President George W. Bush

Fort Bragg, North Carolina       10:54 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: I want to thank you for the warm welcome to Fort Bragg. It is good to be at the home of the Airborne and Special Operation Forces. This is my fourth visit to Fort Bragg since I have been honored to be the President. Somehow I always find my way back to the "center of the universe." (Applause.) And every time I come, I look forward to saying: Hooah! AUDIENCE: Hooah! THE PRESIDENT: I'm pleased to be with the paratroopers of the All American 82nd Airborne Division. You know, you and my dad have something in common: You both enjoy jumping out of airplanes. (Laughter.) He's jumped with the Golden Knights of Fort Bragg six times. Dad is America's only skydiving President -- and that's a distinction he's going to keep, as far as I'm concerned. (Laughter.) Speaking of which, he has a message for all of you -- those of you jumping tomorrow: "Airborne, all the way!" (Applause.) This is the first time since 2006 that five brigades from your division have assembled together. Most of you recently returned from extended 15-month deployments to the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq. We've asked a lot of you. You've achieved difficult objectives in a new kind of war. You've performed with skill and valor. And on behalf of a grateful nation: Welcome home. (Applause.) I thank General Dave Rodriguez for his service to our country. I thank Pete Geren, Secretary of the Army, for joining us today. I appreciate Brigadier General Art Bartell, Colonel Victor Petrenko. I want to thank Sergeant Major Tom Capel. I'm honored to be here with the military families. I particularly want to say hello to Maureen McNeill, wife of General Dan McNeill. I know he'll be pleased that I recognized you here at this event when I see him. (Laughter.) I want to thank all the families of the paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division who are here today. I welcome the families of the fallen heroes here today. It's such an honor to see the veterans of the 82nd Airborne Division, and other veterans who have joined us today. I want to pay a special tribute to the Wounded Warriors from the 82nd Airborne. Thank you for your courage. (Applause.) I welcome the state and local elected officials and members of the Fort Bragg community. Thank you for supporting these troops. Looking out on the units this morning, I see why the 82nd Airborne is known as "America's Guard of Honor." In your ranks, I see the strength of the greatest military the world has ever known. And in the families of Fort Bragg, I see the love and support that makes your service possible. The United States of America owes our troops in uniform a debt of gratitude, and we owe our military families the strong support necessary to make sure that they understand that we appreciate their sacrifices. Every trooper in the 82nd is a triple volunteer. You volunteered to join the Army. You volunteered to attend jump school. And you volunteered to undertake some of our military's most difficult missions by joining this elite division. Each of you is proud to wear the All American patch of the 82nd -- and I am incredibly proud to be the Commander-in-Chief of such noble, courageous men and women. (Applause.) As members of the 82nd Airborne Division, you belong to a storied military tradition. When allied forces landed in Normandy, the paratroopers of the 82nd were among the first boots on the ground. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, this division was among the first units to deploy to Operation Desert Shield. When our nation announced that the 82nd Airborne was flying toward Haiti in 1994, the country's oppressive leader began to make plans to fly out. Across the world, the 82nd has come to represent the vanguard of freedom -- and we salute all the brave veterans with us today who have ever marched in your ranks. (Applause.) At the beginning of a new century, the men and women of the 82nd Airborne have once again stepped forward to advance the cause of liberty. Since the attacks of 9/11, you have deployed on more missions than any other division