[Photo] Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues at DHS for their hard work protecting our nation. I am very grateful for the 208,000 dedicated men and women who make up our department. Their commitment to the security of our homeland has played a pivotal role in preventing another attack since 9/11.

While you are traveling this holiday season, Transportation Security Officers will be hard at work in our airports making sure that dangerous people and items are not brought aboard aircraft. The men and women of Customs and Border Protection will not rest over the holiday weekend as they stand watch at our nation’s borders. The Coast Guard will continue to patrol our waters, rescuing those in distress while maintaining our maritime safety and security. ICE and the Secret Service will continue their mission to keep us safe from bad people and bad things. FEMA will continue its efforts to help those in Southern California recover from the devastating wildfires, and Citizenship and Immigration Services will continue to process immigration applications and assist Iraqi refugees. Each member of the DHS family is crucial to our mission of securing America, I am truly thankful for their service.

I’d especially like to give thanks for our troops serving abroad, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. As I mentioned last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Iraq recently and meet many of these brave soldiers. Their commitment to our country remains steadfast and I encourage you to keep them in your thoughts this Thanksgiving.

And finally I want to thank all Americans for doing their part to keep us safe. Whether it be reporting suspicious activity or preparing a Ready kit for your family, everyone can play a part.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Michael Chertoff