Well, I actually did vote for the
$87 billion, before I voted against it. Then they said, well, they
pressed him for it, he said he was proud of his vote. And finally he
said the whole thing was a complicated matter. There's nothing
complicated about supporting our troops in combat. (Applause.)
Last week -- last week my opponent questioned the cost of our
operations in Iraq, and said the money could have been better spent
elsewhere. The problem is, just last summer he had a completely
different view. Asked whether he believed we should reduce funding for
operations in Iraq, my opponent at the time replied: No. I think we
should increase it. Asked by how much, he said: By whatever number of
billion dollars it takes to win; it is critical that the United States
of America be successful in Iraq.
What's critical is that the President of the United States speak
clearly and consistently at this time of great threat in our world, and
not change positions because of expediency or pressure. Our troops,
our friends and allies, and our enemies must know where America stands
-- and that America will stand firm. (Applause.) We cannot waver --
we cannot waver because our enemies will not waver. As we saw with such
horror on September the 11th, as the people of Russia saw in the
terrible massacre of innocent children there, we are up against people
who show no shame, no remorse, no hint of humanity -- and we must
confront them clearly and consistently -- not just some of the time,
but all of the time. (Applause.)
Our troops understand the importance of our mission. Sergeant Bob
Kells returned from Iraq a few months ago, where he was deployed with
the Rhode Island National Guard. "We saw what [Saddam Hussein] did to
these people," he says. "We saw the graves. The people would lead us
to them. [Now] they're free. They never had that before. And we did
it for them." He says of the insurgents and terrorists we are fighting
in Iraq today, "they want us out. But they're a minority. The Iraqi
people want democracy. The [insurgents] are absolute cowards. They
fight behind women and children -- but better fighting them there, than
over here."
Sergeant Kells is correct. Our mission in Iraq is critical. And
our men and women in uniform -- active, Guard, and Reserve -- are doing
a superb job for America. (Applause.) Because of your service and
sacrifice, we're defeating the terrorists where they live, and that
makes us safer. Because of you, women in Afghanistan are no longer
shot and whipped in public. Because of you, the people of Iraq no
longer fear being executed and left in mass graves. Because of you, the
world is more just and more peaceful. (Applause.)
Others are helping us. We put together alliance to help us in the
cause of freedom and peace. There's nearly 40 nations involved in
Afghanistan, and some 30 nations involved in Iraq. I'll continue to
work with our allies and friends, but I will never turn over America's
national security decisions to leaders of other countries. (Applause.)
I believe in the transformational power of liberty. The wisest use
of American strength is to advance freedom. One of the people with
whom I've spent a lot of time is Prime Minister Koizumi, of Japan.
We're friends. We talk a lot. It's amazing, though, to be having
these discussions with Prime Minister Koizumi, because it wasn't all
that long ago in the march of history that we were at war with Japan.
They were a sworn enemy. My dad, I suspect others' dads and granddads
fought against the Japanese.
But because of people like Harry Truman and other Americans, after
World War II, people who understood that liberty could transform an
enemy into an ally, because they doubted -- they overcame the doubters,
because they worked to build a democracy in Japan, today I sit down at
the table with Prime Minister Koizumi, talking about the peace.
Liberty is powerful. Liberty can change nations. Some day, an
American President will be sitting down with a duly elected leader of
Iraq, talking about the peace and our children and grandchildren will
be better off for it. (Applause.)
I believe that millions in the Middle East plead in silence for
their liberty. I believe that if given the chance, they will embrace
the most honorable form of government ever devised by man. I believe
this because freedom is not America's gift to the world -- freedom is
the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world.
(Applause.)
For all Americans, these years in our history will always stand
apart. There are quiet times in the life of a nation, when little is
expected of leaders. This isn't one of those times. This is a time
when we need firm resolve, clear vision, and deep faith in the values
that make us a great nation.
None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and
another began. Three years ago today, on September the 14th, 2001, I
stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers. It's a day I'll never forget.
There were workers in hard hats there yelling at me at the top of their
lungs: Whatever it takes. I was trying to do my best to console and
thank the rescuers. A guy grabbed me by the arm, he looks me straight
in the eye and he says: Do not let me down. I wake up every morning
thinking about how to better protect America. I will never relent in
defending our country, whatever it takes. (Applause.)
And I know -- and I know that is your commitment, as well. You've
shown it by your commitment to service, your standards of honor and
your performance of duty. America's citizen soldiers reflect great
credit on our military, and on our country. And I am here to thank you
for your service.
May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States
of America. (Applause.)
END 12:42 P.M. PDT
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