Gen Petraeus Aug 31, 2011

well thank you very much secretary Lin
Admiral Mullen ambassadors members of
Congress and the cabinet service
secretaries members of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff in combatant commanders fellow
alumni of the great US military class of
1970 for pride of the Corps wait steady
not yet not yet not yet
it's enthusiastic Bunch other
distinguished guests fellow members of
the US military ladies and gentlemen
thank you all for being here this
morning
and for helping to make a very special
occasion even more special by your
presence
secretary Lin and Admiral Mullen thank
you for your very kind and very generous
words and for the honors you've bestowed
on Holly and me needless to say I can
only accept the medal presented this
morning and as much as I do so on behalf
of those with whom I was privileged to
serve in Iraq in Afghanistan this medal
is by rights their medal and I will wear
it for them more importantly thank you
for your unyielding commitment to our
troopers and their families and thanks
as well to Presidents Bush and Obama and
secretaries gates and Panetta for their
steadfast support of our men and women
in uniform during the time that I had
the honor of leading them in Iraq
Afghanistan and the Central Command area
of responsibility I cannot imagine a
more meaningful ceremony than that which
the joint service honor guards are
conducting here today the soldiers
sailors airmen Marines and Coast Guard
on parade before us represent all the
members of all our services men and
women who on a daily basis nobly serve
around the world it has been the
greatest of privileges to command joint
forces in combat for much of the past
decade and I appreciate Secretary
Panetta authorizing a joint service
monie today so that I could recognize
our military services individual and
collective contributions indeed I ask
that you join me in thanking those on
the field today and all those they
represent for their characteristically
outstanding performance Thanks
when I asked Holly for her thoughts of
my remarks today she responded with two
words be brief of course asking a
four-star general for brevity during
this final moment in uniform before a
microphone is probably asking more than
a bit much but I will do my best to
follow my wife's wise counsel an
occasion like this is a time for thanks
and a time for reflection thanks to the
countless individuals who made the last
37 years so wonderful so rewarding and
so memorable for my family and me and
reflection on the extraordinary
privilege of serving during the time of
enormous consequence for our country and
our partners around the world President
Teddy Roosevelt was fond of observing
that life's greatest gift is hard work
worth doing I have enjoyed that gift
many times over since raising my right
hand on the 1st of July 1970 and as a
brand new West Point cadet reciting the
oath of office for the first time I can
remember that day as if it were
yesterday waking early that morning
packing the one bag we got to bring with
us getting into the car with my mother
and father and driving the seven curvy
miles around storm king mountain I had
as was noted earlier grown up in the
shadow of West Point and spent countless
hours of my childhood on the Hudson
River sailing with my dad even so we all
felt anxious as we entered their gate
and as my wonderful parents both now
deceased entrusted their only son to the
US Military Academy and so I joined the
long gray line that is one of our
country's greatest institutions there I
commenced the study of our profession of
arms internalize the values traditions
and standards that have acted as
guideposts throughout my career and
began forging the friendships that have
sustained me ever since in fact as I
noted there is a wonderful group of my
classmates here today and I would ask
that they stand and be recognized the
pride of
or 74 who
[Applause]
don't accuse me of defender in cheating
between those who get shade and those
who don't that I'm sure someone else did
that well well at West Point I not only
received an education and earned a
commission I also met the woman who
would become my wife indeed the best
decision I ever made was replying sure
happy to do it
when asked if I would escort a visiting
co-ed to a weekend football game what I
didn't know at the time was that the
co-ed was a superintendent daughter back
for college from for a rare visit and
that she was supposed to be fixed up
with one of my classmates after some
initial trepidation on both sides I
might add we hit it off we were married
ten months later and Holly has been the
bedrock of our family ever since she is
as has been noted an army daughter an
army wife and now an army mother but she
is also much more she's been mrs. dad
for the bulk of the past decade while I
was deployed she served as the first
lady of one of our Army's largest posts
while virtually all of its 25,000
soldiers were downrange in Iraq and
since our kids headed off to college she
has supported military men and women and
their families by establishing and
leading programs at the Better Business
Bureau and now at the new Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau holly was
recently described in an NPR profile as
small attractive smart and a pitbull I'm
sure glad she's been on my side for 37
wonderful years needless to say I'll
never be able to adequately express my
love and appreciation for all that she
has done but I can at least say here
this morning thanks Hall I love you
as has been noted Holly and I have been
blessed with two terrific kids and and
Steve and wall has been great it has
been great to watch them grow up to
become the people they are today Ann is
an energetic grad student studying to
become a registered dietitian she's
passionate about helping us eat right
run triathlons and cut unhealthy carbs
though I'm happy to note her assessment
her determination in fact that liquids
that violate Central Command General
Order number one are not deemed to be
unhealthy carbs meanwhile our son Steve
whom we move three times in his four
years of high school was nonetheless as
high school's valedictorian and went to
MIT and while there he joined ROTC he's
now serving with the 173rd Airborne
Brigade in Italy having completed a tour
with the brigade in Afghanistan as an
airborne infantry platoon leader and
Steve thank you both for being who you
are
needless to say your mom and I are very
proud of you
they say that behind every successful
man is a surprised mother-in-law in my
case it's a supportive loving and proud
mother in law along with Holly's father
and three brothers she welcomed me into
the Knowlton family and made me a fourth
son general Knowlton passed away during
my final tour in Iraq but he is I hope
looking down from Fiddler's Green that
his wife Holly and me and enjoying this
ceremony at the same parade field where
he and mrs. Knowlton were recognized
after their 37 and a half years of
service as I listened to the music being
played during today's ceremony I heard
some familiar strains the victory
division song the dog-faced soldier we
have a rendezvous with destiny and the
all-american soldier the songs of the
divisions with which I soldiered over
the years and be assured classmates that
was indeed the official West Point March
the thumper that was played during the
inspection of troops during my years in
uniform with those you
from the mid-1970s until the president
our military rose from the depths that
had hit in the early post-vietnam era
developing into the great force that
serves our nation today a force that is
without question the most experienced
best equipped finest military ever to
serve our nation in truth the army I
joined as a second lieutenant had
suffered enormous Lee in the wake of our
involvement in Vietnam our army and much
of our military were grappling with a
host of very serious challenges I know I
speak for many when I say that we came
away from that period vowing to never
let our forces get to such a point ever
again in the ensuing years determined
leaders transformed what was described
as the Hollow Army in our exhausted
military our services work together to
develop the joint forces that prevailed
with such overwhelming capability in
Panama in the Gulf War that demonstrated
such versatility in peacekeeping and
stability operations in Somalia Haiti in
the Balkans and that have carried out
with such admirable qualities the
enormous ly challenging missions in Iraq
and Afghanistan looking back the
resurrection of our military was nothing
short of remarkable indeed we owe an
enormous debt to the individuals so
important to that rebirth
men like generals Galvan Gorman de PUE
vano Richardson Shelton Sullivan Kean
Clark McCaffrey P Franks rhymer Foley
McNeil these and innumerable other great
leaders those just from my services but
indeed from all the services provided
the vision leadership organizational
skills and drive that guided our forces
as they rose again like a phoenix many
of them from all our services are here
this morning and I want to ask them to
stand so that we can express our
gratitude and that includes you chairman
and all of our serving Joint Chiefs
members and combatant commanders thank
you all so much please stand
stand-up chief they were joined in this
effort of course by a renewed
noncommissioned officer corps one that
truly is the backbone of our military
and the envy of militaries around the
world men like my first platoon sergeant
sergeant first class David okie or my
wingman for for combat commands command
sergeant major Marvin Hill a man who
exemplifies the initiative energy
professional competence and above all
inspirational leadership of our
noncommissioned officer corps and who is
here with us today representing that
great noncommissioned officer corps and
I'd ask sergeant major that you please
stand and even step out on the field so
that we can recognize you as well
together these determined visionary
senior leaders and gifted
non-commissioned officers mentored the
captains and lieutenants the sergeants
and specialists who they knew would one
day inherit the mantle of leadership our
nation and I in particular given the
commands I've had since 9/11 oh these
generals Admirals and senior
commissioned and non-commissioned
officers an enormous debt of gratitude
for their extraordinary service during a
critical period in our nation's history
of course our military went through a
further transformation in the early
years of our engagements in Iraq and
Afghanistan we refined our doctrine
revised our leader development curricula
overhauled our combat training center
scenarios and revamped the unit training
events on the so called road to
deployment these and other changes
ultimately helped enable the retrieval
of a desperate situation in in Iraq
progress against al-qaeda
and reversal of the Taliban momentum in
Afghanistan it was a privilege to play a
part in that process while in the states
between tours in Iraq with my great
marine buddy and shipmate Jim mattis and
it was the greatest of honors to then
help put our ideas into practice in Iraq
and Afghanistan and the greater Central
Command area of responsibility
it is wonderful needless to say to see
so many of those who contributed to
those critical efforts here with us
today as a chairman noted another
transformational leader General
Schoonmaker said shake up the army Dave
and we did our best to do just that and
I'd now like to ask all who helped to do
just that the coin Denise does the
commanders in the field my brain trust
the execs the aides personal staff and
others with whom I've been privileged to
serve in a host of different assignments
since 9/11 to stand so that we can say
thanks to each of you as well who
we are now approaching a similarly
difficult period the future requirements
include maintaining pressure on al Qaeda
continuing the drawdown in Iraq and
commencing reductions in Afghanistan all
while sustaining our hard fought hard
one but still fragile progress progress
in those areas this will be done of
course against a backdrop of ongoing
change in the Middle East and difficult
budget decisions here at home as these
decisions are made we should never
forget that the US military is composed
of many parts exceptional ships planes
and ground systems on paralleled
institutions and infrastructure the
finest of high-technology
and world-class networks that enable all
that we do but as all here appreciate I
know the essence the core of our
military is and always will be its
people men and women who raise their
right hands and recite the oath of
enlistment even though they know that
act may result in them deploying to a
combat zone where they will be asked
once again to put it all in the line day
after day in crushing heat and numbing
cold under body armor and Kevlar against
resilient tough often barbaric enemies
never knowing as they go outside the
wire whether they'll be greeted with a
hand grenade or a handshake but being
ready and capable of responding
appropriately to either our men and
women in uniform are sustained in this
exceedingly challenging effort by their
families and their communities wives and
husbands moms and dads daughters and
sons all who without complaint move from
post to post each time making the new
unit a family the house a home and the
neighborhood a community these uncommon
individuals unfailingly support us when
we're at home and do even more for us
when we are gone be it for a 3-day field
exercise or a third tour
downrange and they in turn are supported
by civilian communities across our great
nation around posts like Fort Bragg
North Carolina Fort Campbell Kentucky
Fort Leavenworth Kansas MacDill Air
Force Base Florida communities where
Holly and I were privileged to serve and
that are wonderfully represented here
this morning the towns around these and
other posts and bases across our land
have been incredibly staunch supporters
of our military families and they've
been particularly supportive of the
Petraeus family in recent years and I'd
also like to ask all of our civilian
community supporters to stand so that we
in uniform can say thanks to each of you
as well
I want to single out one of those
supporters in particular Ken Fisher
indeed I think no one individual in our
country has done more for our wounded
warriors and their families than has he
and his organization the Fisher Houses
that he has with his great team built at
military bases and hospitals across our
country and overseas have made an
enormous difference in the lives of
families when they have most needed help
and support and ken I'd like to ask you
to stand so that we can give a special
thanks to you as well if I can figure
out where you are there he is
Thanks
as our nation contemplates difficult
budget decisions I know that our leaders
will remember that our people our men
and women in uniform are our military
and that taking care of them and their
families must be our paramount objective
beyond that it will be imperative to
maintain a force that not only
capitalizes on the extraordinary
experience and expertise in our ranks
today but also maintains the versatility
and flexibility that have been developed
over the past decade in particular now
please rest assured that I'm not out to
give one last boost to the
counterinsurgency Field Manual or to try
to recruit all of you for coin Denise
donation I do believe however that we
have relearned since 9/11 the timeless
lesson that we don't always get to fight
the wars for which we're most prepared
or most inclined given that reality we
will need to maintain the full-spectrum
capability that we have developed over
this last decade of conflict in Iraq
Afghanistan and elsewhere but again I
know that that fact is widely recognized
indeed I take my final pass and review
in uniform with a sense of great
confidence in our military and in our
country despite the innumerable
challenges that face our nation and our
world I believe in our citizens our
country our system of government and
above all our men and women in uniform
moreover those assuming leadership
positions in our military those about to
step forward our classmate General Marty
Dempsey Admiral sandy Winnefeld general
Ray Odierno and many others I know that
they will guide our forces superbly they
are experienced they are forthright they
have vision and they will provide
Secretary Panetta and President Obama
thoughtful principled advice as I
reflect on the extraordinary
opportunities I've had over the past 37
years I recall the familiar words of
Teddy Roosevelt's man in the
rina speech it is not the critic who
counts Roosevelt stated not the man who
points out how the strong man stumbles
or where the doer of Deeds could have
done them better the credit belongs to
the man who is actually in the arena
whose face is marred by dust and sweat
and blood who strives valiantly who airs
and comes up short again and again
because there is no effort without error
or shortcoming but who knows the great
enthusiasms the great devotions who
spends himself for a worthy cause Who at
the best knows in the end the triumph of
high achievement and who at the worst if
he fails at least fails while daring
greatly so that his place shall never be
with those cold and timid souls who knew
neither victory nor defeat I have been
privileged to serve in the arena
together with America's finest it's men
and women in uniform as well as with its
finest diplomats and civilian officials
and innumerable coalition partners and
I'd single out our great NATO senior
civilian representative ambassador Mark
said well who is here as well as
exemplary of them all of them have been
magnificent and the members of our young
generation in uniform in particular have
earned the description Tom Brokaw gave
to them after a great day with us in
Iraq in 2003 he shouted to me over the
noise of a helicopter before heading
back to Baghdad surely general this is
America's new greatest generation I
agreed with him then and I agree with
him now and I was delighted to see that
title used on the cover of Time magazine
two weeks ago for a wonderful piece by
Joe Klein when the great sergeant major
Hill and I visited units this past
fourth of July in Afghanistan a
commander stopped and asked me how many
fourths of July I'd spent deployed over
the past decade or so when I answered
eight of the past eleven he thanked me
for my service and sacrifice
I respond that in fact the privilege has
been all mine it has been the greatest
of honors to a soldiered with our
nation's new greatest generation in
tough but important endeavors for the
bulk of that time I can imagine no
greater honor before closing I also want
to remember reverently those who have
given the last full measure of devotion
in our endeavors in recent years they
and their families must never be
forgotten in a poem published a few
years ago a British trooper who is
deployed in Afghanistan captured
eloquently the emotions of those who
serve and those who sacrifice he wrote
and what is asked for the service we
give no high praise or riches if we
should live just silence from friends
our name on a wall if this time around
it is I that fall to the families
friends and countrymen of those who have
fallen and to all those who have served
and sacrificed on behalf of our cause I
offer my deepest respect and my eternal
gratitude as I close I know that I can
speak for Holly in saying that our
journey with the US military has been an
amazing one in truth one that will not
end today even though we're about to
begin an exciting new journey with
another extraordinary organization and
so let me conclude by again extending
our deepest thanks to each of you
gathered here to all those with whom we
have soldiered since 1974 and indeed to
all the members of our armed forces and
their family members may God bless each
of you our great country and most
importantly our men and women in uniform
and their families thank you very much