The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 26, 2014

Remarks by President Obama to U.S. Troops and Personnel at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan

 

United States Army Garrison Yongsan

Seoul, Republic of Korea

 

10:57 A.M. KST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, hello, Yongsan!  (Applause.)  It is good to be back to Yongsan Garrison.  I want to thank one of our military’s most tested and trusted leaders for that outstanding introduction -- General Mike Scaparrotti.  (Applause.)  Now, I’ve been told -- I don’t know if you’ve heard this story -- that, years ago, Scap was actually an extra in a movie about the Battle of Inchon -- the turning point of the Korean War.  So it’s only fitting that after a career of proud service that’s taken him from West Point to Iraq to Afghanistan, he is now Commander of U.S. Forces Korea.  And we could not be prouder of his effort.   

He’s got a great partner in our other representative, Ambassador Kim, a proud Korean-American, for strengthening the rock-solid alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea.  Give Ambassador Kim a big round of applause.  (Applause.) 

All of you have helped keep this alliance the linchpin of security and stability in the Asia Pacific.  The 8th Army is in the house.  (Applause.)  The 7th Air Force is in the house.  (Applause.)  U.S. Naval Forces Korea.  (Applause.)  U.S. Marine Forces Korea.  (Applause.)  Special Operations Command.  (Applause.)  We’ve got our standing DOD civilians.  (Applause.)  And we have our wonderful U.S. Embassy staff are here as well.  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  And the VA!

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Yes, good job, VA -- in the house! 

And I know we’ve got some outstanding spouses -- (applause) -- and family members, kids in the house.  And I want to thank you as well, because you bear the burdens of service as well -- whether it’s separation from a loved one, or transitioning to a new country.  And I just want you to know that America is grateful for your sacrifice and your service.

Now, President Park and I just attended a briefing led by General Scaparrotti with the Combined Forces Command.  And then I signed the guest book that sits on top of a table where the Korean War Armistice was signed.  And both of those moments drove home the truth that, after more than 60 years, our alliance is as strong as it has ever been and as effective as it has ever been. 

And nowhere is that more evident than in the professionalism and the interoperability of our militaries.  Even when Scap had to travel to Washington to testify before Congress last month, he was never more than a phone call or a teleconference away from Admiral Choi.  And that’s because our forces on duty here -- American and Korean -- are highly trained, closely coordinated, fit to fight tonight and every other night.  (Applause.)  

But obviously, in addition to dealing with the threat from North Korea, this is also an alliance that represents the incredible bonds between peoples.  So I know that you provided quick support in response to last week’s terrible ferry tragedy, because we understood when our friends are in trouble, America helps.  And our hearts are broken for our Korean friends, especially the loss of so many wonderful young people.  But we’re inspired by the tales of heroism and selflessness -- the young woman who tried to make sure everyone else had a lifejacket, even if it meant her own death; the man whose last words were, “I’m on my way to save the kids.” 

That’s why America will continue to support every rescue and recovery effort.  And it’s that spirit that allows this alliance to endure.  Katchi Kapshida.  We go together.  That’s what we’re about.  (Applause.)  That’s what we’re about.  That’s been our common commitment for more than 60 years, in good times and in bad.

It was 1950, just five years after the end of World War II, when Communist armies first crossed the 38th Parallel.  And at the time, many Americans couldn’t place Korea on a map.  But we knew -- as much as we had already given, as weary as we were of war -- that we had a stake in what happened here on the Korean Peninsula; that we had to roll back the tide of Communism; that as Americans, we had to stand with our South Korean friends. 

And then, in September, the Americans arrived.  The alliance we led with Korean troops landed in a surprise attack.  And all told, nearly 1.8 million Americans would join the fight those next few years.  The conditions were terribly difficult.  The combat was brutal.  The danger was close.  By the end, nearly 37,000 Americans would give their last full measure of devotion on this faraway soil, but not without pushing the invading armies back across the line they had dared to cross.

If you want to know what that hard-earned, long-defended victory looks like -- you look around this country, the Republic of Korea.  This country has risen from occupation and ruin, and become one of the most vibrant and open democracies in the world.  Seoul, the city that has sprung up around this garrison, leads one of the most advanced and dynamic economies in the world. 

When our veterans witness this nation’s progress; when our veterans come here and see this great and modern country for themselves, they can say with pride their efforts and their sacrifice was worth it.  They see the real results of what they’ve done -- a South Korea that is a world leader and a true partner in Asian security and stability.  They see a country like ours where children can not only have dreams, but those dreams are encouraged, and he or she can grow up to become Secretary General of the United Nations or President of the World Bank or even Ambassador from the U.S. to the country he was born in.

None of this was an accident.  Freedom is not an accident.  Progress is not an accident.  Democracy is not an accident.  These are things that have to be fought for.  You’re part of that legacy.  They must be won.  And they’ve got to be tended to constantly and defended without fail.  And here, on freedom’s frontier, they are -- by every man and woman who has served and stood sentinel on this divided peninsula. 

The 38th Parallel now exists as much as a contrast between worlds as it does a border between nations, between a society that’s open and one that is closed; between a democracy that is growing and a pariah state that would rather starve its people than feed their hopes and dreams.

That’s not the results of a war.  That's the results of the path that North Korea has taken -- a path of confrontation and provocation, and pursuing the world’s most dangerous weapons.  And I want to be clear:  The commitment that the United States of America has made to the security of the Republic of Korea only grows stronger in the face of aggression.  Our alliance does not waver with each bout of their attention-seeking; it just gains the support of the rest of the world.  

North Korea’s continued pursuit of nuclear weapons is a path that leads only to more isolation.  It’s not a sign of strength.  Anybody can make threats.  Anyone can move an army.  Anyone can show off a missile.  That doesn’t make you strong.  It does not lead to security, or opportunity, or respect.  Those things don't come through force.  They have to be earned.

And real strength is allowing an open and participatory democracy, where people can choose their own leaders and choose their own destiny.  And real strength is allowing a vibrant society, where people can think and pray and speak their minds as they please, even if it’s against their leaders -- especially if it’s against their leaders.  Real strength is allowing free and open markets that have built growing, thriving middle classes and lifted millions of people out of poverty.

We don't use our military might to impose these things on others, but we will not hesitate to use our military might to defend our allies and our way of life.  (Applause.)

So like all nations on Earth, North Korea and its people have a choice.  They can choose to continue down a lonely road of isolation, or they can choose to join the rest of the world and seek a future of greater opportunity, and greater security, and greater respect -- a future that already exists for the citizens on the southern end of the Korean Peninsula. 

If they choose this path, America and the Republic of Korea and the rest of the world will help them build that future.  But if they do not, they should know that the commitment of the United States of America to the security and defense of the Republic of Korea has not wavered once in more than 60 years.  It never has and it never will.

This alliance is special, forged on the battlefield, and it has been fortified by the common values and mutual interest and mutual respect of our peoples.  The United States and Korea are more than allies -- we are friends.  And this foundation of trust and security and stability that allows both our nations to thrive economically and socially is made possible by the service and sacrifice of every one of you -- our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, diplomats.  You are the tip of the spear on freedom’s frontier.  You carry high the legacy left by all those who fought and served here.  And to the family members, both here in South Korea and awaiting your return back home, I thank you for your service as well.

Because of that service, and the service of generations of servicemembers and diplomats, our country still stands, our founding principles still shine, and nations around the world that once knew nothing but bitter taste of fear now know the blessings of freedom.  That’s because of you.  I could not be prouder to be your Commander-in-Chief.  (Applause.)

And now I’m going to come down and shake some hands and thank you in person. 

God bless you.  God bless the Republic of Korea.  God bless the United States of America.  And God bless our alliance.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

                        END           11:11 A.M. KST

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 26, 2014

Weekly Address: Congress Needs to Act on Minimum Wage

WASHINGTON, DC – In this week’s address, the President highlighted small business owners across the country acting to raise wages for their workers, and called on Congress to give America a raise so more hard-working Americans have the opportunity to get ahead.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, April 26, 2014. 

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
April 26, 2014

Hi, everybody.  In my State of the Union Address, I talked about pizza.  More specifically, I talked about a pizza chain in Minneapolis – Punch Pizza – whose owner, John Soranno, made the business decision to give his employees a raise to ten bucks an hour.

A couple weeks ago, I got a letter from a small business owner who watched that night.  Yasmin Ibrahim is an immigrant who owns her own restaurant – Desi Shack – and plans to open another this summer. 

Here’s what she wrote.  “I was moved by John Soranno’s story.  It got me thinking about my … full-time employees and their ability to survive on $8 an hour in New York City.”  So a few weeks ago, Yasmin put in place a plan to lift wages for her employees at both her restaurants to at least $10 an hour by the end of this year. 

But here’s the thing – Yasmin isn’t just raising her employees’ wages because it’s the right thing to do.  She’s doing it for the same reason John Soranno did. It makes good business sense. 

Yasmin wrote, “It will allow us to attract and retain better talent – improving customer experience, reducing employee churn and training costs.  We believe doing so makes good business sense while at the same time having a positive impact on the community.”

Yasmin's right.  That’s why, two months ago, I issued an Executive Order requiring workers on new federal contracts to be paid a fair wage of at least ten dollars and ten cents an hour.

But in order to make a difference for every American, Congress needs to do something.  And America knows it.  Right now, there’s a bill that would boost America’s minimum wage to ten dollars and ten cents an hour.  That would lift wages for nearly 28 million Americans across the country.  28 million.  And we’re not just talking about young people on their first job.  The average minimum wage worker is 35 years old.  They work hard, often in physically demanding jobs. 

And while not all of us always see eye to eye politically, one thing we overwhelmingly agree on is that nobody who works full-time should ever have to live in poverty.  That’s why nearly three in four Americans support raising the minimum wage.  The problem is, Republicans in Congress don’t support raising the minimum wage.  Some even want to get rid of it entirely.  In Oklahoma, for example, the Republican governor just signed a law prohibiting cities from establishing their own minimum wage. 

That’s why this fight is so important.  That’s why people like John and Yasmin are giving their workers a raise.  That’s why several states, counties, and cities are going around Congress to raise their workers’ wages.  That’s why I’ll keep up this fight.  Because we know that our economy works best when it works for all of us – not just a fortunate few.  We believe we do better when everyone who works hard has a chance to get ahead.  That’s what opportunity is all about.

And if you agree with us, we could use your help.  Republicans have voted more than 50 times to undermine or repeal health care for millions of Americans.  They should vote at least once to raise the minimum wage for millions of working families.  If a Republican in Congress represents you, tell him or her it’s time to give the politics a rest for a while and do something to help working Americans.  It’s time for “ten-ten.”  It’s time to give America a raise. 

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 25, 2014

Remarks by President Obama at Business Roundtable

Grand Hyatt Hotel
Seoul, Republic of Korea

9:11 A.M. KST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, I want to thank Jim Kim and the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea for hosting us.  And I'm very pleased to be meeting with these business leaders, both Korean and American, who have been in discussions with Michael Froman, our Ambassador for trade, as well as Caroline Atkinson, who is one of my senior advisors on international economics, because what we want to do is to underscore the fact that, as important as the security relationship and the alliance is between the Republic of Korea and the United States, what is also important is the incredible and growing economic ties that are creating jobs and opportunity in both countries.

I said yesterday with President Park that under the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, our trade has increased.  These business leaders know concretely what this means.  American companies are exporting more to Korea; Korean companies are exporting more to the United States.  So it’s a win-win for both countries. 

We also know that we still have some more work to do to fully implement the trade agreement and make sure that we're maximizing its benefits, that our companies can compete fairly in areas like autos and IT and organic foods.  And I discussed this with President Park last night.  We both agreed that these are issues we can work through together.  And given South Korea’s interest in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, fully implementing KORUS also is the single most important step that South Korea can take now to show that it’s prepared to eventually meet the high standards of TPP. 

And finally, we are joined by some outstanding Korean companies that are already invested in the United States and we want to thank them for their investments and the jobs that they’re creating back home. 

I just want to remind companies around the world that if you are looking for a great place to set up shop, come to the United States.  We've got outstanding workers, great universities, incredible productivity, great energy sources and a pretty big consumer market last I checked.  And you're also going to have a White House and federal government, but working with state and local governments, who are absolutely committed to making it easier for companies to invest in the United States.  And whether it's high skills that you're looking for, or productivity, our open economy, research and development, innovation, I think more and more companies realize it makes sense to locate in the U.S. And with our SelectUSA initiative, we’re making it easier to invest. 

So I just wanted to thank these leaders.  With that, I'm going to actually spend most of my time listening, but I look forward to all the suggestions or recommendations that are being provided by both the Korean and the U.S. business leaders, because I'm confident that this is going to be one of the key economic relationships of the 21st century.

Thank you so much, everybody.

END
9:15 A.M. KST 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 25, 2014

Remarks by President Obama and President Park at Korean Seals Presentation

Blue House
Seoul, Republic of Korea

5:49 P.M. KST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  So we just had an excellent meeting, and I know that we’ll have the opportunity to answer questions from the press about policy.  But I just wanted to make a brief remark about these remarkable artifacts. 

These are historic seals that were part of the monarchy here in Korea.  And during the Korean War, a Marine from the United States found them and took them back as mementos to the United States.  I don’t think he fully appreciated the historic significance of them.

After his passing, his widow discovered how important they were, and she graciously recognized that they appropriately belonged here in Korea.  So she facilitated the return and I wanted to just let the Korean people know that they’re back where they belong.  And this is a symbol, hopefully, of the respect that we have for Korean culture and our friendship.  They’re very beautiful.

PRESIDENT PARK:  (As interpreted.)  It’s very significant that we were able to return home these very historic and precious artifacts.  And I do wish to thank President Obama, as well as the American people, for this gesture. 

This event is really the fruits of the close consultations and collaboration that our two countries have been undertaking since late last year.  And I do wish to acknowledge all the hard work of the officials, the relevant officials at the Department of Homeland Security as well as other related agencies for their hard work.

I also understand that later this year we’re preparing to adopt an MOU with regard to the return of cultural artifacts, and preparations are currently underway to do so.  And I believe the event can further catalyze collaboration in terms and with regard to cultural heritage.  Once again, I wish to thank you, Mr. President, and the American government for this wonderful present. 

END
5:52 P.M. KST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 25, 2014

Remarks by President Obama and President Park of the Republic of Korea before Bilateral Meeting

Blue House
Seoul, Republic of Korea

4:21 P.M. KST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I would like to thank President Park for welcoming me here today.  I’m so grateful for the opportunity to come back to the Republic of Korea.  But I am very mindful that my visit comes at a time of deep mourning for the people of this nation and I know that President Park and the South Korean government are focused on responding to the tragedy of the ferry Sewol. 

In our press conference later, President Park and I will have the opportunity to address a range of issues that we’ll be discussing here today.  But for now, I just wanted to express on behalf of the American people our deepest sympathies for the incredible and tragic loss that's taken place.  As allies but also as friends, we join you in mourning the lost and the missing, and especially so many young people, students who represented the vitality and the future of this nation.

So, President Park, I thought that it would be appropriate and fitting for us to begin today by honoring the lost and the missing.  And our delegation, out of respect, would appreciate the opportunity to join together in a moment of silence.

(Moment of silence.)

PRESIDENT PARK:  (As interpreted.)  Mr. President, thank you so much for making this proposal to hold a moment of silence for the victims of the ferry Sewol.  Right after the tragic accident, you personally expressed your condolences and your sympathies, and you were unsparing in providing active U.S. assistance, including the dispatch of salvage vessels.  The Korean people draw great strength and courage from your kindness.

Just as the American people were able to rally together in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks and were able to prevail over difficult times, so, too, I am sure that Korean people will, in fact, pull through this moment of crisis and be able to achieve the renewal of the Republic of Korea.

Mr. President, my sincere welcome to you once again on your visit to Korea, and may our summit meeting today kick off the next 60 years and produce very meaningful results that allow us to do so.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, thank you, President Park.  The Republic of Korea is one of our strongest allies in the world.  I’m looking forward to our discussion and to reaffirming America’s unshakeable commitment to South Korea and its security.

One last point I wanted to make -- I have with me this American flag that I believe our protocol people have.  In the United States, we have a tradition -- after the loss of our servicemembers and veterans, we present a flag in their honor to their loved ones.  This flag was flown over the White House the same day as the sinking of the Sewol.  And in that spirit, I'm presenting this American flag to you and the people of the Republic of Korea on behalf of the American people.  It reflects our deep condolences, but also our solidarity with you during this difficult time, and our great pride in calling you an ally and a friend.

PRESIDENT PARK:  (As interpreted.)  Mr. President, thank you so much again for sharing in our sorrow, the sorrow of the Korean people as well as the bereaved families, and for your gracious gesture.

END
4:30 P.M. KST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 25, 2014

Remarks by President Obama at Naturalization Ceremony for Servicemembers

The War Memorial of Korea
Seoul, Republic of Korea

1:28 P.M. KST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, good afternoon.  Annyeonghaseyo.  It is an honor to be here at the War Memorial of Korea.  In a few moments, I’ll lay a wreath to pay tribute to our servicemembers who’ve given their lives in defense of our freedom.  And tomorrow, I’ll address our troops and civilians at Yongsan Garrison.

I have said before, I have no higher honor than serving as your Commander-in-Chief.  And today, I can think of no higher privilege than being here with all of you and your families for this special moment -- becoming the newest citizens of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy.

I know that each of you have traveled your own path to this moment.  You come from 14 different countries.  Some of you have called Seoul home.  But a day came when each one of you did something extraordinary:  Thirteen of you made the profound decision to put on the uniform of a country that was not yet fully your own.  Seven of you married an American soldier -– and as a military spouse, that means you’ve been serving our country, too.

If there’s anything that this should teach us, it's that America is strengthened by our immigrants.  I had a chance to talk to our Ambassador and our Commander here, and I said to them that there's no greater strength, no greater essence of America than the fact that we attract people from all around the world who want to be part of our democracy.  We are a nation of immigrants -- people from every corner, every walk of life, who picked up tools to help build our country, who started up businesses to advance our country, who took up arms to defend our country.

What makes us Americans is something more than just the circumstances of birth, what we look like, what God we worship, but rather it is a joyful spirit of citizenship.  Citizenship demands participation and responsibility, and service to our country and to one another.  And few embody that more than our men and women in uniform.

If we want to keep attracting the best and the brightest, the smartest and the most selfless the world has to offer, then we have to keep this in mind:  the value of our immigrants to our way of life.  It is central to who we are; it's in our DNA.  It's part of our creed.  And that means moving forward we've got to fix our broken immigration system and pass common-sense immigration reform.

This is a huge advantage to us -- the talent that we attract.  We don't want to make it harder; we want to make it more sensible, more efficient.  That’s why I’m going to keep on pushing to get this done this year, so that others like the young men and women here have the opportunity to join our American family and serve our great nation.

Today, I’m thrilled that, in a few moments, I’ll get to call each of you my fellow Americans.  I am so proud to be sharing this stage with you today.  Congratulations.  But I don't want to talk too long because I'm not the main event.  Thank you very much for your service.  (Applause.) 

END
1:32 P.M. KST

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 24, 2014

Remarks by the First Lady in Q&A With Children at Take-Your-Daughters-And-Sons-To-Work Day

East Room

11:10 A.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  (Applause.)  Hey, you guys.  How are you doing?

CHILDREN:  Good.

MRS. OBAMA:  Have you been having -- awesome.  Have you been having fun today?

CHILDREN:  Yes.

MRS. OBAMA:  All right.  Give me -- what’s the best thing you’ve done so far?  Just yell it out.  Let’s hear.

CHILDREN:  Eating food.

MRS. OBAMA:  You’ve eaten good food?  Getting to meet me?  Did you see the bees?  Did you go out and see the garden?

CHILDREN:  Yeah!

MRS. OBAMA:  That sounds good.  Well, I’m glad you’re having fun.  I love talking to you guys, because I really, often, don’t take questions with the press in the room.  So I only do this with you guys, so I trust that you will be on your Ps and Qs, because the whole world is watching, okay?  (Laughter.)

But one of the reasons why this day is so special for us is because you guys are pretty special people -- yes, there they go.  We know how much you guys sacrifice because your parents work here.  I mean, for many of you, I know it’s hard when your mom or your dad says, I’m going to miss dinner tonight because I’ve got to work late, or there’s a meeting on Saturday so I’ll miss your game, or I have to travel next week and I might not get to that recital.  Our kids go through it and it’s not a lot of fun.

But it’s important for you to know that when you guys show appreciation to your parents for the hard work that they do, it helps the President.  And that’s what we tell our kids.  Sometimes we make sacrifices -- sometimes pretty huge sacrifices -- so that the country runs a little bit better.  And you guys are at the forefront of that sacrifice.

So we’re very proud of you all, and grateful for you guys being the great kids that you are.  That’s why we make this day so special for you.  So thank you.  Thank you for your patience and your intelligence, and for behaving and doing everything your parents tell you to do -- because I know you’re doing that, right?  Okay, good.  Just keep it up.

So with that, I’ll take questions, okay?  So I’m going to try to mix around.  I’m going to go from section to section and try to get a mix of boys and girls, so I’m going to call out a color -- an arm -- I see this young lady in the jeans jacket on the end.  Stand up, tell me your name.

Q    Do you enjoy planting in your garden?

MRS. OBAMA:  Her question was do I enjoy planting in my garden.  Yes, because, you know, one of the things we do when we plant, we always invite students from the area who come and help.  We just planted the garden a couple of weeks ago, and we had students from three or four schools in the area, and a few kids from schools outside of the area.  And because we had so many great kids we got it done -- we got all the garden planted, like, within an hour.  And it was really fun to spend time out in the sun and talk to the kids and learn -- many of the kids came from schools that had their own gardens.

So that’s really fun for me, to be able to do that.  And when we harvest, we invite a lot of those kids back, and then they help us -- they get to see the garden -- what it was when they planted it, and how beautiful and lush it gets when everything is growing.  And we actually cook from the garden out on the South Lawn.  We make veggie pizzas and the kids get to eat the vegetables.

So it’s really a lot of fun.  Thanks, sweetie.  Thanks for the question.

Q    My name is Matthew (ph) and I was wondering, who takes care of the dogs when you’re busy?

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes, that’s a great question.  We’ve got one of our best staff people, one of my favorite people, Dale.  He is the primary keeper of the dogs, and he’s one of the head gardeners, one of the head people who handles the grounds out here.  So he’s responsible for more than just Sunny and Bo.

But Dale picks them up every morning at 7:30 or so, and they go off to work.  And they’re very excited about their day.  They walk all over the White House.  They’re in the West Wing; they’re in the East Wing.  When we first got Bo, people used to give him snacks, so he was getting a little chunky.  So I had to tell people, stop feeding him; you can give him toys.  And, fortunately, everyone around the White House is listening now, so they only get toy treats.  They don’t get food treats.

But they’re with Dale until about 1:00, and then they come home, and they’re very tired.  They’re home by the time we get home and the girls get home.  So it’s good because they spend the day out in the sun, they’re walking around, they’re meeting people.  They’re our best ambassadors.

So Dale is the person who’s right on the case with the dogs.  Great question.

Q    My name is Aliyah (ph), and I wonder, what is your favorite drink?

MRS. OBAMA:  My favorite --

Q    Drink.

MRS. OBAMA:  Drink?  The truth is my favorite drink is seltzer water with lime.  I’m sorry, I wish I could be more interesting.  But that’s what I drink most of the time, because I like to -- it’s a good way to get water -- as a little shameless plug, Drink Up.  We’re trying to encourage people, especially young people, to drink more water, because water is like the best thing you can have.

And sometimes plain water is not as much fun, but if you get seltzer water it’s kind of bubbly, and if you put lemons in it, it almost tastes like a little treat.  So I drink that a lot.

Q    Hi.  My name is Lauren (ph.)  And what’s your favorite place to travel to?

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, that’s a great question.  My favorite place to travel -- that’s hard to say, because we’ve been to so many great places.  Rome is a beautiful city, and that trip was really special because we got to meet the Pope.  The food is really good.  We just came back from China, which was incredibly interesting.  The culture and the country is so very different from ours, so it was really good to be in a place where I didn’t -- where it didn’t feel anything like this country.  It was incredibly different.  So we just did that trip.

But I also like to travel a lot to places right here in the United States.  I mean, we go to Hawaii every year; Hawaii is a beautiful state, and the weather is really good and the beaches are great.  But it’s also been fun getting to visit a lot of the national parks that are right here in the United States.  So we went to the Grand Canyon, and we’ve been to great national parks in Maine.  And there are really interesting national parks sites right here in the area that we try to take our girls to.

So I love to travel.  That’s one of the things I hope to do more of while -- the last few years while we’re here in the White House, and hopefully take the girls to some more interesting places and expose them to a little bit more.

What’s your name?

Q    Jude (ph.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Jude?  Got it.  I thought you said “you.”  I was like, no, you.  (Laughter.)  And you said “Jude.”  That was kind of funny, huh?  (Laughter.)  Okay, Jude, what’s your question?

Q    What is your favorite thing to eat?

MRS. OBAMA:  My favorite thing to eat.  Okay, so I’m going to give you my favorite healthy thing to eat, which actually is my favorite thing to eat:  Pizza.  Yes.  But usually when I have pizza -- all right, don’t get mad at me -- I do veggie pizzas.

CHILDREN:  Oh.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hey, hey, hey, I’m just saying, I like them.  It’s really good.  And they make great pizza here at the White House, so that’s a way that I get the favorite food that I love but also do it in a healthy way so that I can eat it whenever I want to.

But if I’m really being bad, if I want my favorite junk food -- some kids asked me this just the other day -- one of my favorite, favorite junk foods are French fries.  I love French fries.  French fries -- with hot sauce you said?

Q    Yeah.

MRS. OBAMA:  With hot sauce.  Yeah, I don’t know if I’d do -- what’s this over here?  We’re getting a lot of feedback from -- the junk food.  Okay, got it. 

Q    Ni hao, Mrs. Obama.  Just like saying that because I take Mandarin at school.

MRS. OBAMA:  Ni hao.

Q    So what was your favorite thing in China?  Like what was your favorite thing to do?

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, when we were in Beijing we had the best weather there.  And the sun was out, and when -- we went to the Great Wall of China, which was an amazing sight to see, a wall that just goes on forever and ever and ever.  It took a long time to build and millions of people to help build it.

So it’s one of the great wonders of the world, so it was fascinating to see it.  And I enjoyed that time because I was there with my daughters, and we got a moment alone on the Great Wall where we just sort of looked over the landscape and we took it all in.  And then the fun part of the Great Wall is that they’ve got this toboggan ride you can ride down on to get down from the top of the Great Wall.  And there are these little carts, and you pull them and you go down -- it’s almost like a rollercoaster but it’s not so fast, and it winds its way down.  And we took that down, and that was a lot of fun.

Have you ever been to China?

Q    (Inaudibile.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Excellent.  It’s going to be a great trip.  You know where you’re going to go?  Are you going to go to Beijing or Shanghai?

Q    (Inaudible.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Excellent.  Well, zàijiàn.

Q    My name is Josh (ph.)  And if you could go anywhere, where would you go?

MRS. OBAMA:  If I could go anywhere, where would I go.  Oh, gosh, that’s so hard.  There are so many great places to go, I have to pick one?

CHILD:  Yeah.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Where do you guys think?  Where would you want to go?  Help me out with this.  All right, one at a time.  First, Josh (ph), where would you want to go?

Q    Japan.

MRS. OBAMA:  Japan.  The President is in Japan as we speak.

CHILD:  Paris.

MRS. OBAMA:  Paris, I’ve been to Paris.  It’s beautiful.  Where else?  Greece, did I hear Greece?  I would love to go to Greece.

CHILD:  I lived in Greece -- I lived there for three years.

MRS. OBAMA:  You lived in Greece for three years?  That’s awesome.  There’s so many great places -- where would you go?

CHILD:  Hawaii.

MRS. OBAMA:  Hawaii is cool.

CHILD:  Australia.

MRS. OBAMA:  That’s one -- that’s on my bucket list, Australia, New Zealand.  What about you, sweetie?

CHILD:  Florida.

MRS. OBAMA:  Florida!  (Laughter.)  We just went to Florida.  We went to Florida for a few days, we had fun.

Q    What made you want to get kids to eat healthier foods?

MRS. OBAMA:  That’s a great question, what made me want to get kids to eat healthier food.  It was really what I -- the challenges that I had as a mom.  Before I came to the White House, I was like most of your parents -- I worked, the President worked, so we were really busy.  And cooking at home was hard to do, so we would take the shortcuts -- we’d go out, we’d do drive-thru, we’d do a lot of microwaving and the things that you do when you’re busy and you’re just trying to feed -- and my kids were like you.  They didn’t like vegetables, they always complained about dinner so we were always trying to find something that they liked and it was usually not healthy for them.

Because all the stuff you guys like -- you like French fries and chicken nuggets and all that kind of stuff.

CHILD:  Wings.

MRS. OBAMA:  Wings.  And some of that stuff is --

CHILD:  (Inaudible.)

MRS. OBAMA:  The best invention ever made -- man ever made is chicken nuggets.  And there’s nothing wrong with chicken nuggets, it’s just that if you eat the same thing every day, if you eat fast food every day, what I found was that it wasn’t so good for my kids’ health.  And after a while -- I don’t know -- a lot of kids don’t get to the point where it doesn’t taste good, but I like your spirit.  (Laughter.)

But my kids weren’t as healthy.  And our pediatrician said, you’ve got to really watch what they eat.  And I didn’t know that what I was doing wasn’t good for them, so I started doing some research and started working to figure out, well, how do I clean up our kids’ diet and do it in a way that I can manage it.  And I started eliminating like all the processed food.  We started adding more vegetables.  I made sure my kids had more fruit.  We got rid of a lot of sugary drinks.  I made sure that they were getting active.

And in a few months, when we went back to the doctor, the doctor was like, what did you do?  This is amazing.  Whatever health outcomes he was seeing had changed over the course of a few months with just a few changes.  And I thought, well, if I’m going through this, what’s going on in all the households over the country and all over the world where parents aren’t being told this kind of stuff?

And that’s one of the reasons why we have a huge childhood obesity epidemic.  And what happens is like, if we don’t help you guys start out at a young age learning how to eat properly and get exercise, the problems that you will have for the rest of your life are really tough.  And I didn’t want that for my kids, and I certainly don’t want that for any kids in this country.

So I thought, when I get here, maybe I can do more to raise the awareness.  And we started with planting a garden.  And I wanted to find a way to make healthy eating and exercise not a chore, but fun.  That’s one of the things I’ve been asking grocery store manufacturers to do.  It’s like, find a way to make the healthy stuff fun.  Make it taste good.  Make the school lunches better, and make them taste good.  Put good foods in there.  Let’s work on making healthy fun.

And that’s what we’re doing with Let’s Move.  We’re trying to make it cool to eat vegetables.  Because once you start eating vegetables, then they start to taste better.  If you never eat vegetables, then they’re too bitter, you don’t like them.  If you never try vegetables, then you’ll never want them.  And you just can’t live -- as I tell my kids -- you can’t -- if you could live on ice cream and pizza, I tell my kids, it would be so easy to give you that because that would make them happy.  But I can’t do that as a responsible parent.  It would be irresponsible of me to let my kids eat ice cream every day.

So we’ve got to toughen up as parents and help you guys do what’s right for you.  And then, as you grow up, you’ll do the right things for yourself because you’ll have better habits.  That’s a long story, but it’s an important issue to me.  But thank you for the question, sweetie.  Eat your vegetables!  (Laughter.)

Q    What’s your favorite food?

MRS. OBAMA:  My favorite food?  Remember I said pizza?  Remember that one?

Q    Yeah.

MRS. OBAMA:  You want another question?

Q    What’s your favorite color?  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  I like purple.  Yay!

Q    My mom likes that.

MRS. OBAMA:  What was that?

Q    My mom likes it, too.

MRS. OBAMA:  Tell her -- we’re right here.  Tell her we’re sisters in colorhood.  (Laughter.)

Q    Okay.

Q    My dad’s been out of a job for three years and I wanted to give you his resume.

MRS. OBAMA:  You are so sweet.  Oh, my goodness.  Good job.  I will take it.  Well, it’s a little private, but she’s doing something for her dad.  Got it.

Q    My name is Thomas Cuddy (ph), and my question is, do you miss your old job?

MRS. OBAMA:  Do I miss my old job.  I don’t know if I miss the job -- sorry to the folks I used to work with, love you guys -- but I think this is a pretty cool job.  But sometimes I miss, like, a normal life.

CHILD:  Without security guards.

MRS. OBAMA:  Without security guards.

CHILD:  Without policemen --

MRS. OBAMA:  Yes.  So sometimes I miss being able to walk out the front door and go wherever I want to whenever I want to.  Sometimes I miss walking around where nobody even cares whether you’re there.  So sometimes me and the President, we dream about sneaking out of the White House and going to have ice cream, and nobody really knowing who we are.

But the truth is, I have a really cool job.  I mean, I get to have an effect on issues that really matter.  And there are few jobs in the world that I can say I could ever do that.  So with all of the tough stuff that comes with living in the White House or whatever, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  So this is kind of a pretty neat job.

Q    Hi, my name is Jasmine (ph.)  When you first came here, did you ever get lost in the White House? (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, yes.  There were a first few days -- you know how we enter the White House?  You don’t get to come to the White House until you are living in the White House, so it’s not like a regular house where you get to move in a couple of days, and then you visit back and forth.  We came here once.

And then, on Inauguration Day, when you’ve got a parade and balls and all of that, that’s the first time, after a long day of parades, that you get to walk into this house.  And all your stuff is here and unpacked, but you’ve never seen it before.  You don’t even know where your kids are.  (Laughter.)  We couldn’t find our children.  I didn’t know where the bathroom was.  And there are all these doors, and they were all closed, and I was going in and out of doors and they weren’t rooms, they were closets.  But we had to rush to get ready for the ball, and I didn’t know where anything was.

It was really pretty strange.  But the White House is very simply laid out.  It seems really big, but the layout is fairly simple.  And once you know what’s behind every door -- and there are a lot of secret doors, too.  There are doors that lead to other rooms and doors that lead to little rooms.  And once you figure all those out, then you just don’t go in those doors.  (Laughter.)

But it doesn’t take long to get used to it.  You would get used to it.  You wouldn’t get lost in the White House if you lived here for a couple of weeks.

What’s your name?

Q    I’m Jet, J-E-T.

MRS. OBAMA:  Jet, got it.

Q    My question is, is it -- do you like living and working in the White House?

MRS. OBAMA:  I do.  I mean, I feel like this is a great honor to be the caretakers of what we call the “People’s House.”  Because we’re just living here for a few years.  This house belongs to America.  And it’s really a nice responsibility to take care of it and make sure that as many people around the country and around the world have access to it.  So we love holding events and doing things like this, where you guys get to come in and sit in the East Room and ask questions.  We just had the Easter Egg Roll.  How many people got to come to the Easter Egg Roll?  That was pretty cool, huh?

So stuff like that is really pretty neat.  So it’s a very great honor, and we take our responsibility very seriously.

Okay, I got the signal that I have time for one more question.

Q    My name is Torrin (ph.)  What do you like -- being the First Lady?

MRS. OBAMA:  I like spending time with kids like you guys.  I really do.  My best days are when I’m with kids like you.  Because I think that I have so much hope for you guys, and I want you guys to have all the opportunities that you deserve to be really great adults.

And I know your parents love you.  It’s hard not to love great kids like you guys.  So it’s easy for me to hang out with you guys, because you all are smart.  And I know you’re kind, and you’re decent young people.  And who wouldn’t want to hang out with you guys?

So if I could, I’d spend the rest of the day with you, but I can’t, and I’m getting the angry look from my staff at the back because I have to go to a meeting.  (Laughter.)  But I hope you guys had a great time.

 END
11:35 A.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 24, 2014

Toast Remarks by President Obama at State Dinner

Imperial Palace
Tokyo, Japan

7:48 P.M. JST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good evening.  Konbanwa.  Your Majesties, I thank you for the extraordinary welcome that you have given to me and my delegation today, and I thank you for your gracious hospitality tonight.  

Prime Minister Abe and Mrs. Abe, distinguished guests and friends:  It has been nearly 50 years since my mother first brought me to Japan, but I have never forgotten the kindness that the Japanese people showed me as a six-year-old boy far away from home.  I remain grateful for the welcome that Your Majesties gave me when I returned here as President, on the 20th anniversary of your ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

And I am deeply honored to be with you as a Guest of State tonight -- which is a reflection of the great friendship between our two peoples.

It's also very humbling.  I stand here as the 44th President of the United States. Your Majesty is the 125th Emperor of Japan. And your family has embodied the spirit of the Japanese people across more than two millennia.  And we feel that spirit here tonight -- in His Majesty’s commitment to achieving peace and the resilience of the Japanese people, who despite difficult decades, despite the tragedies of three years ago, continue to inspire the world with your strength and discipline and dignity -- your hinkaku.

And I saw that spirit today.  In the glory of the Meiji Shrine, I experienced the beauty of a religious ceremony rooted in Japan’s ancient past.  In my work with Prime Minister Abe, we have strengthened our alliance for today -- an alliance that will never be broken.  And in the eager students that I met, and the remarkable technologies that I saw, I glimpsed the future our nations can forge together. 

Through all of this, although we are separated by vast oceans, our peoples come together every day in every realm.  We create and build together, sparking new innovations for a changing world.  We study and research together, unlocking new discoveries to cure disease and save lives.  We go to the far corners of the Earth together -- to keep the peace and feed the hungry.  And we go to space together to understand the mysteries of the universe.  We stand together in moments of joy -- as when Japanese baseball players help propel America’s teams to victory. And we stand together in moments of difficulty and pain, as we did three years ago.

Your Majesty, we will never forget how, in those trying days, you spoke from this palace directly to the people of this nation. And I would like to conclude by recalling the spirit of your message then, because it also remains our wish tonight, for the friendship and alliance between our two peoples.

May we never give up hope.  May we always take care of each other.  And may we continue to live strong for tomorrow.

END
7:53 P.M. JST

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 24, 2014

Remarks by President Obama to Miraikan Science and Youth Expo

Miraikan Museum
Tokyo, Japan

3:27 P.M. JST

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Konnichiwa.  Please sit down.  Thank you so much.  Well, I want to thank Dr. Mohri and everyone at The Miraikan for welcoming me here today.  And it is wonderful to see all of these outstanding students.  Dr. Mohri is a veteran of two space shuttle missions, embodies the spirit that brings us here together —- the incredible cooperation in science and technology between Japan and the United States.

I want to thank all the students that I had a chance to meet with as we went around the various exhibits.  We heard a message from the international space station.  We saw some truly amazing robots -- although I have to say the robots were a little scary. They were too lifelike.  They were amazing.  And these students showed me some of their experiments, including some soccer-playing robots that we just saw.  And all of the exhibits I think showed the incredible breakthroughs in technology and science that are happening every single day. 

And historically, Japan and the United States have been at the cutting-edge of innovation.  From some of the first modern calculators decades ago to the devices that we hold in our hands today -- the smartphones that I’m sure every young person here uses -- Japan and the United States have often led the way in the innovations that change our lives and improve our lives.

And that’s why I’m so pleased that the United States and Japan are renewing the 10-year agreement that makes so much of our science and technology cooperation possible.  Both of our societies celebrate innovation, celebrate science, celebrate technology.  We’re close partners in the industries of tomorrow. And it reminds us why it’s so important for us to continue to invest in science, technology, math, engineering.  These are the schools -- these are the skills that students like all of you are going to need for the global economy, and that includes our talented young women. 

Historically, sometimes young women have been less represented in the sciences, and one of the things that I’ve really been pushing for is to make sure that young women, just like young men, are getting trained in these fields, because we need all the talent and brainpower to solve some of the challenges that we’re going to face in the future.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Abe and I announced a new initiative to increase student exchanges, including bringing more Japanese students to the United States.  So I hope you’ll come.  Welcome.  And it’s part of our effort to double students exchanges in the coming years.  As we saw today, young people like you have at your fingertips more technology and more power than even the greatest innovators in previous generations. So there’s no limit to what you can achieve, and the United States of America wants to be your partner. 

So I’m very proud to have been here today.  I was so excited by what I saw.  The young people here were incredibly impressive.  And as one of our outstanding astronauts described, as we just are a few days after Earth Day, it’s important when we look at this globe and we think about how technology has allowed us to understand the planet that we share, and to understand not only the great possibilities but also the challenges and dangers from things like climate change -- that your generation is going to help us to find answers to some of the questions that we have to answer.  Whether it’s:  How do we feed more people in an environment in which it’s getting warmer? How do we make sure that we’re coming up with new energy sources that are less polluting and can save our environment?  How do we find new medicines that can cure diseases that take so many lives around the globe?  To the robots that we saw that can save people’s lives after a disaster because they can go into places like Fukushima that it may be very dangerous for live human beings to enter into.  These are all applications, but it starts with the imaginations and the vision of young people like you.

So I’m very proud of all of you and glad to see that you’re doing such great work.  You have counterparts in the United States who share your excitement about technology and science.  I hope you get a chance to meet them.  I hope you get a chance to visit the United States.  As far as I know, we don’t have one of those cool globes, but we have some other pretty neat things in the United States as well.  And I hope we can share those with you if and when you come. 

Thank you very much.  And I just want you to know in closing that I really believe that each of you can make a difference.  Gambatte kudasai.  You can do this thing if you apply yourselves.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
3:33 P.M. JST

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 23, 2014

Remarks by the First Lady at Joining Forces Veterans Jobs Summit and Career Forum

Fort Campbell
Campbell, Kentucky

11:35 A.M. CDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, guys.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Good morning.  And it is truly a pleasure for me to be here today. 

I want to start by thanking Sergeant Wanless for that very kind introduction, and, more importantly, for his service to our country both in and out of uniform.  I also want to recognize my dear friend and outstanding partner in Joining Forces, Dr. Jill Biden.  Jill, it has just been an extreme pleasure to work with you on this issue.  She is smart.  She is funny.  She is beautiful.  And she cares a lot about what you all are going through.  So I am so grateful for her friendship and her support. 

I also want to recognize our fabulous First Lady of Kentucky, Jane Beshear, who is here with her handsome grandson -- straight-A student, fifth grade.  And she has just been an amazing, passionate champion for our military families.  So we are grateful for your service, and we’re honored to have you here today.

I’d also like to thank Major General McConville, as well as Command Sergeant Major Smith for their commitment and leadership here at Fort Campbell.

And finally, most of all, I want to thank our soldiers and, more importantly, your fantastic spouses, right?  Because, quite frankly, you couldn’t be here if they weren’t by your side.  I want to thank you all for your service and for taking the time to join us here today -- although I know that you didn’t exactly have a choice about being here since this is your mandatory place of duty.  And as I understand it, usually, when you’re called to a mandatory place of duty, it’s because we need you to carry out some kind of mission for our country. 

Well, today it’s different.  Today, you’re here for yourselves.  And your mission is your future.  And that’s what this summit is all about -- it is about a transformational shift across the military in how we think about your careers. 

See, we’ve always done an outstanding job in preparing you to succeed during your time in uniform.  And that’s why our military is second to none.  But most of you aren’t going to spend your entire careers in the military.  And for some of you, that transition to civilian life doesn’t always go as smoothly as it should. 

Our servicemembers haven’t always had the time or the information that they need to prepare for civilian life -- things like getting your resumes together, plotting your career goals, taking the time to meet with employers to get access to the jobs that you all deserve.  And that’s simply not acceptable. 

As my husband has said, when you have fought for this country around the world, you should not have to fight for a job when you return home. 

And that’s why the Army has adopted the new Soldier for Life initiative, so that now, starting on the day you join the service -- on the very day you join -- we’re already going to be planning for the day you leave.  And we won’t just be investing in your success as soldiers, but we’re going to be investing in your future as civilians -- as employers and as employees, as entrepreneurs, as leaders who will contribute to this country for the rest of your lives.

And today, I’m thrilled to announce that every branch of the military will soon be taking this very same new approach.  That means that every member of our Armed Forces will start preparing for their transition in advance.  They’re going to start -- yes.  (Applause.)  We won’t wait for the last day.  So that means you’re going to start very early drafting resumes.  You’re going to start ahead of time attending job fairs and summits like this one here today.  And you’re going to start applying for college if you want to go to college.  And you’ll be doing all of this months before you hang up your uniforms.  

And starting today, every servicemember, every veteran, and every military family member will have access to a new online tool that will revolutionize how you find jobs in both the public and private sectors.  All you have to do is log on to ebenefits.va.gov.  When you get to the website, you click on to “employment center,” and then you just type in your M.O.S.  And within seconds, that website will translate that M.O.S. into a list of civilian skills, and it will tell you what careers you’re qualified for.   You can also see which of those jobs are actually available where you’ll be living.  And with a few more clicks, you can make your resume visible to the employers who are on that site.  It is very simple.  I have seen it myself.  It is truly an amazing tool that will make your lives better. 

The website will also show the companies here -- which companies have actually made commitments to hire veterans and spouses.  And it will give you information about all kinds of things -- things like your higher education benefits.  It will show you all of your earned benefits in one place -- everything from career counseling to the GI Bill.  You can sort of consider this like your personal transition toolbox, and it’s something that will be right there for you on your computers.

And for all of the companies that are out there, not just here but out there around the country, through this tool, you’ll have access -- direct access to some of America’s most qualified employees that you will ever meet.  All you have to do is log in, and you’ll see which veterans, which servicemembers and spouses have the skills you need in the communities where you need them.  And then you can contact them instantly, directly right then and there.  This tool is amazing.  You can also see, as employers, which hiring centers are available to you as an employer, from direct financial incentives to job training for employees.  It is all right there at your fingertips.

So with this website, we’re going to be connecting veterans, servicemenbers and your families to the jobs and educational opportunities that you’ve earned.  And we’re doing this well before you leave the service. 

And all of that is our responsibility to you.  It is our obligation to you.  That’s our job.  Your responsibility is to take full advantage of these opportunities.  We need you all to get out there and sell yourselves.  We need you to tell these schools and employers about everything you’ve achieved during your time in the Army.

And I know that request might be a little counterintuitive for many of you, because I know they don’t exactly teach you how to self-promote in the military.  Instead, you’ve been focused on completing the mission.  You’ve been focused on being there for your fellow soldiers.

Well, today, we need you start thinking and talking about yourselves for a change.  And that’s going to take a little transition for you personally.  It may be a little scary to talk about yourself.  But I have met so many of you over the course of these three years working with Joining Forces.  I have met with so many amazing military spouses and veterans.  You all have done incredible things, so don’t be afraid to brag a little bit about yourselves -- and smile every once in a while, too.  (Laughter.) 
 
I have worked in every sector out there.  I have worked in government, I’ve worked in corporate America, I’ve worked in non-profits.  And I can tell you from my own experience that if you want to get a job, then you can’t be modest about your qualifications.  You have to be willing to sell yourself.  But you all are qualified for so much, for any number of jobs. 

You have got world-class training in everything from logistics to risk management to intelligence analysis.  You’ve learned about leadership.  You know about team building.  You know about working with folks from all different backgrounds.  And all of these skills, trust me, are in high demand in today’s workplaces.  Anyone out there would be lucky to have you on their team.  That’s why folks are here -- because they know who you are, they know what you have to offer.  And that’s really another reason why we’re all here today. 

You see, these summits aren’t just an investment in your futures.  They’re an investment in our country’s future, as well.  Because when employers can hire top talent like all of you, that makes our businesses stronger, and that in turn makes our entire economy stronger.  And you don’t have to take my word for it.  Just listen to what happened at the summit that we held back in February at Fort Bliss -- same summit.

Employers there took more than 700 resumes over the course of that time, and made more than 100 job offers on the spot on that day.  And that’s just a tiny fraction of all the hires that we’ve seen since we launched Joining Forces just three years ago.

Back when we launched this initiative, we called on companies to step up and hire as many of you as possible.  We hoped we’d meet the President’s goal of getting people to commit 100,000 jobs in two years.  And we thought that that was ambitious.  But the truth is, we met that goal -- and we met it in just one year.  That’s how responsive employers to that request.  (Applause.)  That’s how ready and willing they are to step up and support you.  And today, as we celebrate the third anniversary of Joining Forces, that number has risen to 540,000 jobs.  That’s over half a million jobs in just three years.  (Applause.)  

And as Jill said, we are not stopping there.  Today, I’m pleased to announce that Capital One, in partnership with Hiring Our Heroes, has secured commitments from over 300 small and medium-sized businesses to hire 55,000 veterans and military spouses.  (Applause.)  UPS is doubling their commitment from 25,000 to 50,000 jobs.  (Applause.)  Xerox will be hiring 10,000 veterans and spouses.  And they just launched an initiative called Heroes@Home, which will allow folks to telework from their own homes.  So that’s a good thing.  We are so proud.  (Applause.) 

And today, more than 100 companies have come to this base.  And they’re all here for just one reason -- because they want to hire you.  So make no mistake about it:  We’ve got your backs.  We do.  Because we know what your service has meant to this nation. 

Just think about the history of this very base.  As you all know, Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Screaming Eagles, the Band of Brothers who served in World War II -- (applause) -- and were later sent by President Eisenhower to help integrate Central High School in Little Rock Arkansas.  And I know that many of us will never forget the images of those soldiers facing down an angry mob so that those nine young men and women –- and, quite frankly, all of our children -- could get the education they deserve.  And we’ll never forget your service in the decades since then.  In fact, the 101st is still serving bravely today as we speak in Afghanistan.  They are there now. 

And you all have survived some of the toughest battles, risking your lives time and again to preserve our most fundamental rights and freedoms.  So here’s the beauty of that:  I know you can handle the pressure of a job interview with Xerox or UPS.  That is nothing.  I know you all can thrive in any classroom, in any business. 

And ultimately, that’s really what today is all about.  It’s about ensuring that you all can keep contributing to this nation.  And it’s about making sure that we serve all of you as well as you’ve served the United States of America.  You all deserve nothing less. 

So thank you.  Thank you so much for your service.  Thank your spouses for their service and sacrifice.  Thank you to our veterans for just being a shining light of what America is supposed to be. 

God bless you all.  And I look forward to seeing everything that you achieve in the months and years ahead.  We need you out there.  So go get the job. 

Thank you so much.  (Applause.) 

END
11:51 A.M. CDT