Remarks by the President in Department of Defense Personnel Announcements

Rose Garden

10:06 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  All right.  Good morning.  In a few moments, I’ll be joining members of our armed forces, their families, and veterans for the Memorial Day observance at Arlington.  There, and across our nation, we’ll pause to honor all those who’ve given their last full measure of devotion in defense of our country.  Theirs was the ultimate sacrifice, but it is one that every man and woman who wears America’s uniform is prepared to make -- so that we can live free.

The men and women of our armed forces are the best our nation has to offer, and they deserve nothing but the absolute best in return.  And that includes leaders who will guide them, and support their families, with wisdom and strength and compassion.  And that’s what I expect as Commander-in-Chief as we work to keep our nation secure and our military the finest in the world.
 
I found those qualities in Leon Panetta, who I announced last month as my choice to succeed our outstanding Secretary of Defense, Bob Gates, who I thank for joining us today.  And I found these qualities in the leaders who will complete our team at the Pentagon and whom I’m proud to announce today -- General Martin Dempsey as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral James Winnefeld as the Vice Chairman, and to succeed General Dempsey as Chief of Staff of the Army, General Ray Odierno.  

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military advisor to me and my national security team, including the Secretary of Defense.  Since taking office, I’ve been very grateful for the leadership of the current Chairman, Admiral Mike Mullen, and the Vice Chairman, General Jim “Hoss” Cartwright.  These two men have served our nation with distinction for decades, and I look forward to paying tribute to their lives of service in the months ahead. 

Today, I’ll simply say that, like President Bush before me, I’ve deeply valued Mike’s professional steadiness and his personal integrity.  On his watch, our military forces have excelled across the whole spectrum of missions, from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan to relief efforts after the Haiti earthquake.  He’s helped revitalize NATO, reset our relations with Russia, and steer our relationship with Pakistan and China.  And I believe that history will also record Mike Mullen as the Chairman who said what he believed was right and declared that no one in uniform should ever have to sacrifice their integrity to serve their country.

I’ve also benefited enormously from the advice and counsel of Hoss Cartwright.  Hoss is that rare combination of technical expert -- from cyber to missile defense -- and strategic thinker, whether it was updating our nuclear posture or preparing our military for 21st-century missions.  I’ll always be personally grateful to Hoss for his friendship and partnership.  And as he concludes four decades of service in the Marine Corps that he loves, he can do so knowing that our nation is more secure, and our military is stronger, because of his remarkable career. 

And I know that Michelle joins me in saluting Deborah Mullen and Sandee Cartwright for their decades of extraordinary service, especially as champions of our inspiring military families.

With the advice and consent of the Senate, it is our hope and expectation that Leon Panetta will soon take the reigns as Secretary of Defense.  General Cartwright’s term ends this summer; Admiral Mullen’s term ends this fall.  I’m announcing my choice for their successors today because it’s essential that this transition be seamless and that we stay focused on the urgent national security challenges before us.  And I want to thank Deputy Secretary of Defense Bill Lynn for the continuity that he’ll provide during this transition.

With nearly 40 years in uniform, Martin Dempsey is one of our nation’s most respected -- and combat-tested --generals.  In Iraq, he led our soldiers against a brutal insurgency.  Having trained Iraqi forces, he knows that nations must ultimately take responsibility for their own security.  Having served as acting commander of Central Command, he understands that in Iraq and Afghanistan security gains and political progress must go hand in hand.  And just as he challenged the Army to embrace new doctrine and tactics, I expect him to push all our forces to continue adapting and innovating to be ready for the missions of today and tomorrow.

I was proud to nominate Marty as Army Chief of Staff, and I realized he only assumed that position last month.  Marty, your tenure as Chief may go down as one of the shortest in Army history.  But it’s your lifetime of accomplishment that brings us here today.  And I thank you for your willingness to take on this new assignment, along with your wife Deanie and your three children, all of whom have served in the Army. 

Today, I want every one of our men and women in uniform to hear the words that you spoke to your soldiers on your first day as Chief, because it’s our shared message to all who serve, especially our troops in harm’s way:  “We will provide whatever it takes to achieve our objectives in the current fight.”

As Vice Chairman, Admiral Sandy Winnefeld will draw on more than 30 years of distinguished service.  Under his command, fighters from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise pounded Taliban positions in the weeks after 9/11 and his carrier strike group played a critical role in air operations over Iraq.  Having served as a NATO commander, Sandy is well known to our allies.  Having served on the Joint Staff, he is known and trusted here at the White House. 

Most recently, as head of Northern Command, Sandy’s been responsible for the defense of our homeland and support to states and communities in times of crisis, such as the recent tornadoes and the floods along the Mississippi.  He’s supported our Mexican partners in their fight against the cartels and our Japanese allies in the response to their nuclear emergency.  So Sandy knows that we have to be prepared for the full range of challenges.  Sandy, I thank you and your wife Mary and your two sons for your continued service.       

I’ve selected General Dempsey and Admiral Winnefeld because of their record -- and potential -- as individuals.  But I’ve also selected them because they will make an extraordinary team -- despite their competing loyalties to Army and Navy.  Between them, they bring deep experience in virtually every domain -- land, air, space, sea, cyber.  Both of them have the respect and the trust of our troops on the frontlines, our friends in Congress, and allies and partners abroad.  And both of them have my full confidence.

They both have something else.  For the first time, the Chairman and Vice Chairman will have the experience of leading combat operations in the years since 9/11.  Two moments in particular speak to this leadership.  On the morning of September 11, 2001, the Enterprise was returning home from the Persian Gulf when word came of the attacks.  Rather than wait for orders, Sandy took the initiative, reversed course, and put his ship and aircraft within range of Afghanistan by the next morning, setting the stage for the strikes that followed.  A few years later, as Marty’s 1st Armored Division was rotating out of Iraq, he suddenly got new orders.  He turned his division around, shifted to new parts of Iraq, and defeated an insurgent uprising -- a remarkable maneuver that has entered the annals of Army history.

And while I know that folks across the Army are proud to see one of their own selected as Chairman, I also know this means losing their new Chief in a time of war.  And that’s why, for the next Army Chief of Staff, I’m nominating one of the Army’s most accomplished soldiers -- and one of the tallest -- (laughter) -- General Ray Odierno.  In three pivotal deployments to Iraq, he commanded the troops that captured Saddam Hussein, partnered with General Petraeus to help bring down the violence, and then transferred responsibility to Iraqi forces, allowing us to remove some 100,000 American troops and end our combat mission.   

After years on the frontlines, Ray understands what the Army must do -- to prevail in today’s wars, to prepare for the future, and to preserve the readiness of the soldiers and families who are the strength of America’s families.  And we’re fortunate that Ray’s dedication to our soldiers is shared by his wife Linda and their family, including their son Tony, a combat veteran and advocate for his fellow wounded warriors.

I urge our friends in the Senate to confirm these outstanding individuals as swiftly as possible.  They’re innovative, flexible, focused on the future, and deeply devoted to our troops and their families.  General Dempsey, Admiral Winnefeld, we have much to do -- from bringing our troops home from Iraq to beginning to reduce our forces in Afghanistan this summer and transitioning to Afghan lead; from defeating al Qaeda to protecting the Libyan people.  All this, even as we make difficult budget decisions while keeping our military the finest fighting force in the world.

Above all, as Commander-in-Chief, I’ll be looking to you, and the rest of the Joint Chiefs, for what I value most in my advisors -- your honest, unvarnished advice, and the full range of options, especially when it comes to our most solemn obligation:  protecting the lives of our brave men and women in uniform.  We have no greater responsibility, as we are reminded today when we honor all those who sacrificed so that we can enjoy the blessings of freedom.

So, again, to Marty, Sandy, and Ray, as well as your families, thank you for your patriotic service and your readiness to lead once more.  Thank you very much, everybody.

END
10:16 A.M. EDT

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Remarks by the President at a Memorial Service in Joplin, Missouri

Missouri Southern University
Joplin, Missouri

2:40 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you so much.  Please, please be seated.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you, Obama!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love Joplin!  (Applause.)  I love Joplin. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love Joplin!

THE PRESIDENT:  We love Joplin.  (Applause.)

Thank you, Governor, for that powerful message, but more importantly, for being here with and for your people every step of the way.

We are grateful to you, to Reverend Gariss, Father Monaghan.  I’m so glad you got in that tub.  (Laughter and applause.)  To Reverend Brown for that incredibly powerful message.  (Applause.) 

To Senator Claire McCaskill, who’s been here, and Congressman Billy Long; Mayor Woolston.  To Craig Fugate.  It doesn’t get a lot of attention, but he heads up FEMA, our emergency response at the federal level.  He’s been going from Tuscaloosa to Joplin and everywhere in between tirelessly doing outstanding work.  We’re grateful for him.  Gail McGovern, the President of the National Red Cross, which has contributed mightily to the rebuilding efforts here.

Most of all, to the family and friends of all those who’ve been lost and all those who’ve been affected.

Today we gather to celebrate the lives of those we’ve lost to the storms here in Joplin and across the Midwest, to keep in our prayers those still missing, to mourn with their families, to stand together during this time of pain and trial.

And as Reverend Brown alluded to, the question that weighs on us at a time like this is:  Why?  Why our town?  Why our home?  Why my son, or husband, or wife, or sister, or friend?  Why?

We do not have the capacity to answer.  We can’t know when a terrible storm will strike, or where, or the severity of the devastation that it may cause.  We can’t know why we’re tested with the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a home where we’ve lived a lifetime.

These things are beyond our power to control.  But that does not mean we are powerless in the face of adversity.  How we respond when the storm strikes is up to us.  How we live in the aftermath of tragedy and heartache, that’s within our control.  And it’s in these moments, through our actions, that we often see the glimpse of what makes life worth living in the first place. 

In the last week, that’s what Joplin has not just taught Missouri, not just taught America, but has taught the world.  I was overseas in the aftermath of the storm, and had world leaders coming up to me saying, let the people of Joplin know we are with them; we’re thinking about them; we love them.  (Applause.) 

Because the world saw how Joplin responded.  A university turned itself into a makeshift hospital.  (Applause.)  Some of you used your pickup trucks as ambulances, carrying the injured -- (applause) -- on doors that served as stretchers.  Your restaurants have rushed food to people in need.  Businesses have filled trucks with donations.  You’ve waited in line for hours to donate blood to people you know, but also to people you’ve never met.  And in all this, you have lived the words of Scripture:

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken;
cast down, but not destroyed;

As the governor said, you have shown the world what it means to love thy neighbor.  You’ve banded together.  You’ve come to each other’s aid.  You’ve demonstrated a simple truth:  that amid heartbreak and tragedy, no one is a stranger.  Everybody is a brother.  Everybody is a sister.  (Applause.)  We can all love one another.

As you move forward in the days ahead, I know that rebuilding what you’ve lost won’t be easy.  I just walked through some of the neighborhoods that have been affected, and you look out at the landscape, and there have to be moments where you just say, where to begin?  How to start?  There are going to be moments where after the shock has worn off, you feel alone.  But there’s no doubt in my mind what the people of this community can do.  There’s no doubt in my mind that Joplin will rebuild.  And as President, I can promise you your country will be there with you every single step of the way.  (Applause.)  We will be with you every step of the way.  We’re not going anywhere.  (Applause.)  The cameras may leave.  The spotlight may shift.  But we will be with you every step of the way until Joplin is restored and this community is back on its feet.  We’re not going anywhere.  (Applause.)

That is not just my promise; that’s America’s promise.  It’s a promise I make here in Joplin; it’s a promise I made down in Tuscaloosa, or in any of the communities that have been hit by these devastating storms over the last few weeks.

Now, there have been countless acts of kindness and selflessness in recent days.  We’ve already heard the record of some of that.  But perhaps none are as inspiring as what took place when the storm was bearing down on Joplin, threatening an entire community with utter destruction.  And in the face of winds that showed no mercy, no regard for human life, that did not discriminate by race or faith or background, it was ordinary people, swiftly tested, who said, “I’m willing to die right now so that someone else might live.” 
 
It was the husband who threw himself over his wife as their house came apart around them.  It was the mother who shielded her young son.
 
It was Dean Wells, a husband and father who loved to sing and whistle in his church choir.  Dean was working a shift at the Home Depot, managing the electrical department, when the siren rang out.  He sprang into action, moving people to safety.  Over and over again, he went back for others, until a wall came down on top of him.  In the end, most of the building was destroyed, but not where Dean had directed his coworkers and his customers. 
 
There was a young man named Christopher Lucas who was 26 years old.  Father of two daughters; third daughter on the way.  Just like any other night, Christopher was doing his job as manager on duty at Pizza Hut.  And then he heard the storm coming. 
 
It was then when this former sailor quickly ushered everybody into the walk-in freezer.  The only problem was, the freezer door wouldn’t stay closed from the inside.  So as the tornado bore down on this small storefront on Range Line Road, Christopher left the freezer to find a rope or a cord or anything to hold the door shut.  He made it back just in time, tying a piece of bungee cord to the handle outside, wrapping the other end around his arm, holding the door closed with all his might. 
 
And Christopher held it as long as he could, until he was pulled away by the incredible force of the storm.  He died saving more than a dozen people in that freezer.  (Applause.) 
 
You see, there are heroes all around us, all the time.  They walk by us on the sidewalk, and they sit next to us in class.  They pass us in the aisle wearing an orange apron.  They come to our table at a restaurant and ask us what we’d like to order. 
    
Just as we can’t know why tragedy strikes in the first place, we may never fully understand where these men and women find the courage and strength to do what they did.  What we do know is that in a split-second moment where there’s little time for internal reflection or debate, the actions of these individuals were driven by love -- love for a family member, love for a friend, or just love for a fellow human being. 
 
That’s good to know.  In a world that can be cruel and selfish, it’s this knowledge -- the knowledge that we are inclined to love one another, that we’re inclined to do good, to be good -- that causes us to take heart.  We see with fresh eyes what’s precious and so fragile and so important to us.  We put aside our petty grievances and our minor disagreements.  We see ourselves in the hopes and hardships of others.  And in the stories of people like Dean and people like Christopher, we remember that each us contains reserves of resolve and compassion.  There are heroes all around us, all the time.   
 
And so, in the wake of this tragedy, let us live up to their example -- to make each day count -- (applause) -- to live with the sense of mutual regard -- to live with that same compassion that they demonstrated in their final hours.  We are called by them to do everything we can to be worthy of the chance that we’ve been given to carry on.  
    
I understand that at a memorial yesterday for Dean, his wife decided to play a recording of Dean whistling a song he loved -- Amazing Grace.  The lyrics are a fitting tribute to what Joplin has been through.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home… 

(Applause.)

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

May those we’ve lost know peace, and may Grace guide the people of Joplin home.  God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
2:56 P.M. CDT

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