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The White House
Office of the Press SecretaryFor Immediate ReleaseOctober 26, 2009
Remarks by the President to Servicemen and Women inJacksonville, FL
Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida
3:29 P.M. EDTTHE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Thank you.Thank you so much. Thank you, everybody. How's it going, Jacksonville?(Applause.)Let me begin by thanking Secretary Mabus for the introduction, for your service, Ray. I know we've got a lot of naval aviators here, and Ray is aformer surface warfare officer. But don't hold that against him. Don't holdthat against him, now. (Laughter.) Because Ray Mabus is doing anoutstanding job as Secretary of the Navy.I also want to thank all your outstanding local leaders for welcoming mehere today: Admiral Tim Alexander; your CO, Captain Jack Scorby; andyour Command Master Chief, Jeff Hudson. To Chris Scorby and all thespouses who are with us -- you hold our military families together. Wehonor you and we are grateful to you. (Applause.)Now, it is great to be here at one of America's finest naval air stations.But we also have folks from Mayport and Kings Bay. (Applause.) And wehave every service represented -- Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, andUnited States Marines from Blount Island. (Applause.)Now, military communities like this one take care of their own -- your people, your families. But keeping you strong also takes the civiliancommunity beyond the gate. (Applause.) So we want to thank Mayor John
 
Peyton and all your great neighbors, the people of Jacksonville, for their incredible support. Give them a big round of applause. (Applause.)Keeping you strong also takes leaders in Congress, like those heretoday: two great friends of yours, Representatives Ander Crenshaw andCorrine Brown, who are here. Give them a big round of applause righthere. (Applause.) And a leader who fights for you as a member of theArmed Services Committee, Senator -- and Army veteran -- Bill Nelson is inthe house. (Applause.)Keeping you strong takes something else -- a country that never forgetsthis simple truth. It's not the remarkable platforms that give the UnitedStates our military superiority -- although you've got some pretty impressiveaircraft here, I got to admit. It's not the sophisticated technologies thatmake us the most advanced in the world -- although you do represent thefuture of naval aviation.No, we have the finest Navy and the finest military in the history of theworld because we have the finest personnel in the world. (Applause.) Youare the best trained, the best prepared, the best led force in history. Our people are our most precious resource.We're reminded of this again with today's helicopter crashes inAfghanistan. Fourteen Americans gave their lives. And our prayers arewith these service members, their civilian colleagues, and the families wholoved them.And while no words can ease the ache in their hearts today, may theyfind some comfort in knowing this: Like all those who give their lives inservice to America, they were doing their duty and they were doing thisnation proud.They were willing to risk their lives, in this case, to prevent Afghanistanfrom once again becoming a safe haven for al Qaeda and its extremistallies. And today, they gave their lives, that last full measure of devotion, toprotect ours.
 
Now, it is our duty as a nation to keep their memory alive in our heartsand to carry on their work. To take care of their families. To keep our country safe. To stand up for the values we hold dear and the freedomthey defended. That's what they dedicated their lives to. And that is whatwe must do as well.So I say to you and all who serve: Of all the privileges I have asPresident, I have no greater honor than serving as your Commander-in-Chief. You inspire me. And I'm here today to deliver a simple message --a message of thanks to you and your families.Being here, you join a long, unbroken line of service at Jacksonville -- fromthe naval aviators from World War II to Korea to Vietnam, among them agreat patriot named John McCain. You embody that sailor's creed, the"spirit of the Navy and all who have gone before" -- Honor, Courage,Commitment.In recent years, you've been tested like never before. We're a countryof more than 300 million Americans, but less than 1 percent wears theuniform. And that 1 percent -- you and those in uniform -- bear theoverwhelming burden of our security.After months of exercises in the Pacific and stopping narcotraffickers off South America, you -- the "Mad Foxes" -- joined the recovery of that Air France crash off Brazil.After hundreds of combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan, whenSomali pirates kidnapped Captain Richard Phillips, you -- the "FightingTigers" -- were first on the scene. And others among you -- the"Nightdippers" -- were part of the carrier group that brought our captainhome.You've delivered medical care to people around the world, as my wifeMichelle saw this summer when she welcomed back to port the Comfort --including those of you from Naval Hospital Jacksonville. (Applause.)
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