The White House Blog: Veterans

The President & Vice President at Fort Campbell: "Gratitude"

President Barack Obama delivers remarks to troops at Fort Campbell, Ky., May 6, 2011. Vice President Joe Biden stands at left. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

It was an emotional week, from the relief of the President's announcement that Osama bin Laden was dead to the somber rememberance of the victims in New York City.  It ended on a note of gratitude, as the President and Vice President went to Fort Campbell, Kentucky to welcome troops home from a deployment in Afghanistan after a private meeting honoring the military and intelligence professionals involved in the operation against bin Laden.

The Vice President:

I know many of you have just gotten home in the past few weeks -- so welcome home.  And I know from experience that your families want more than anything to spend time with you.  And so, every time I show up at a welcome home ceremony, I’m always worried about getting in the way.  Because I remember when my son came back home from Iraq after a year, there were all these ceremonies.  And I kept saying, hell, man, stop, I want to see my kid.  (Laughter.)

So, anyway, I get it.  So let me just say how much gratitude the President and I have, and all Americans do, for you all.  You guys have been in the fight from the beginning.  And the risk you’ve taken, the incredible sacrifices you’ve made, the comrades you’ve lost, the losses you’ve personally endured -- you’ve been in some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world.

I’ve been there a number of times, back up those damn mountains.  I’d get a helicopter to go down 9,800 feet, and all I got on is a vest -- a bulletproof vest and a helmet and I’m out of breath climbing up about 40 clicks -- 40 feet.  And you guys are up there, 60 to 80-pound packs running around.  God, you’re amazing.  You just are amazing.  I’m in awe of the job you do, in awe of the job you do.  (Applause.)

As I said back in February, I want to also thank your families.  They made sacrifices as well, those intangible sacrifices -- those missed births and those missed birthdays, those missed graduations, those missed -- an occasional funeral. Perhaps more than anything else, just being missed, just not having you home.

The President:

They’re America’s “quiet professionals” -- because success demands secrecy.  But I will say this.  Like all of you, they could have chosen a life of ease.  But like you, they volunteered.  They chose to serve in a time of war, knowing they could be sent into harm’s way.  They trained for years.  They’re battle-hardened.  They practiced tirelessly for this mission.  And when I gave the order, they were ready.

Now, in recent days, the whole world has learned just how ready they were.  These Americans deserve credit for one of the greatest intelligence military operations in our nation’s history.  But so does every person who wears America’s uniform, the finest military the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  And that includes all of you men and women of 101st.  (Applause.)

You have been on the frontlines of this fight for nearly 10 years.  You were there in those early days, driving the Taliban from power, pushing al Qaeda out of its safe havens.  Over time, as the insurgency grew, you went back for, in some cases, a second time, a third time, a fourth time.

When the decision was made to go into Iraq, you were there, too, making the longest air assault in history, defeating a vicious insurgency, ultimately giving Iraqis the chance to secure their democracy.  And you’ve been at the forefront of our new strategy in Afghanistan.

Sending you -- more of you -- into harm’s way is the toughest decision that I’ve made as Commander-in-Chief.  I don’t make it lightly.  Every time I visit Walter Reed, every time I visit Bethesda, I’m reminded of the wages of war.  But I made that decision because I know that this mission was vital to the security of the nation that we all love.

West Wing Week: "A Good Day For America"

This week, the President announced the death of Osama bin Laden, visited New York City to honor the victims of 9/11 and their families, made sure the federal government was doing its part in the states devastated by storms and much more.

Armed Forces Day is May 21st: How Are You Saying Thank You?

More than 60 years ago, President Harry Truman established the third Saturday in May as Armed Forces Day. Tens of thousands of visitors poured into Washington, D.C. for a day of appreciation for America's men and women in uniform. In 1952, a New York Times article on Armed Forces Day summed up the spirit of the event:

It is our most earnest hope that those who are in positions of peril, that those who have made exceptional sacrifices, yes, and those who are afflicted with plain drudgery and boredom, may somehow know that we hold them in exceptional esteem. Perhaps if we are a little more conscious of our debt of honored affection they may be a little more aware of how much we think of them.

That debt of honored affection is as important today as it was then. While the threats our nation faces are different now than they were then, we still owe our gratitude and appreciation to the select few who volunteer to place themselves in harm's way for our defense.

Supporting Military Families Year Round

Ed. note: This was originally posted on the Family Matters blog run by the Department of Defense.

During the Month of the Military Child in April, there were picnics and parades, fairs and festivals in communities across the country—all to recognize and honor military children for their special contributions to our nation.

There is no issue nearer or dearer to my heart than reinforcing to our military children that they are, indeed, a key part of the military community and how equally important it is to recognize the sacrifices they make every day.

It’s one thing to be a military child during peacetime, quite another during a time of war. Every day, these young ones shoulder worry, stress and responsibility far beyond their years while mom or dad is deployed. It’s not just the missed birthdays and soccer games or helping mom with extra chores that dad would normally do. It’s the fear that their world can crumble at a moment’s notice.

When their parent comes home, the stress and challenges don’t necessarily disappear. It’s a safe bet dad didn’t return quite the same guy he was when he left. He, too, may have emotional and even physical challenges to face. And he, too, may be afraid…and perhaps even afraid to admit it.

Many of these kids have known only war…only worry.

Dealing with these things months and years on end, demands resilience and toughness – qualities innate to military children and something most are particularly proud of to be sure.