Photo By Kathryn Summerhill | President Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States of America, speaks to...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas – Soldiers of the 333rd Military Police Brigade got a break in mobilization training when a special visitor stopped in to say hello.
President Barack Obama took a break from his campaign trail to speak to service members and families at Fort Bliss, Texas, Aug. 31, 2012. The 333rd is stationed at Fort Bliss during their mobilization training prior to going to Afghanistan and attended Obama’s address.
It isn’t too often that you are in the right spot at the right time to hear the president speak, especially during an election year. soldiers of the 333rd found his taking time from the campaign trail a huge sign of good will.
“It’s his goal to get as many votes as possible, so for him to take the time out to be here and to say what he said to us, it shows that he obviously does care about us,” said Spc. Brittany Aponte, a communications specialist from Bronx, New York.
This was Aponte’s first time seeing a president speak in person and the experience was one she will never forget.
“It was very interesting,” Aponte explained. “Watching him on TV doing his speeches is very different from actually being there seeing him in person, I was very tuned in and understood everything he said.”
During his speech, Obama addressed issues that mattered to the service members, things like family support, post-service programs and future plans for use of the military.
“In a world of serious threats, I will never hesitate to use force to defend the United States of America or our interests back home,” Obama said. “At the same time, I will only send you in harm’s way when it is absolutely necessary – and when we do, we will give you the equipment and the clear mission and the smart strategy and the support back home that you need to get the job done.
“We owe you that.”
It was words of this vein that rang most in Aponte’s mind.
“What impacted me the most was when he spoke about upcoming events, talked about our soldiers getting ready to deploy. He said he’d give us as much support as possible back in the States. He said he’d provide more supplies, more time for our families, just lots of support back home,” said Aponte.
Beyond what Obama actually said, Soldiers got more from seeing President Obama speak.
“It was definitely an honor just to get the chance to see the president, probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Staff Sgt. Robert Munden, a Bethlehem, Penn. native and a chaplain’s assistant with the 333rd. “And it was extra special because you got to go in uniform and he addressed just the Soldiers.”
“I honestly felt like I was a part of history. I can really say it impacted me,” said Aponte. “Twenty, 30 years from now, I can tell my grandchildren, ‘Hey, I was there at that speech at Fort Bliss’.”
This was President Obama’s third visit to Fort Bliss in three years, and also the anniversary of his last visit to Fort Bliss when he announced his promise of 100 percent troop withdrawal from Iraq by the end of 2011.
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 09.02.2012 22:00 |
| Story ID: | 94148 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 512 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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