PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you very
much. It's always a proud moment for the Commander-in-Chief
to see the troops who uphold the values of our
country. Especially here, seeing in a foreign land, brings
home the true meaning of the sacrifices you make for our freedom.
Thank you, General David, for your kind
introduction and your hospitality. Laura and I are honored
to be here. I also want to recognize the leadership of
Senior NCO Command Sergeant Major Marvin Hill. (Applause and
cheers.)
I want to know what you did,
Marvin. (Laughter.) You got some of the folks
kind of excited when I mentioned your name. (Cheers.)
We're honored to be here. I
realize that on July 4, you had the Dallas Cowboy
Cheerleaders. (Applause and cheers.) I recognize
I don't look quite as pretty -- but I am from
Texas. (Applause.) And I'm proud to be an
American. (Applause.) And I know you are, as
well, because we represent a great land, great
land. (Applause.)
I'm also looking forward to having a lunch
with some of you in a while. The General mentioned that I
like PT -- I'm going to eat lightly because I look forward to leading a
run up Radar Hill after lunch. (Applause and cheers.) Are
you ready to go? (Applause and cheers.)
I want you to know that there's no higher
honor than to serve as your Commander-in-Chief. America
appreciates your service and sacrifices for our country. And
I'm here to tell you that.
It's good to be here with the Screaming
Eagles of the 101st Airborne. (Applause and cheers.) You
just lived up to your name. I also want to thank the members
of the United States Army Reserve, the Air Force, the Navy and Marine
Corps, and the National Guard units from Nebraska, Rhode Island and
Tennessee. (Cheers.) I thank the civilians and
contractors who helped build this base. (Cheers.)
My first opportunity as President to
address America's military forces came at Fort Stewart,
Georgia. (Cheers.) It's great to be back with the
Dog-Face soldiers of the -- (cheers.) I think I'll repeat
what I said there -- Oorah! (Cheers.)
And finally, I want to thank all our
allies who join in this mission -- Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lithuania,
Poland, Russia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and the United
Kingdom. (Cheers.) It's a long
list. It speaks volumes about why you are so good at your
mission. You come from many nations, many cultures and many
continents -- just like amongst the U.S. military personnel, many
races and many faiths, many traditions represented.
Your diversity and close cooperation,
General, in the cause of peace, is an example of the people of this
region. And it's a rebuke to the ethnic intolerance and
narrow nationalism that brought us here in the first place.
As we head into the 21st century, we must
not allow difference to be a license to kill, and vulnerability an
excuse to dominate. We will pursue a world of tolerance and
freedom. From Kosovo to Kashmir, from the Middle East to
Northern Ireland, freedom and tolerance is the defining issue for our
world. And your service here has set an example for the
whole world to see.
We're making good
progress. Thanks to you and those who served before you, the
people of Kosovo are able to buy food and find shelter, go to school,
and get medical help. Thanks to you, there will be elections
here in November -- elections where we want to see the widest-possible
participation.
Thanks to you, there are fewer arms
flowing into Macedonia and a hope for peace in that
land. Thanks to you and the service of our forces throughout
the Balkans, the region is growing closer to the rest of Europe.
But there's still a lot of work to
do. Civil institutions must be put in place and made
stronger. Organized crime must be brought under control.
War criminals must face justice. Kosovo must not be a safe
haven for insurgencies elsewhere.
America has a vital interest in the
European stability, and therefore, peace in the
region. That's why I've recently taken steps to cut off
outside support to the rebels in Macedonia. That's why we
need you to keep patrolling the border and cutting off the arms flow.
Each and every day your work is important
to people of this region and for peace that NATO is committed to
building here. America and allied forces came into Bosnia
and Kosovo; they came in together, and we will leave
together. Our goal is to hasten the day when peace is
self-sustaining; when local democratically-elected authorities can
assume full responsibility; and when NATO forces can go
home. (Applause.)
As well, you not only need to have a clear
mission here, but we need to have a Commander-in-Chief with a clear
vision, who sets clear goals for our
military. (Applause.) And those goals are to be
well-equipped and well-trained, to be able to fight and win war, and
therefore, prevent war from happening in the first
place. (Applause.)
I know how hard frequent deployments are
on you and your family. I know that America owes you a
decent quality of life. And those who wear America's uniform
deserve America's full support. (Applause.) And
you've got it. (Applause.)
I'm going to do something unusual
here. I brought with me a piece of legislation, a
supplemental spending bill for this year's defense budget. It's been
passed by the House, passed by the Senate, differences were
reconciled. So I'm going to sign it here, because it
contains $1.9 billion for pay, benefits and health
care. (Applause.) And, by the way, the tax cut is
real, too. (Applause.)
I'm also pleased that next
year's defense budget request includes an additional $2.2 billion for
pay and benefits -- beyond the supplemental I'm signing here
today. And that will include housing, as well as an
additional $2.3 billion for improved health
care. (Applause.) And it's important for the
Congress to hear this message. It's important for Congress
to start dealing with next year's defense budget
now. (Applause.) To not only include the request we made
initially, but the amendment to the defense bill.
The Congress has got to keep in mind the
needs of those who wear the
uniform. (Applause.) And I expect quick response
from the members of the United States
Congress. (Applause.) When I ran for promise -- I
promised America that help is on the way for the men and women who wear
our uniform. (Applause.) Today, I'm proud to say, help is
arriving. (Applause.) I'm committed that America
does a better job of supporting you all.
For every one of you has dedicated
yourself to something greater than yourself. You put your
country ahead of your comfort. You've committed your lives
to defending our nation's highest ideals. And thanks to you,
the march of freedom continues around the world.
It's an honor to be here. It's
a huge honor to be the Commander-in-Chief. Thank you for
your service to a great country. (Cheers and applause.)