WEBVTT

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- At ease.

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Members of the Joint Chiefs,
leadership of our armed forces,

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distinguished members of Congress,

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and all who wear the uniform
of the United States,

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especially the storied
10th Mountain Division...

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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It's a great honor to be
here today with all of you

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as our President, with the
strong support of Congress,

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will take decisive action to
make the strongest military

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in the history of the
world stronger still.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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All of you have chosen to be part

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of something larger than yourselves.

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You've chosen to serve in the Armed Forces

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of the United States of America.

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And let me assure you, you have

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a champion in the 45th President

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of the United States of
America, President Donald Trump.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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It's true.

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This President has no higher priority

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than the safety and security
of the American people.

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And from the very earliest
days of our administration,

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your Commander-in-Chief
has been fulfilling

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his solemn oath to provide
for the common defense.

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And President Donald Trump always puts

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our armed forces and your families first.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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I've seen it firsthand.

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On our very first day in office,
I witnessed President Trump

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protect our military from a
government-wide hiring freeze.

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And in May of last year, he
signed the largest increase

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in military spending in nearly a decade.

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And with the leadership and support

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of this Commander-in-Chief,
our armed forces have

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taken the fight to the terrorists

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of ISIS on our terms, on their soil.

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Their caliphate has
crumbled, and soon we will

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erase ISIS from the face of the Earth.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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And last August, last August,
our President laid out

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our South Asia Strategy
to give our warfighters

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in Afghanistan, in his
words, "the tools they need

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"and the trust they've
earned to fight and win."

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This President has also
secured commitments

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around the world from our allies,

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commitments from our NATO
allies in particular,

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to pay more for our common
defense than ever before.

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And President Trump has
articulated a vision to ensure

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continued American dominance
in land, sea, air, and space.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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And last fall, our
President led negotiations

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with both parties of Congress,

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and President Trump signed
into law the largest increase

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in our national defense in a generation.

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Under President Donald Trump, the days

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of arbitrary budget cuts to
our national defense are over.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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And finally, in June of this year,

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while our President engaged
in historic negotiations

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with North Korea, he had our
missing fallen on his heart.

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And as the nation witnessed
just a few short weeks ago,

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thanks to the leadership and compassion

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of this Commander-in-Chief,

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our boys are finally coming home.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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By signing this legislation today,

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President Trump is keeping his promise

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to the American people
to rebuild our military,

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restore the arsenal of democracy,

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and once again, give you,
our soldiers, sailors,

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airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard,

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the resources and training you need

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to accomplish your mission
and come home safe.

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The Armed Forces of the
United States of America

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are the world's greatest force for good.

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And you can be assured
President Donald Trump

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and our entire administration will never

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stop fighting for you who fight to defend

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this nation, past, present, and future.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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So now, now, it is my high honor

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and distinct privilege to introduce to you

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your Commander-in-Chief
and a true champion

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of the men and women of the Armed Forces

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of the United States of
America, the 45th President

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of the United States,
President Donald Trump!

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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("Hail to the Chief")

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- Thank you, everybody.

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It's a great place; I've been here before.

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We love this location.

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We love this base and, most
particularly, the people

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that are working so hard
here and so effectively.

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So I want to start by saying, "At ease."

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Just relax.

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Do you have seats?

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You can sit down.

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Come on, sit.

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If you want to stand, you can.

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We'll just get one big
standing ovation, right?

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Sit down.

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Thank you.

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That's pretty good;
everybody's got a seat.

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Thank you very much.

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I want to thank our wonderful
Vice President, Mike Pence,

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and say a special hello
to the incredible patriots

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of Fort Drum and the 10th
Mountain Division, special people.

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Thank you.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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A few moments ago, I witnessed

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your extraordinary capabilities firsthand

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during an artillery raid demonstration,

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so I'd like to begin by applauding

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the 10th Mountain Division
Combat Aviation Brigade,

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along with the 3rd Battalion,
6th Field Artillery.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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(claps) Thank you, fellas.

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I hate to say this, but nobody

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stands a chance against you folks.

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Nobody stands a chance.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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I'm here today to sign our
new defense bill into law

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and to pay tribute to
the greatest soldiers

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in the history of the world,
the United States Army.

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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The National Defense Authorization Act is

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the most significant
investment in our military

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and our warfighters in modern history,

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and I am very proud to
be a big, big part of it.

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It was not very hard.

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You know, I went to Congress.

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I said, "Let's do it.

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"We gotta do it.

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"We're going to strengthen our military

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"like never, ever before."

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And that's what we did.

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I want to say, very strongly, there is

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no better place than
right here at Fort Drum

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to celebrate its passage, no better place.

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After years of devastating
cuts, we're now rebuilding

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our military like we
never have before, ever.

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Because we know that to survive

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and having that survival of our freedom,

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it depends upon the might of our military.

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And no enemy on Earth can match

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the strength, courage, and skill

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of the American Army and
the American Armed Forces.

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Nobody's even close.

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They never will be.

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We're grateful to be joined today

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by many of our nation's
top military leaders.

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I'd like to recognize Deputy Secretary

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of Defense Shanahan, who's with us.

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Please, Mr. Secretary.

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(audience applauding)

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People I've heard about all my life,

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very prestigious title,
I always loved the ring,

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The Joint Chiefs of Staff, right?

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That's got a good ring.

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Anybody in the audience gonna
be a member of that someday?

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I think so.

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Raise your hand.

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If you think you're gonna
make it, raise your hand.

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Go ahead.

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Oh, come on.

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That's all?

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Only a few?

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I don't know.

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(people clapping)

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I want to thank General
Dunford, General Milley,

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General Neller, Admiral
Richardson, General Goldfein,

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General Lengyel, and Vice Admiral Ray.

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Thank you all for your leadership.

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You're magnificent.

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We appreciate it very much.

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Thank you.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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Thank you.

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A very special thank you
to the commanding general

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of the 10th Mountain Division,
Major General Walt Piatt.

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What a special man.

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Walt, I want to thank you.

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Where is Walt?

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Where is Walt?

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Walt, thank you very much.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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Thank you.

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Thank you.

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Walt is back on American soil
after a deployment in Iraq,

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and I just want to welcome you home.

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You have tremendous respect.

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They have great, great admiration
and respect for you, Walt.

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Thank you very much.

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I also just had the chance to meet

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Division Command Sergeant
Major Jason Roark,

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along with 10th Mountain Division Soldier

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of the Year, Michael Lima.

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Where's Michael?

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Where is Michael?

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Soldier of the Year, Michael.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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It's pretty good.

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And that's Soldier of the
Year, Michael, out of how many?

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- [Michael] 18,000.

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- How many?
- 18,000.

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- That's a lot of soldiers, 18,000?

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Do you wanna work for me? (laughs)

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Thank you, Michael, great job.

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We would not be here for
today's signing ceremony

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without the dedicated
efforts of the members

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of Congress who worked so hard to pass

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the National Defense Authorization Act.

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I'd like to recognize
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik,

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whose district proudly includes Fort Drum.

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And I have to tell you about Elise.

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She called me so many times.

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I said, I don't want to take her call.

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She wanted me to be here.

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I said, I won't be able to.

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We'll have to change a lot of scheduling.

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But that didn't suit her.

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She didn't stop, and here I am.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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Here I am.

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Elise, come here.

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Come here, Elise.

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Come here! (claps)

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- Thank you, Mr. President.

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It is truly an honor to
welcome you to Fort Drum,

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home of the historic
10th Mountain Division,

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the most deployed unit in
the U.S. Army since 9/11.

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Thank you for being here to sign

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the historic National
Defense Authorization Act,

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which includes the largest pay increase,

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support for our military families,

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and investing in our military readiness.

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Climb to glory, 10th Mountain Division!

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Thank you!

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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- Thank you, Elise, great job.

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She's an incredible representative.

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I also want to thank Representatives
Don Bacon, Dan Donovan,

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and Joe Wilson, who
are with us today also.

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Thank you, where are you?

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Stand up, please.

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Hi, Dan, stand up.

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(audience applauding)

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Thank you, thank you, fellas, very much.

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There's another member
of Congress here today

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who is not only an Air Force veteran,

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but the first woman ever to fly

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a fighter jet in combat in U.S. history.

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And I've gotten to know her
very well, and she is terrific.

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Congresswoman Martha
McSally, Congresswoman.

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Thank you, Martha.

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(audience applauding)

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Thank you for being here.

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Thank you very much.

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Thank you all for
fighting for our military

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and for fighting for our vets.

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Nobody has made more progress on anything

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than what we've done with our vets.

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We have Choice approved.

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You know that.

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We have so many other things
approved for our vets,

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and it's really moving along well.

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I think, maybe, almost as important

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as Choice is Accountability.

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Now, when we find somebody not treating

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our vets probably, you
know what we say, right?

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"You're out, get out.

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"You're fired, get out."

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(audience laughs)

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They couldn't do that.

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They couldn't do that.

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Now, they can do it.

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(audience applauding)

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Now, they have to treat our vets properly.

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Our vets are our great people,

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and they get treated properly.

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So you have Choice and
you have Accountability,

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and nobody thought that
would ever get approved.

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They've been trying
for many, many decades.

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Finally, I want to thank
a very special group

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of patriots at Fort Drum,
all of the amazing spouses

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and family members whose love

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and support make your service possible.

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Whether you like it or
not, they make it possible.

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Please, thank you.

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Thank you very much.

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(audience cheering and applauding)

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They know.

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They know, right?

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Look at 'em.

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He's smiling.

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They know.

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Last year, we secured
a historic $700 billion

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to rebuild our military, and now,

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the National Defense Authorization Act

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paves the way for another
1,700, listen to this now.

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So we've been trying to get money.

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They never gave us money for the military

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for years and years, and it was depleted.

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We got $700 billion.

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And next year, already
approved, we have $716 billion

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to give you the finest
planes and ships and tanks

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and missiles anywhere on Earth.

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Nobody makes 'em like we do.

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And very, very far distant, in this case,

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jobs are very important in
all cases, but in this case,

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military might is more
important than even jobs.

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But, all of this equipment is
made right here in the U.S.A.,

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and it's the best equipment on Earth.

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Nobody makes it like we do.

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So you have $700 billion
and now $716 billion.

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So, congratulations.

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(audience applauding)

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America is a peaceful nation.

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But if conflict is forced upon us,

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we will fight and we will win.

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Right, General, right?

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Right?

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Better believe it, generals.

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(people clapping)

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They're the guys.

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We're powered by the unstoppable force

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of the United States Army, very special.

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With this new authorization,
we will increase the size

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and strength of our
military by adding thousands

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of new recruits to active duty,

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reserve, and National Guard units,

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including 4,000 new active-duty soldiers.

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And we will replace aging tanks,

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aging planes and ships
with the most advanced

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and lethal technology ever
developed, and hopefully,

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we'll be so strong, we'll
never have to use it.

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But if we ever did, nobody has a chance.

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It all includes 135 brand-new,

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beautiful M1 Abrams tanks,
60 Bradley Fighting Vehicles,

17:19.290 --> 17:23.960
and over 3,000 Joint
Light Tactical Vehicles

17:23.960 --> 17:27.533
for the Army Armored Brigade Combat Team,

17:28.470 --> 17:31.710
new Black Hawk and Apache helicopters,

17:31.710 --> 17:36.160
finest in the world, for
the Army National Guard,

17:36.160 --> 17:41.160
77 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

17:41.740 --> 17:43.530
You know, that's stealth.

17:43.530 --> 17:44.940
I talked to a couple of pilots,

17:44.940 --> 17:47.190
great pilots, I said, "How are they?"

17:47.190 --> 17:48.217
They said, "They're hard to beat

17:48.217 --> 17:50.620
"because you can't see them."

17:50.620 --> 17:53.580
It's always hard to beat the
enemy when you can't see it.

17:53.580 --> 17:55.290
The greatest in the world.

17:55.290 --> 18:00.090
Full funding for the B-21
Raider bomber program,

18:00.090 --> 18:03.550
13 new Battle Force
ships and support ships,

18:03.550 --> 18:07.250
including a fourth
Ford-class aircraft carrier

18:07.250 --> 18:12.110
and three additional
Littoral Combat Ships,

18:12.110 --> 18:17.110
funding to modernize our
nuclear arsenal, so important.

18:17.110 --> 18:22.070
We're doing a major upgrade
of our missile defense.

18:22.070 --> 18:24.120
We're spending a tremendous amount

18:24.120 --> 18:27.160
of money on our nuclear arsenal.

18:27.160 --> 18:29.650
Nobody will have close.

18:29.650 --> 18:33.170
We will hopefully never,
ever have to use it.

18:33.170 --> 18:35.880
But nobody will be close.

18:35.880 --> 18:39.563
More than $11 billion for
the military construction,

18:40.570 --> 18:43.480
including family housing,
and we are proudly

18:43.480 --> 18:47.930
giving our troops the biggest
pay increase in a decade.

18:47.930 --> 18:50.510
And I know you don't want it
because you're very patriotic.

18:50.510 --> 18:51.800
You'll say, just save the money.

18:51.800 --> 18:53.183
We're gonna pay down debt.

18:54.130 --> 18:55.370
Does anybody not want it?

18:55.370 --> 18:57.280
Please raise your hand.

18:57.280 --> 18:59.203
What's going on here?

19:00.150 --> 19:01.230
Are these real patriots?

19:01.230 --> 19:02.070
I don't know, General.

19:02.070 --> 19:03.542
I don't know.

19:03.542 --> 19:07.113
It's the biggest increase in a decade.

19:08.100 --> 19:11.350
A strong military also
requires a strong economy,

19:11.350 --> 19:14.980
and our economy is setting
records like never before.

19:14.980 --> 19:17.473
We have the great economy we've ever had.

19:18.730 --> 19:21.960
I think that's gonna help
us a lot in a lot of ways.

19:21.960 --> 19:24.750
It also helps us a lot
in funding and doing

19:24.750 --> 19:28.110
all of the things we're
doing for our great military.

19:28.110 --> 19:30.550
We've created almost four million new jobs

19:30.550 --> 19:34.470
since the election, a number
that the media in the back

19:34.470 --> 19:35.890
would never have said would be

19:35.890 --> 19:39.692
possible if during the campaign.

19:39.692 --> 19:43.942
(audience cheering and applauding)

19:47.753 --> 19:48.586
True.

19:51.250 --> 19:52.440
I'm so proud of myself.

19:52.440 --> 19:55.370
I didn't call them the fake-news media.

19:55.370 --> 19:56.309
I didn't call 'em.

19:56.309 --> 19:57.142
(audience cheering and applauding)

19:57.142 --> 20:00.500
I said to myself, I will not today,

20:00.500 --> 20:03.548
in front of our great armed
forces, call them fake news.

20:03.548 --> 20:04.410
(people laughing)

20:04.410 --> 20:06.786
We know the real truth,
but we won't say it today.

20:06.786 --> 20:07.619
(people laughing)

20:07.619 --> 20:08.540
But they wouldn't have believed

20:08.540 --> 20:11.250
it possible, four million new jobs.

20:11.250 --> 20:12.910
Nobody would have thought that possible

20:12.910 --> 20:14.280
on the campaign trail.

20:14.280 --> 20:16.750
If when we were campaigning, Mike,

20:16.750 --> 20:18.160
if I would have said that, if I would

20:18.160 --> 20:19.580
have said, "Two million new jobs,"

20:19.580 --> 20:22.320
people would have
laughed us off the stage.

20:22.320 --> 20:25.060
Well, we have four million new jobs.

20:25.060 --> 20:28.750
Something I'm very proud
of, the African American,

20:28.750 --> 20:33.750
Hispanic, Hispanic American, and Asian,

20:33.870 --> 20:38.250
Asian American, the unemployment rates

20:38.250 --> 20:42.300
for all three have
reached the lowest levels

20:42.300 --> 20:44.200
in the history of our country,

20:44.200 --> 20:47.940
unemployment for African
American, Hispanics, Asians,

20:47.940 --> 20:50.673
the lowest level in the
history of our country.

20:50.673 --> 20:53.840
(audience applauding)

20:54.870 --> 20:59.870
Women's unemployment is not,
I'm sorry, doing quite as well.

21:00.100 --> 21:03.829
It's only the lowest level in 65 years.

21:03.829 --> 21:04.920
(people laughing)

21:04.920 --> 21:06.473
So we're not doing as well.

21:06.473 --> 21:08.420
(audience cheering and applauding)

21:08.420 --> 21:10.270
But we'll do better.

21:10.270 --> 21:12.100
I think within about three weeks,

21:12.100 --> 21:13.210
when the new numbers come out,

21:13.210 --> 21:16.560
you'll probably be lowest in history also.

21:16.560 --> 21:19.030
Very importantly, the
veterans' unemployment rate

21:19.030 --> 21:22.543
recently reached its lowest
level in nearly 20 years.

21:23.620 --> 21:24.453
It's a big one.

21:24.453 --> 21:28.613
(audience cheering and applauding)

21:30.119 --> 21:33.620
And we are creating
manufacturing jobs again.

21:33.620 --> 21:35.327
Remember during the campaign, they said,

21:35.327 --> 21:37.610
"Oh, you can't create manufacturing jobs."

21:37.610 --> 21:39.127
I said, "Really?

21:39.127 --> 21:40.557
"We're not gonna make things anymore?

21:40.557 --> 21:42.117
"Is that what it's come to?

21:42.117 --> 21:43.837
"We're gonna have other
country make things?

21:43.837 --> 21:46.287
"They're gonna make things
and we're gonna buy 'em?

21:46.287 --> 21:48.000
"And they're gonna have
the jobs and we're not?"

21:48.000 --> 21:49.870
Doesn't work that way.

21:49.870 --> 21:52.240
We're doing manufacturing jobs

21:52.240 --> 21:56.680
at the fastest pace in many, many decades.

21:56.680 --> 22:00.670
No longer are we apologizing for America.

22:00.670 --> 22:04.750
Instead, we are now
standing up for America.

22:04.750 --> 22:08.076
It's called America First,
if that's okay with you.

22:08.076 --> 22:12.650
(audience cheering and applauding)

22:12.650 --> 22:15.460
We're standing up for our military,

22:15.460 --> 22:20.160
and we're standing up for
our great American flag.

22:20.160 --> 22:22.435
We're standing for our flag.

22:22.435 --> 22:26.920
(audience cheering and applauding)

22:26.920 --> 22:28.700
The armed forces have endured

22:28.700 --> 22:32.790
continuous combat for the past 17 years.

22:32.790 --> 22:36.210
Yet, since the 1990s, the number

22:36.210 --> 22:41.210
of soldiers on active duty
was cut by more than 1/3.

22:41.260 --> 22:43.760
Our bases and vital equipment were allowed

22:43.760 --> 22:46.290
to fall into a state of disrepair.

22:46.290 --> 22:49.990
And I saw some of them, total disrepair.

22:49.990 --> 22:51.503
But those days are over.

22:52.370 --> 22:54.850
Every day the Army is fighting for us,

22:54.850 --> 22:58.445
and now we are fighting for you, 100%.

22:58.445 --> 23:03.445
(audience cheering and applauding)

23:03.470 --> 23:06.600
No one better understands
how stretched our military

23:06.600 --> 23:11.293
has become than the soldiers
of the 10th Mountain Division.

23:11.293 --> 23:12.773
Is that right, General?

23:13.750 --> 23:16.150
You were the first
conventional combat force

23:16.150 --> 23:18.490
to deploy after 9/11.

23:18.490 --> 23:21.510
Since then, no division in
the Army has been deployed

23:21.510 --> 23:25.793
more times to Iraq and
Afghanistan than you.

23:26.910 --> 23:30.160
You've sent over 9,000 courageous soldiers

23:30.160 --> 23:33.720
to 26 different countries
all around the world

23:33.720 --> 23:36.380
in the past year alone.

23:36.380 --> 23:39.260
The 2nd Brigade Combat Team just returned

23:39.260 --> 23:43.670
from a rotation at the Joint
Readiness Training Center,

23:43.670 --> 23:47.050
and later this year, they
will once again bravely answer

23:47.050 --> 23:50.633
our nation's call and
deploy to Afghanistan.

23:51.550 --> 23:55.620
Through it all, you've
proven to the world,

23:55.620 --> 23:58.430
to our country, to your families,

23:58.430 --> 24:02.420
that Fort Drum soldiers aren't just tough.

24:02.420 --> 24:04.160
You're mountain tough.

24:04.160 --> 24:06.011
That's what you are,
you're mountain tough.

24:06.011 --> 24:10.261
(audience cheering and applauding)

24:14.475 --> 24:17.410
I said to you, General,
"What's the difference?"

24:17.410 --> 24:21.290
He said, "Sir, trust me,
there's a difference."

24:21.290 --> 24:22.760
So I said, "I trust you, General."

24:22.760 --> 24:24.350
Right?

24:24.350 --> 24:25.357
I said, "Don't go into it.

24:25.357 --> 24:26.610
"I trust you."

24:27.500 --> 24:31.920
One of those soldiers is
Specialist Brayden Cook,

24:31.920 --> 24:32.960
who is with us today.

24:32.960 --> 24:34.300
Where's Brayden?

24:34.300 --> 24:35.910
Where's, oh, Brayden, good location,

24:35.910 --> 24:38.193
Brayden, very good. (laughs)

24:38.193 --> 24:41.320
(audience applauding)

24:41.320 --> 24:44.420
Last October, his team
came under heavy fire

24:44.420 --> 24:49.420
while cleaning and clearing,
they were clearing 'em out,

24:49.760 --> 24:54.760
Taliban strongholds in various
locations in Afghanistan.

24:55.530 --> 24:59.550
An Afghan soldier fighting
alongside U.S. troops was

24:59.550 --> 25:04.550
badly wounded when an
explosive detonated nearby.

25:04.760 --> 25:07.880
Specialist Cook braved the hail of bullets

25:07.880 --> 25:11.830
and mortar rounds all over,
they said it was all over,

25:11.830 --> 25:14.670
it was heavy fire, saving the life

25:14.670 --> 25:17.700
of that wounded soldier and earning

25:17.700 --> 25:21.283
a Bronze Star for Valor
for his courageous action.

25:22.140 --> 25:23.390
Brayden, I want to thank you.

25:23.390 --> 25:25.640
A brave young man, thank you.

25:25.640 --> 25:27.043
Please, stand up again, Brayden.

25:27.043 --> 25:29.721
(audience cheering and applauding)

25:29.721 --> 25:30.554
Thank you.

25:37.919 --> 25:38.752
Great.

25:40.640 --> 25:42.860
We're also inspired by the devotion

25:42.860 --> 25:45.170
to duty shown by the family members

25:45.170 --> 25:48.620
who serve their nation here at home.

25:48.620 --> 25:52.403
Ashley Shepard is one
of those family members.

25:53.330 --> 25:58.250
She has been married to
Sergeant First Class Ian Shepard

25:58.250 --> 26:01.110
for more than 14 years.

26:01.110 --> 26:04.230
Ashley supports military families

26:04.230 --> 26:06.630
in every way you can imagine.

26:06.630 --> 26:10.100
She has served as a Family
Readiness Group leader,

26:10.100 --> 26:13.340
co-leader, treasurer,
and assistant treasurer

26:13.340 --> 26:14.430
for three companies.

26:14.430 --> 26:15.680
She works hard.

26:15.680 --> 26:20.110
She raises money for scholarships,
organizes charity events

26:20.110 --> 26:24.160
for Gold Star families, and
feeds homeless veterans.

26:24.160 --> 26:26.410
Ashley, I want to thank you.

26:26.410 --> 26:27.243
Ashley?

26:27.243 --> 26:28.076
Where is Ashley?

26:28.076 --> 26:29.550
I had a feeling that was you, Ashley.

26:29.550 --> 26:30.807
Stand up, Ashley.

26:30.807 --> 26:33.417
(audience cheering and applauding)

26:33.417 --> 26:34.250
Thank you.

26:35.864 --> 26:36.970
Thank your husband, too.

26:36.970 --> 26:40.270
Thank you.

26:40.270 --> 26:43.590
America is eternally
grateful for every soldier,

26:43.590 --> 26:47.830
service member, and family
member here at Fort Drum.

26:47.830 --> 26:51.100
And we are forever in the
debt of every American

26:51.100 --> 26:53.673
who has ever served our nation in uniform,

26:54.580 --> 26:58.400
from the snows of Valley Forge
to the jungles of Vietnam

26:58.400 --> 27:00.320
and the mountains of Afghanistan.

27:00.320 --> 27:03.780
It's just incredible what you do.

27:03.780 --> 27:06.990
A few days ago, Vice
President Pence flew to Hawaii

27:06.990 --> 27:08.710
to greet the remains of some

27:08.710 --> 27:13.380
of our nation's greatest
heroes, our fallen warriors

27:13.380 --> 27:17.610
who gave their lives
many years ago in Korea.

27:17.610 --> 27:22.610
Now these American heroes are
finally starting to come home.

27:23.780 --> 27:27.600
They will be laid to
rest on American soil.

27:27.600 --> 27:32.600
We believe in no American left behind.

27:33.264 --> 27:36.431
(audience applauding)

27:42.846 --> 27:46.270
And we believe our
warfighters deserve the tools,

27:46.270 --> 27:49.490
the equipment, and
resources they have earned

27:49.490 --> 27:51.530
with their blood, sweat, and tears.

27:51.530 --> 27:55.760
In a few moments, in honor of
that sacred obligation, I will

27:55.760 --> 28:00.760
put my signature on the National
Defense Authorization Act.

28:01.410 --> 28:04.890
This authorization will
give America's warfighters

28:04.890 --> 28:07.660
the firepower they need to win

28:07.660 --> 28:11.473
any conflict quickly and decisively.

28:12.330 --> 28:17.330
Thanks to the leadership
of Representative Stefanik,

28:17.930 --> 28:20.520
we're also making an
unprecedented commitment

28:20.520 --> 28:25.520
to developing our
artificial-intelligence capabilities.

28:25.950 --> 28:30.570
In order to maintain
America's military supremacy,

28:30.570 --> 28:34.210
we must always be on the cutting edge.

28:34.210 --> 28:38.000
That is why we are also
proudly reasserting

28:38.000 --> 28:41.440
America's legacy of leadership in space.

28:41.440 --> 28:43.940
Our foreign competitors and adversaries

28:43.940 --> 28:47.660
have already begun weaponizing space,

28:47.660 --> 28:52.660
developing new technologies to
disrupt vital communications,

28:52.770 --> 28:56.090
blind satellites, and just, I mean,

28:56.090 --> 28:57.410
you look at what they're doing.

28:57.410 --> 28:58.880
They've given me rundowns.

28:58.880 --> 29:01.540
I've seen things that you
don't even want to see,

29:01.540 --> 29:04.670
what they're doing and
how advanced they are.

29:04.670 --> 29:07.230
We'll be catching them very shortly.

29:07.230 --> 29:10.550
They want to jam
transmissions, which threaten

29:10.550 --> 29:14.330
our battlefield operations
and so many other things.

29:14.330 --> 29:16.140
We will be so far ahead of them

29:16.140 --> 29:20.120
in a very short period of
time, your head will spin.

29:20.120 --> 29:23.330
China even launched a
new military division

29:23.330 --> 29:27.250
to oversee its warfighting
programs in space.

29:27.250 --> 29:31.440
Just like the air, the land, the sea,

29:31.440 --> 29:35.390
space has become a warfighting domain.

29:35.390 --> 29:37.850
It is not enough to merely have

29:37.850 --> 29:40.500
an American presence in space.

29:40.500 --> 29:43.360
We must have American dominance in space,

29:43.360 --> 29:46.230
and that is why, just a few days ago,

29:46.230 --> 29:49.320
the Vice President outlined
my administration's plan

29:49.320 --> 29:53.840
to create a sixth branch of
the United States military,

29:53.840 --> 29:58.840
called the United States Space Force.

29:58.840 --> 30:03.090
(audience cheering and applauding)

30:06.623 --> 30:07.912
Gotta get it, Joe.

30:07.912 --> 30:10.090
Gotta get it, Joe.

30:10.090 --> 30:10.923
Right, Joe?

30:10.923 --> 30:12.730
Right?

30:12.730 --> 30:15.560
We will ensure that the next
great chapter in history

30:15.560 --> 30:19.630
is written by the heroes of
the United States military.

30:19.630 --> 30:22.850
America will always
rise to every challenge

30:22.850 --> 30:26.500
and overcome every danger
because we are backed

30:26.500 --> 30:30.193
by the strength and power
of the American soldier.

30:31.180 --> 30:35.420
Speaking to his troops, General
George Patton, a great one,

30:35.420 --> 30:38.527
once said, "We have the finest equipment

30:38.527 --> 30:42.800
"and the best spirit and
the best men in the world."

30:42.800 --> 30:44.827
Now, if it were today, he would be saying,

30:44.827 --> 30:46.920
"The best men and women in the world."

30:46.920 --> 30:48.860
Things do change.

30:48.860 --> 30:52.070
But that was quite a
statement many years ago.

30:52.070 --> 30:55.487
Continuing his remarks,
Patton then declared,

30:55.487 --> 30:58.137
"I don't want to get any messages saying,

30:58.137 --> 31:00.377
"I am holding my position.

31:00.377 --> 31:03.327
"We are not holding a damned thing.

31:03.327 --> 31:05.860
"We are advancing constantly."

31:05.860 --> 31:07.380
That was Patton.

31:07.380 --> 31:12.380
Nearly 75 years later,
Patton's words still ring true.

31:12.840 --> 31:16.890
America has the best equipment
anywhere in the world.

31:16.890 --> 31:21.410
We have the best spirit, the
best soldiers ever to set foot

31:21.410 --> 31:24.560
on any battlefield, anywhere, at any time.

31:24.560 --> 31:26.800
We are the most powerful.

31:26.800 --> 31:28.890
We are the best funded.

31:28.890 --> 31:29.740
We are the biggest.

31:29.740 --> 31:30.660
We are the strongest.

31:30.660 --> 31:32.660
We are the smartest.

31:32.660 --> 31:37.630
And we are still not
holding a damned thing

31:37.630 --> 31:39.840
because America is on the move

31:39.840 --> 31:43.500
once again, and we are not backing down.

31:43.500 --> 31:46.120
Our country is respected again.

31:46.120 --> 31:50.420
I don't know if you see it,
but America is respected again.

31:50.420 --> 31:53.750
There's a big difference, and
a big difference in the air.

31:53.750 --> 31:58.750
You take a look around; there's
a big, beautiful difference.

31:59.140 --> 32:03.060
We are advancing forward
with our confidence renewed,

32:03.060 --> 32:07.160
our might restored, and
the unwavering conviction

32:07.160 --> 32:10.200
that our destiny is our victory.

32:10.200 --> 32:14.020
America's future is safe,
sound, and brighter than ever

32:14.020 --> 32:17.110
because each of you is
mountain tough, mountain proud,

32:17.110 --> 32:22.110
and mountain strong, and always
will be climbing to glory.

32:22.440 --> 32:24.860
You will be climbing to glory.

32:24.860 --> 32:27.710
Thank you again for the
incredible men and women

32:28.950 --> 32:33.640
of Fort Drum, special,
special, great people.

32:33.640 --> 32:35.670
God bless our troops.

32:35.670 --> 32:40.100
And God bless the United
States of America.

32:40.100 --> 32:45.100
I'd now like to invite a few
of our fantastic soldiers

32:45.220 --> 32:49.020
from the 10th Mountain Division
2nd Brigade Combat Team

32:49.020 --> 32:50.720
to join me onstage to sign

32:50.720 --> 32:54.170
the National Defense Authorization Act.

32:54.170 --> 32:56.050
It's been an honor to be with you today.

32:56.050 --> 32:57.110
Thank you all very much.

32:57.110 --> 32:58.176
Thank you.

32:58.176 --> 33:02.426
(audience cheering and applauding)

33:13.552 --> 33:16.885
This is it but I'll just
sign one page, okay?

33:16.885 --> 33:19.302
Or we'll be here a long time.

33:33.550 --> 33:36.187
Okay, that's good, right?

33:39.375 --> 33:43.625
(audience cheering and applauding)

33:48.194 --> 33:49.944
Who gets that, right?

33:51.122 --> 33:52.135
Come here.

33:52.135 --> 33:54.468
You spread them along, okay?

33:56.181 --> 33:58.474
Thank you (mumbles).

33:58.474 --> 34:00.187
Appreciate it.

34:00.187 --> 34:02.407
Thank you very much, everybody.

34:02.407 --> 34:03.359
A great honor, thank you.

34:03.359 --> 34:07.609
(audience cheering and applauding)

34:09.869 --> 34:13.869
(patriotic marching band music)

34:39.936 --> 34:44.186
(audience cheering and applauding)