Joint Reserve Base
U.S. Naval Air Station
New Orleans, Louisiana

12:29 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT: Generals, thanks -- General Landreneau and General Downer, thank you all for greeting me here. I'm proud to be traveling with members of the United States Congress who are with us today. Listen, I'm here to thank you all for what has been an incredible outpouring of talent and skill and compassion to help the good folks of this part of the world that have suffered mightily. I'm incredibly proud of those who wear our nation's uniform, and I'm incredibly proud of the job you have done. You have brought great credit to your units, credit to your family, and credit to our nation.

We got a lot of work to do, and I'll be telling the people that I've had an honor to meet, opportunity to meet, that out of this rubble is going to come some good; out of the devastation is going to come new cities and new hope. And I hope you take great inspiration in being a part of the renewal of this important part of the world.

I want you to, when you talk to your families, to tell them the Commander-in-Chief is proud of them as -- I'm equally as proud of them as I am proud of you. May God bless you all and your work. May God bless your families. And may God continue to bless our great country.

Thank you very much. (Applause.)

END 12:30 P.M. CDT