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ON BEHALF OF MG WALTER WATCH-A-COW-SKI, COMMANDER OF FT BENNING, COL SCOTT HENRY, THE COMMANDER OF THE INFANTRY TRAINING BRIGADE, AND LTC RICK MITCHELL, COMMANDER OF 2-19 INFANTRY; I'D LIKE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME YOU TODAY'S GRADUATION CEREMONY FOR THE ARMY'S NEWEST INFANTRYMEN. BEFORE I BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO ASK ALL OF THE MILITARY VETERANS ONCE AGAIN TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED.......LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET'S SHOW OUR GRATITUDE (APPLAUSE).
THE INITIAL 14 WEEK TRAINING OF A UNITED STATES INFANTRYMAN IS COMPLETE. FOR SOME IT'S OFF TO THEIR NEXT UNIT, AND FOR OTHERS IT'S ON TO EVEN MORE SPECIALIZED TRAINING SUCH AS AIRBORNE SCHOOL OR RANGER SCHOOL . IN EITHER CASE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THAT UNIQUE BAND OF BROTHERHOOD THAT IS THE INFANTRY. TODAY, YOUR YOUNG MEN JOIN THAT SAME FRATERNITY AS THOSE THAT STORMED THE BEACHES AT NORMANDY, HUNTED THE ENEMY IN THE A SHAU VALLEY-REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM, PARACHUTED INTO PANAMA, BEAT INCREDIBLE ODDS IN THE STREETS OF MOGADISHU SOMALIA, AND CURRENTLY SUBDUE OUR ENEMIES IN BOTH IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, WHILE ALSO REBUILDING THOSE TWO COUNTRIES. I KNOW IT'S HARD FOR MANY OF YOU TO IMAGINE, BUT THIS IS THE SPECIAL GROUP YOUR YOUNG MEN NOW STAND BESIDE. WHEN POLICY MAKERS FINISH TALKING, WHEN DEBATE HAS CEASED, WHEN NEGOTIATIONS HAVE FAILED AND ORDERS ARE GIVEN ... IT BECOMES THE MISSION OF THE YOUNG MEN BEFORE YOU TO EXECUTE NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE LAST 300-500 METERS TO A GIVEN OBJECTIVE.
THEY ARE THE SUBSTANCE BEHIND ANY POLICY UNDERTAKEN BY THIS COUNTRY DEEMED IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO SEND SOLDIERS INTO HARMS WAY ...ABSOLUTE PROOF POSITIVE THAT THE UNITED STATES MEANS BUSINESS WHEN THEIR BOOTS HIT THE GROUND.
THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST ARE NOT NECESSARILY ON CAMPUS OR IN THE CORPORATE BOARDROOM RIGHT NOW. THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST ARE YOU MEN! YOU OUT THERE ON THE PARADE FIELD. DON'T EVER THINK THAT THE KIDS RUNNING AROUND ON SOME COLLEGE CAMPUSES PROTESTING AND WHINING HAVE ANYTHING ON YOU. YOU ARE PRIVILEGED TO HAVE THE ONE ADVANTAGE THAT ALL COVET... YOU WILL KNOW MANY OF LIFES TRUTHS YOU'LL KNOW ABOUT THE GOINGS ON IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, DJIBOUTI, THE PHILIPPINES, THE BALKANS AND MANY OTHER PLACES. YOU WON'T HAVE TO GUESS OR BASE AN OPINION ON SOME BESPECTACLED SO CALLED EXPERT, OR HOLLYWOOD PROFESSIONAL PRETENDER WHO DEFINES DANGER AS CROSSING THE STREET, LEAVING CAMPUS, OR HAVING A DECAF LATTE INSTEAD OF A REGULAR. YOUR HEAD WILL NOT BE FILLED WITH THE EMPTY THEORY OF THE OLD PATHETIC SLACKERS WHO TEACH ON MANY CAMPUSES... THE ONES WHO RAN TO CANADA, OR HID OUT IN EUROPE, WHILE MANY OF THE VETS WITH US HERE TODAY PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE IN A PLACE CALLED VIETNAM. THE SNIDE ARROGANT CROWD WHO SPEND THE DAY BLAMING AMERICA FOR EVERY WRONG IN THE WORLD BEFORE GOING HOME TO SLEEP AT NIGHT UNDER THE BLANKET OF FREEDOM PROVIDED BY BETTER MEN! ...BETTER MEN SUCH AS YOU STANDING ON THE GRADUATION FIELD.
#4 I FOR ONE WILL NEVER...EVER... APOLOGIZE FOR BEING AN AMERICAN AND DON'T YOU EVER FEEL THAT YOU HAVE TO. WE'RE NOT PERFECT BUT I CAN THINK OF NO PLACE BETTER. WE DIDN'T BECOME THE GREAT COUNTRY THAT WE ARE BY ACCIDENT....WE EARNED IT! ---- AND WHILE WE WERE AT IT--- WE KEPT AND CONTINUE TO KEEP A LARGE PORTION OF THE WORLD FREE. AMERICAN BLOOD AND SACRIFICE IS THE INDISPUTABLE PART OF THE WORLD EQUATION. MORE PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD ARE TRYING TO COME TO OUR SHORES THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY. WE REMAIN THE BEACON OF HOPE FOR MANY, AND GOD WILLING IT WILL ALWAYS BE SO. WE'RE NUMBER 1...DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR IT BE DAMN PROUD OF IT!
Me too.Simply stunning. I looked him up on AKO and shot him a 'thank you' email.
