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Provided below are excerpts from President Bush's speech today at Ft. Lewis. You can read the entire transcript by following the link below.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. It's great to be here in the state of Washington. (Applause.) I think the Senator would say it's great to be out of Washington -- the other Washington. (Laughter.) We're honored to be in your presence. We're honored to be with the soldiers who proudly wear our uniforms. (Applause.) And we're honored to be here with the families that support them. (Applause.) [...]
Yesterday I met Nadine Gulit. Nadine and her daughter, Cheryl, started what's called Operation Support our Troops. (Applause.) I see a lot of heads nodding. You see, these women are soldiers in the army of compassion. These are volunteers who have decided to take time out of their lives to help others. Oftentimes we talk about the great strength of America being our military -- we'll keep it strong. But the greatest strength of America is the hearts and souls of our fellow citizens, those of you who are willing to mentor a child, those of you who are willing to feed the hungry, or find shelter for the homeless, those of you who are willing to love your neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourselves. (Applause.)
I want to thank Nadine for her compassion and for the example she has set.
I'm especially grateful to the families who are here today. I see the pictures and the ribbons. Military service is a family commitment. And it's a big commitment, especially when you have a loved one serving in faraway lands, or preparing to deploy. By loving and supporting a person in uniform, you're serving your country -- and our nation is really grateful to you. (Applause.)
It's great to be here with "America's Corps." I'm told the 1st Corps is the most decorated corps in the United States Army. (Applause.) You have a proud history. And you continue to make history. You're bringing great credit to the United States of America. Each of you is a volunteer. You sacrifice in the service of a higher calling, the cause of your nation. And we are grateful for that sacrifice. People all over our country will join me in saying, thank you for what you're doing for our country. (Applause.)
Our government owes you more than gratitude. I've made a commitment -- Senator McCain and Senator Ensign have made the same commitment -- to the men and women of our military and their families: You will have all the resources and all the capabilities you need to fight and win the war on terror. (Applause.) [...]
The soldiers of Fort Lewis are serving on the front lines of the war on terror, and you're on the cutting edge of military transformation, and I thank you for that. (Applause.) This is the home of the Army's first two Stryker Brigades. (Applause.) These combat teams are built around 21st century armored vehicles that can maneuver in urban terrain and get soldiers to the fight with unmatched speed and stealth and power. In Samarra, Iraqis have taken to calling the Stryker Brigades the "Ghost Riders," because they arrive in near total silence, strike the enemy without warning. The terrorists in Iraq have plenty to fear from the "Ghost Riders" of Fort Lewis, Washington. (Applause.) [...]
The Commander of Task Force Olympia -- you might have heard of him -- Brigadier General Carter Ham -- (applause) -- said recently about a response by Iraqi forces in Mosul that the Iraqi forces "stood strong." I suspect General Ham is someone who likes to tell the truth. In Najaf, Iraqi police are back on the streets. The citizens are glad to see them there. See, they want what we want. They want their families to grow up in a peaceful society. In al Kharma, soldiers of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps were awarded medals for valor after battling insurgents and rescuing a wounded Marine. "I feel very, very bad the Marine was shot because they're like my brothers," said one of the decorated Iraqi soldiers, "but I'm ready to go out again. I'm always ready," he said.