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- [Announcer] Arrival
of the official party

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and the rendering of honors

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to the acting secretary of defense

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and remain standing for the
presentation of the colors,

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the singing of our National
Anthem and the invocation.

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(rousing trumpet music)

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(extended drum roll)

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- [Instructor] Turn and halt.

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Present arch.

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♪ Oh, say can you see ♪

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♪ By the dawn's early light ♪

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♪ What so proudly we hailed ♪

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♪ At the twilight's last gleaming ♪

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♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪

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♪ Through the perilous fight ♪

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♪ O'er the ramparts we watched ♪

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♪ Were so gallantly streaming ♪

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♪ And the rocket's red glare ♪

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♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪

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♪ Gave proof through the night ♪

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♪ That our flag was still there ♪

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♪ Oh, say does that
Star-spangled banner yet wave ♪

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♪ O'er the land of the free ♪

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♪ And the home of the brave ♪

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- [Instructor] Forward in arch.

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Right, face.

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Forward, march.

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(extended drum roll)

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- Would you please join me as we pray?

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Almighty God, we come before you today

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to ask you a few favors.

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First we ask for the protection

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of our warriors spread around
the world in harm's way.

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We ask that they will
successfully complete

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their mission soon and
return to their own families.

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We ask that you will
be near those families

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whose warriors are separated from them.

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May we rally to their sides

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and encourage and support
them as much as possible

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until their loved ones return.

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As the great physician,

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I'd ask that you would be
with our wounded warriors

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as they get after the
rehabilitations and get after life,

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be with them.

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Finally, be with those families

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who have lost their precious warrior

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in the service to our nation.

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May we always be ready to
respond to their unique needs.

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I ask for your blessings
on the events of this hour,

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may everything be done

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to show gratitude to this great nation

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and for the privilege
of wearing her cloth.

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I ask your divine wisdom and
protection on General Clarke

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as he begins this new
journey as our commander.

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As always, I ask that you imbue him

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with the wisdom of Solomon
and the patience of Job

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as he deals with the myriad of issues

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that will come across his desk.

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May you always remind him

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that people are more
important than hardware,

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and that people under his command

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will be willing to march
through the gates of hell itself

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as long as he keeps that SOF truth

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first and foremost in
his thought processes.

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I ask that you bless his family

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as they join our SOCOM family.

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I ask that Suzanne, Madeline and Will

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will know that they are
now part of our family

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and may we rally around them

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to make them feel at home and welcome.

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I ask your special
blessing to the Thomas's

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for their faithful service
to God and country.

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May they go knowing they
have made a difference,

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may they go to spoil
their grandkids rotten,

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may they go to countless church
potlucks and masses together

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and may they always go with
Barb's bacon-wrapped smokies

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to welcome them to their home,

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may they go to new and
unique service opportunities.

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And finally, may they always
go Army and beat Navy, amen.

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(audience laughing)

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(audience cheering)
(audience applauding)

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- Thank you, Ms. Dorge,

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SOCOM color guard and Chaplain Ustra

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Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated.

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Ladies and gentlemen, the
honorable Patrick Shanahan.

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(audience applauding)

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- All right.

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Good afternoon, everybody.

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It's great to be here in Tampa

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and rub elbows with the
remarkable men and women

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of U.S. Special Operations Command.

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And getting to see the
Sun isn't bad either.

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It's especially meaningful to spend time

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with our men and women in
uniform on this particular day

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as our country commemorates
our Vietnam War Veterans Day

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and thanks all those who sacrificed.

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My father was one of those
who served in Vietnam.

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His quiet dedication to
our country typifying

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that of an entire incredible generation.

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Those who serve today
stand on their shoulders.

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Representative Castor,
former Congressman Murphy,

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Director Haspel, Mayor Buckhorn,

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Chairman Dunford, General Milley,

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the SOCOM team, all distinguished guests

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from both near and far,
including many foreign partners,

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thank you for joining us.

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Tony Thomas and Rich Clarke
really know how to draw a crowd.

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I see the long gray
line has marched south,

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or maybe they came for spring break.

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Either way, the classes of '80 and '84

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are here to support their classmates.

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(classes cheering)

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What a testament to your loyalty

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and lifelong friendships, thank you.

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I'd also like to give special recognition

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to the SOF wounded warriors here today.

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And I ask everyone, including
those watching at home,

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to send a prayer for the
members of our SOCOM community

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who are not here today, those
deployed across the globe.

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May they come home safe.

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We are here to pass the baton

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from General Thomas to General Clarke.

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As we say farewell to a leader

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who has contributed so
much to this community,

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we welcome a new commander

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who will ensure our special
operators continue to plan,

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conduct and support critical missions

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in a dangerous world at a demanding pace.

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A special thank you to the
families who also serve,

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playing a vital role in this community

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and supporting our warfighters.

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First, the Thomas family.

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To Barb, Tony's staunch partner

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through 35 years of marriage,

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congratulations on your
upcoming anniversary

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three weeks from today.

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A special thank you to your
two sons, Mike and Tony,

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two more proud members
of the long gray line,

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for their support and service.

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I also wanna welcome
your three grandchildren

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who are here today, Violet, Ray and Ford.

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Thank you for all the joy
you bring your grandpa.

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General Thomas, I know more
congratulations are in order,

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since one week ago you became

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a grandfather for the fourth time.

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Let's hear it for the
West Point Class of 2041.

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(audience laughing)

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(audience applauding)

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I'm quite confident his first
words will be beat Navy.

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(audience laughing)

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And to the Clarke family,
Rich's wife, Suzanne

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and their children, Madeline and Will.

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I know you've moved at least 20 times

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during your Dad's Army career.

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Thank you for doing it once more

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as you begin this next new chapter.

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To the SOCOM community which celebrates

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its 32nd birthday next month,

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your skill and vigilance keep us safe.

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I've learned a new lexicon
since coming to the Pentagon,

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words with significant connotations.

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One that always sticks
with me is devotion.

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For our special operations forces,

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too often devotion means sacrifice.

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Our department and country
are grateful for what you do

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and your families endure on our behalf.

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And you are on the front line of freedom,

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defending America's interests

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as you operate in more than
90 countries around the world.

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At only 3% of the total joint force,

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you are the lethal tip of our spear.

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By going in first and seeing every mission

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through to the end, you enable

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more comprehensive military action,

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that translates into diplomacy

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and ultimately gives peace a chance.

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Special operators don't just volunteer,

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you push the envelope every
day through intense training,

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facing the most dynamic
threats imaginable.

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The title Green Beret, Navy SEAL, Ranger,

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Air Commando and Marine Raider,

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evoke admiration from
your fellow citizens,

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comfort from our allies and partners

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and fear from our adversaries.

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You're always ready, always
innovating, always responding,

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and you like to be out front.

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In fact, you insist on it.

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General Thomas, you have
exemplified this mindset.

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Throughout your career

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you have been at the forefront
of our nation's battles.

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Since the day you pinned on
the black and gold Ranger tab

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you've been leading the way.

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This includes your
numerous combat deployments

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in support of historic missions,

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from Operation Urgent Fury in 1983

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to Operations Enduring Freedom in 2013.

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You deployed to Afghanistan,
leading soldiers

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every year from 2001 to 2013,

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except for 2008 when you
deployed to Iraq instead.

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And after you were wounded in combat,

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you returned to the fray
in Afghanistan in 2009.

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In 39 years of distinguished
military service,

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you've embodied the West Point motto,

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Duty, Honor, Country.

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And at this command in
particular, you drove success

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and empowered our warfighters

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to wipe out the last strongholds of ISIS.

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You put it best when you said,

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"They declared an army, they
put it on the battlefield

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"and we went to war with it."

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You can retire your post knowing

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that the ISIS army has been defeated.

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During your tenure you
have dedicated yourself

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to those you lead, to constant innovation

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and to proactive problem-solving.

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And your commitment has without question

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resulted in a more capable
and resilient force.

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First, your people, you've
been a staunch advocate

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for the men and women
of the SOCOM community,

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institutionalizing preservation

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of the Force and Families Program,

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and personally emphasizing
physical, mental

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and spiritual health of our operators.

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Before you took command it was
normal for a special operator

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to spend as much time deployed as at home.

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You changed that paradigm.

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Now special operators spent almost 70%

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of their time at home,
alongside loved ones.

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You make it a point to honor

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the resiliency of your special operators

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by visiting Walter Reed every
time you visit Washington

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and growing the Warrior Care Program.

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You also took the initiative

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to host this year's
Warrior Games in Tampa,

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rallying the entire city
behind you to get it done.

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I'm happy you'll get to see
this great event unfold in June,

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since you're staying
here in this great city.

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You have also driven relentless innovation

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across this command,
modernizing and improving

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manning of our SOF, and showing leadership

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within the Department of Defense

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and artificial intelligence,
machine learning and beyond.

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As a result, SOCOM has
reduced flash-to-bang,

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procuring and fielding the best equipment

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for our warfighters at
the speed of relevance.

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Finally, you've proven a
skilled problem solver,

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addressing potential issues
before they become problems.

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For you understand it's not
just about the end game,

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it's about ensuring success across

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the full spectrum of combat
from start to finish.

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General Thomas, as you pass
the baton here at SOCOM,

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the final testament to
your impressive career

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is the military service of
your two sons, Mike and Tony.

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There is no greater family
legacy than this, well done.

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(audience applauding)

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As one remarkable leader
departs, another stands ready.

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Few understand the honor of an Army legacy

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better than General Clarke,

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who was raised in an Army family.

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Throughout his career he has
stood apart as a team builder,

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exemplifying the best
our military has to offer

262
00:17:16,540 --> 00:17:19,263
in an incredibly complex
security environment.

263
00:17:20,340 --> 00:17:23,750
He sets high standards for
himself and those he leads,

264
00:17:23,750 --> 00:17:25,780
and reaches them with a potent combination

265
00:17:25,780 --> 00:17:29,403
of motivation, training,
responsibility and vision.

266
00:17:30,830 --> 00:17:33,010
Over the last year and a half,

267
00:17:33,010 --> 00:17:35,220
more like two years if
you count all the weekends

268
00:17:35,220 --> 00:17:36,970
we've spent in the office together,

269
00:17:38,180 --> 00:17:40,380
I have witnessed him in action

270
00:17:40,380 --> 00:17:43,610
and I've come to know
General Clarke as a savvy

271
00:17:43,610 --> 00:17:46,023
and precise leader with
impeccable judgment.

272
00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,860
With those skills,
multiple combat deployments

273
00:17:49,860 --> 00:17:54,750
in Iraq and Afghanistan and
experiencing commanding,

274
00:17:54,750 --> 00:17:58,470
both conventional and
Special Operations Force,

275
00:17:58,470 --> 00:18:00,563
he was made for this command.

276
00:18:01,860 --> 00:18:05,340
General Clarke, your
leadership will be invaluable

277
00:18:05,340 --> 00:18:08,290
as SOCOM maintains its current mission

278
00:18:08,290 --> 00:18:12,493
while adapting to a new era
of great power competition.

279
00:18:13,710 --> 00:18:15,830
In a way special operators
are being challenged

280
00:18:15,830 --> 00:18:18,373
to do what they do best,
adapt and transform.

281
00:18:19,300 --> 00:18:21,910
You will need to leverage
targeted missions

282
00:18:21,910 --> 00:18:23,160
with an acute understanding

283
00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,233
of how they impact global trends.

284
00:18:26,090 --> 00:18:29,420
This is no easy task,
but you and the more than

285
00:18:29,420 --> 00:18:32,883
80,000 men and women of this
commander are up for it.

286
00:18:33,900 --> 00:18:36,800
I have no doubt you will take
our fight to the next level.

287
00:18:37,950 --> 00:18:39,900
Thank you for taking on this challenge.

288
00:18:40,830 --> 00:18:44,735
God bless this SOCOM community
and God bless America.

289
00:18:44,735 --> 00:18:47,902
(audience applauding)

290
00:18:55,372 --> 00:18:57,460
- [Announcer] Thank you, Mr. Shanahan.

291
00:18:57,460 --> 00:19:00,810
Ladies and gentlemen, General
Raymond A. Thomas III,

292
00:19:00,810 --> 00:19:04,023
commander, United States
Special Operations Command.

293
00:19:05,064 --> 00:19:08,231
(audience applauding)

294
00:19:11,770 --> 00:19:14,160
- It seems like I was just here.

295
00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:17,140
My SOCOM teammates know
that now is the time

296
00:19:17,140 --> 00:19:19,663
for the peacock-to-feather-duster speech.

297
00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:22,550
My Brit counterpart, when he stood down

298
00:19:22,550 --> 00:19:25,810
from being the director of
Special Forces a year or so ago,

299
00:19:25,810 --> 00:19:27,147
in typical Brit fashion told me,

300
00:19:27,147 --> 00:19:30,387
"Tony, you know, an occasion like this

301
00:19:30,387 --> 00:19:32,227
"when you give up a command like this,

302
00:19:32,227 --> 00:19:36,500
"reminds me of the old adage,
peacock to feather duster."

303
00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:37,832
Think about it for a minute.

304
00:19:37,832 --> 00:19:38,670
(audience laughing)

305
00:19:38,670 --> 00:19:39,860
I'm just about to relinquish

306
00:19:39,860 --> 00:19:43,010
the greatest special operations
command on the planet,

307
00:19:43,010 --> 00:19:44,950
and I'm bound to be an
Uber driver, right Bob?

308
00:19:44,950 --> 00:19:45,850
It's here shortly.

309
00:19:47,110 --> 00:19:48,190
I actually used that line

310
00:19:48,190 --> 00:19:49,960
in my recent testimony for the Senate.

311
00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,770
And I said it as much to steal march

312
00:19:52,770 --> 00:19:55,500
with our Senators who were
about to interrogate me.

313
00:19:55,500 --> 00:19:57,270
And I said, I know that
might sound haughty,

314
00:19:57,270 --> 00:20:00,280
I know it might sound a little
bit arrogant, but it's fact.

315
00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:02,130
The men and women of SOCOM back it up

316
00:20:03,260 --> 00:20:04,680
every night and every day,

317
00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:06,823
as they are right now around the world.

318
00:20:07,670 --> 00:20:10,010
Barb noticed, when I gave that testimony

319
00:20:10,010 --> 00:20:11,440
that I might've croaked a little bit.

320
00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,340
There might've been a little
thing that creeped up my voice

321
00:20:14,340 --> 00:20:16,560
when I said I'm about to
relinquish this command.

322
00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,860
And I did, it was only my spouse,

323
00:20:18,860 --> 00:20:20,880
my best supporter would notice that.

324
00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,740
But internally, I quickly
countered myself by saying,

325
00:20:23,740 --> 00:20:26,159
there is no crying in
baseball, cut it out.

326
00:20:26,159 --> 00:20:27,160
(audience laughing)

327
00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,390
So let me be the first to
congratulate Rich Clarke

328
00:20:29,390 --> 00:20:32,010
on assuming command of this
tremendous organization.

329
00:20:32,010 --> 00:20:34,140
I've known and worked with
Rich for several years,

330
00:20:34,140 --> 00:20:36,040
and he is the right man at the right time

331
00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,130
to take SOCOM to the next level.

332
00:20:38,130 --> 00:20:40,810
Rich, to you and Suzanne, welcome,

333
00:20:40,810 --> 00:20:42,280
and I hope you enjoy this experience

334
00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:44,520
as much as Barb and I have.

335
00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:46,410
I join the ranks of your predecessors,

336
00:20:46,410 --> 00:20:48,230
several of whom are here today,

337
00:20:48,230 --> 00:20:50,800
and who were always
available and helpful to me.

338
00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,310
And hope you won't hesitate
to leverage me in any way

339
00:20:53,310 --> 00:20:55,750
to help the command in the future.

340
00:20:55,750 --> 00:20:57,660
Sensitive to time at the end of two days

341
00:20:57,660 --> 00:20:58,970
of intense speechifying,

342
00:20:58,970 --> 00:21:00,750
it's been a long one, I'm gonna forego

343
00:21:00,750 --> 00:21:02,610
running through the extensive
list of folks to thank

344
00:21:02,610 --> 00:21:04,600
for arranging this event, for being here

345
00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,600
and for the support provided
to SOCOM on a daily basis.

346
00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:09,340
It runs the gamut from
the senior leadership

347
00:21:09,340 --> 00:21:11,600
from the department here today

348
00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,060
to our solid inter-agency
international partners

349
00:21:14,060 --> 00:21:15,630
to elected representatives

350
00:21:15,630 --> 00:21:18,180
to the leaders of this
amazing supportive community,

351
00:21:18,180 --> 00:21:20,530
and last but foremost,
the great men and women

352
00:21:20,530 --> 00:21:23,070
of the United States
Special Operations Command.

353
00:21:23,070 --> 00:21:24,770
I arrived here three years ago

354
00:21:24,770 --> 00:21:28,680
with about one day worth of
prep, having come from JSOC

355
00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,730
where I was intent on
beating McChrystal's record

356
00:21:30,730 --> 00:21:32,900
of five years in command.

357
00:21:32,900 --> 00:21:35,650
In fact, it was my former
mentor, Stan McChrystal,

358
00:21:35,650 --> 00:21:36,850
knowing that I was begrudgingly

359
00:21:36,850 --> 00:21:38,847
moving to the higher
headquarters who told me,

360
00:21:38,847 --> 00:21:40,517
"Get over yourself.

361
00:21:40,517 --> 00:21:42,997
"It's time to move up and
wrestle with the beast.

362
00:21:42,997 --> 00:21:45,297
"I doubt it will be a
tremendous amount of fun

363
00:21:45,297 --> 00:21:48,227
"except when you do see
changes taking place.

364
00:21:48,227 --> 00:21:51,727
"But, if SOCOM doesn't
move to where it must be,

365
00:21:51,727 --> 00:21:54,467
"it will stall in place
as a highly regarded

366
00:21:54,467 --> 00:21:57,660
"but less than it be team, forever.

367
00:21:57,660 --> 00:21:59,400
With that charge I embraced the challenge

368
00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:01,070
of trying to provide the
leadership and direction

369
00:22:01,070 --> 00:22:03,110
this organization demanded.

370
00:22:03,110 --> 00:22:04,470
I'm compelled to acknowledge

371
00:22:04,470 --> 00:22:07,250
that the opportunity to
work with the SOCOM team

372
00:22:07,250 --> 00:22:10,460
has been one of the most
rewarding experiences of my life.

373
00:22:10,460 --> 00:22:12,180
I was quickly made by the span and scope

374
00:22:12,180 --> 00:22:13,363
of our organizational activities

375
00:22:13,363 --> 00:22:15,450
and the extraordinary leaders and people

376
00:22:15,450 --> 00:22:18,000
who comprise this eclectic headquarters.

377
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,140
In my early attempt to
make sense of it all,

378
00:22:20,140 --> 00:22:21,730
I opted to make a very simple approach

379
00:22:21,730 --> 00:22:23,240
to bundling our priorities

380
00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,600
under the three sets of
win, transform and people.

381
00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:28,140
I know, two verbs and noun,

382
00:22:28,140 --> 00:22:29,910
people have taken me to task on that.

383
00:22:29,910 --> 00:22:31,310
And challenged our folks to ensure

384
00:22:31,310 --> 00:22:33,970
their relevance to
those pillars every day.

385
00:22:33,970 --> 00:22:36,130
This has been an
extraordinary period of time

386
00:22:36,130 --> 00:22:39,520
in terms of operational
tempo and transformation,

387
00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,270
the word relentless comes to mind.

388
00:22:42,270 --> 00:22:44,350
We have maintained a laser focus

389
00:22:44,350 --> 00:22:46,620
on our designated number-one-priority task

390
00:22:46,620 --> 00:22:48,420
of countering violent extremists

391
00:22:48,420 --> 00:22:49,540
and have played an integral role

392
00:22:49,540 --> 00:22:52,180
in the successful
prosecution of that fight.

393
00:22:52,180 --> 00:22:54,380
Right now, as we sit here,

394
00:22:54,380 --> 00:22:56,950
our teammates are on point for the nation

395
00:22:56,950 --> 00:22:59,770
in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq,

396
00:22:59,770 --> 00:23:02,030
Yemen, Somalia, Libya,

397
00:23:02,030 --> 00:23:03,680
the Trans-Sahel, the Maghreb,

398
00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:06,010
the Lake Chad Basin, the Philippines,

399
00:23:06,010 --> 00:23:08,480
everywhere ISIS and Al Qaeda is

400
00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:10,730
we are there taking it to 'em.

401
00:23:10,730 --> 00:23:13,730
I attended the McCain Security
Forum last year in Sedona

402
00:23:13,730 --> 00:23:15,750
and participated in a
panel where we were asked

403
00:23:15,750 --> 00:23:19,350
the softball question of
whether we were winning the war.

404
00:23:19,350 --> 00:23:21,010
After a lot of back and forth discussion,

405
00:23:21,010 --> 00:23:22,890
I offered that it depends.

406
00:23:22,890 --> 00:23:25,570
It depends on what your
definition of winning means.

407
00:23:25,570 --> 00:23:27,090
I offered my opinion,

408
00:23:27,090 --> 00:23:29,170
not necessarily the
opinion of the department,

409
00:23:29,170 --> 00:23:30,620
that if you were gauging that question

410
00:23:30,620 --> 00:23:33,650
on the solvency of any of the
half dozen or so countries

411
00:23:33,650 --> 00:23:36,070
where we are actively
fighting the scourge,

412
00:23:36,070 --> 00:23:39,230
you might be inclined to
question whether we are winning.

413
00:23:39,230 --> 00:23:42,920
However, if you based
your decision on winning

414
00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,580
on the purpose for which I believe

415
00:23:45,580 --> 00:23:47,990
we first deployed 18 years ago,

416
00:23:47,990 --> 00:23:49,350
that being to ensure that we would

417
00:23:49,350 --> 00:23:52,420
never ever have another 9/11,

418
00:23:52,420 --> 00:23:54,740
I think you could make
the very forceful argument

419
00:23:54,740 --> 00:23:57,300
that we are succeeding
in defending the nation

420
00:23:57,300 --> 00:24:00,110
from an adversary who is absolutely bent

421
00:24:00,110 --> 00:24:02,133
on conducting 9/11 redo.

422
00:24:04,009 --> 00:24:05,350
I can only bring up to you examples

423
00:24:05,350 --> 00:24:08,080
of Abdul Muttalib the
underwear bomber over Detroit

424
00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,540
and Faisal Shahzad for
people who dared, tried

425
00:24:10,540 --> 00:24:11,663
and almost succeeded.

426
00:24:12,550 --> 00:24:15,690
This is the latest greatest
chapter in that evolution.

427
00:24:15,690 --> 00:24:18,270
Our partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces

428
00:24:18,270 --> 00:24:20,100
and the defeat of the physical caliphate

429
00:24:20,100 --> 00:24:22,070
have been recently proclaimed.

430
00:24:22,070 --> 00:24:26,060
The plan and design and
execution for this campaign,

431
00:24:26,060 --> 00:24:28,400
despite some of the public sentiment,

432
00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:31,630
were developed by junior
officers and NCOs,

433
00:24:31,630 --> 00:24:34,260
no senior officer or general
officer can claim credit to it,

434
00:24:34,260 --> 00:24:37,380
where we developed a
60,000-person surrogate force

435
00:24:37,380 --> 00:24:38,950
that did most of the fighting and dying

436
00:24:38,950 --> 00:24:41,400
forced in defeating that caliphate.

437
00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:45,160
An example, the epic crossing
of the Euphrates River

438
00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,230
of several thousand
surrogate fighters under fire

439
00:24:48,230 --> 00:24:51,150
was led by a Special
Mission Unit sergeant major.

440
00:24:51,150 --> 00:24:53,620
The siege of Raqqa,
led by a sergeant major

441
00:24:53,620 --> 00:24:56,840
who was tragically killed later
on in a free-fall parachute

442
00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:58,640
is one for the ages.

443
00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:00,210
Brett McGurk, I saw you here today.

444
00:25:00,210 --> 00:25:03,560
I'd be remiss if I didn't
give you just a ton of credit

445
00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:06,640
for being a great teammate
in this epic effort.

446
00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:07,940
Some of you don't know
the rest of the story,

447
00:25:07,940 --> 00:25:10,830
but Brett McGurk was
designated as this president's

448
00:25:10,830 --> 00:25:13,840
special plenipotentiary, his lead officer,

449
00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:15,690
with all the power that that entailed.

450
00:25:15,690 --> 00:25:17,440
And he was a man that
never stopped moving.

451
00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,890
In fact, we always
wondered where Brett was,

452
00:25:20,890 --> 00:25:23,620
on occasion, until we both
got persona non gratad

453
00:25:23,620 --> 00:25:24,870
out of Turkey eventually.

454
00:25:25,850 --> 00:25:27,890
Brett literally was
the consummate diplomat

455
00:25:27,890 --> 00:25:29,510
throughout this fight.

456
00:25:29,510 --> 00:25:33,170
We went out to Kobani early
on, met with General Mazlum,

457
00:25:33,170 --> 00:25:34,003
I think we're the first ones

458
00:25:34,003 --> 00:25:35,580
to meet with him on the ground out there.

459
00:25:35,580 --> 00:25:36,960
And he was able to
commit to him to a level

460
00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,540
to keep that force in the fight
and drive them to the table

461
00:25:40,540 --> 00:25:43,260
while we hope they are part
of the future of Syria.

462
00:25:43,260 --> 00:25:46,590
Brett, thanks, just a historic
epic effort on your part.

463
00:25:46,590 --> 00:25:48,920
This effort, the most
aggressive away game possible

464
00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:51,260
has not come without considerable cost.

465
00:25:51,260 --> 00:25:53,470
The department has lost several
thousand service members

466
00:25:53,470 --> 00:25:55,060
during this protracted struggle.

467
00:25:55,060 --> 00:25:57,010
And just this past week we lost

468
00:25:57,010 --> 00:25:58,670
Sergeant First Class Will Lindsay

469
00:25:58,670 --> 00:26:00,860
from 10th Special Forces Group.

470
00:26:00,860 --> 00:26:02,830
15 years time in service,

471
00:26:02,830 --> 00:26:06,040
six tours in Iraq, two in Afghanistan.

472
00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:09,190
He leaves behind a wife,
Sarah, and four daughters,

473
00:26:09,190 --> 00:26:11,750
Scotlynn seven, Evelyn five,

474
00:26:11,750 --> 00:26:14,900
and twins Graceland and Richland one.

475
00:26:14,900 --> 00:26:17,640
Will Lindsay's the 430th SOF teammate

476
00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:20,170
to be killed since the
beginning of this war.

477
00:26:20,170 --> 00:26:22,340
And overnight we were
informed of two others

478
00:26:22,340 --> 00:26:26,110
added to our wounded in action
roles, which now tops 2,900.

479
00:26:26,110 --> 00:26:27,560
We are compelled to take care

480
00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:29,840
of these people and their families.

481
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:31,780
Elsewhere in the world we
are persistently engaged

482
00:26:31,780 --> 00:26:33,440
in every country on the European continent

483
00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:34,950
on the border with Russia,

484
00:26:34,950 --> 00:26:37,030
ensuring allies and
building partner capacity

485
00:26:37,030 --> 00:26:39,830
to disrupt and deter Russian aggression.

486
00:26:39,830 --> 00:26:40,810
We are similarly deployed

487
00:26:40,810 --> 00:26:43,010
in 18 countries in the Pacific region,

488
00:26:43,010 --> 00:26:44,920
enhancing host nation
security capabilities

489
00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:46,820
in the face of both terrorists

490
00:26:46,820 --> 00:26:49,130
and Chinese hegemonic activities.

491
00:26:49,130 --> 00:26:51,570
In Central and South America
we are extensively partnered

492
00:26:51,570 --> 00:26:54,310
with law-enforcement and
host-nation security forces

493
00:26:54,310 --> 00:26:56,690
in disrupting trans-regional
threat networks,

494
00:26:56,690 --> 00:26:58,070
which convey both criminal

495
00:26:58,070 --> 00:27:00,410
and other nefarious
threats to the homeland.

496
00:27:00,410 --> 00:27:03,050
In all these cases and in many others

497
00:27:03,050 --> 00:27:05,860
we're reinforcing one of
our primary skillsets,

498
00:27:05,860 --> 00:27:08,540
the ability to work by
with and through others

499
00:27:08,540 --> 00:27:10,130
and to convert human capital

500
00:27:10,130 --> 00:27:11,973
into competent security forces.

501
00:27:12,890 --> 00:27:14,590
In public testimony and other sources,

502
00:27:14,590 --> 00:27:17,530
you've often heard that
SOCOM on a daily basis

503
00:27:17,530 --> 00:27:19,890
maintains approximately 8,000 teammates

504
00:27:19,890 --> 00:27:23,770
in 80 or so countries, that lacks context.

505
00:27:23,770 --> 00:27:26,480
In several of those countries
which I've already cited

506
00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,500
we are actively conducting
combat operations.

507
00:27:29,500 --> 00:27:31,900
However in the great
majority of other countries,

508
00:27:31,900 --> 00:27:35,040
roughly 75 to 80%, we are there

509
00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:37,240
at the invitation of a host nation,

510
00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,080
working by, with and through them

511
00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:41,530
to create or enhance security forces

512
00:27:41,530 --> 00:27:44,170
left of bang, left of crisis,

513
00:27:44,170 --> 00:27:46,100
so that the respective
countries are capable

514
00:27:46,100 --> 00:27:48,260
of handling their own security challenges

515
00:27:48,260 --> 00:27:50,660
without the need for
deploying large numbers

516
00:27:50,660 --> 00:27:53,340
of U.S. service members to do the same.

517
00:27:53,340 --> 00:27:56,290
I believe this to be a prudent
investment in our security

518
00:27:56,290 --> 00:27:59,330
and a great platform pursuing
our national interests

519
00:27:59,330 --> 00:28:01,460
and promulgating our national values.

520
00:28:01,460 --> 00:28:04,970
Interestingly, at that same
Sedona conference I attended,

521
00:28:04,970 --> 00:28:07,150
he had not been confirmed yet
to be the secretary of state,

522
00:28:07,150 --> 00:28:09,290
but Secretary Pompeo
was asked that question,

523
00:28:09,290 --> 00:28:10,690
what's our foreign policy about?

524
00:28:10,690 --> 00:28:13,750
Is it pursuing national
interests or national values?

525
00:28:13,750 --> 00:28:15,570
And because he was top in
his class at West Point,

526
00:28:15,570 --> 00:28:18,070
that flummoxed me, I didn't
know how he was gonna answer it.

527
00:28:18,070 --> 00:28:19,880
Because he's top in his
class at West Point,

528
00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:22,457
he didn't even blink an eye,
he said, "I think it's both.

529
00:28:22,457 --> 00:28:23,500
"Were pursuing both our national interests

530
00:28:23,500 --> 00:28:26,100
"and our national values."

531
00:28:26,100 --> 00:28:29,680
8,000 folks in 80
countries, 75% left of bang,

532
00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:30,810
building partner capacity

533
00:28:30,810 --> 00:28:33,360
so they can deal with our
own security challenges,

534
00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:35,360
precluding the need to
deploy large formations.

535
00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:37,320
Again, I think it's a sound concept.

536
00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:38,860
During the past three
years we have continued

537
00:28:38,860 --> 00:28:42,320
to generate and provide the
geographic combatant commanders

538
00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:45,050
with the best special
operations forces in the world.

539
00:28:45,050 --> 00:28:48,080
However, it is in our other
role as a combatant command,

540
00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:49,940
and more specifically a combatant command

541
00:28:49,940 --> 00:28:51,940
with global reach and effectiveness,

542
00:28:51,940 --> 00:28:54,800
where we have experienced
the largest transformation.

543
00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:56,010
We now own and operate

544
00:28:56,010 --> 00:28:58,710
three major mission sets for
the Department of Defense,

545
00:28:58,710 --> 00:29:00,270
countering violent extremism,

546
00:29:00,270 --> 00:29:02,180
countering weapons of mass destruction

547
00:29:02,180 --> 00:29:05,020
and messaging, counter-messaging
for the department

548
00:29:05,020 --> 00:29:06,790
as the designated coordinating authority

549
00:29:06,790 --> 00:29:08,720
for those respective missions.

550
00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:11,240
Countering weapons of mass
destruction mission development

551
00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:13,690
has as gone extraordinarily well

552
00:29:13,690 --> 00:29:15,010
over the last couple of years,

553
00:29:15,010 --> 00:29:16,700
especially based on the great partnership

554
00:29:16,700 --> 00:29:18,050
with DTRA and Vayl Oxford.

555
00:29:18,050 --> 00:29:20,720
Vayl, I know you're here
today, thanks for all you do.

556
00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:22,270
Already an up and running,

557
00:29:22,270 --> 00:29:24,570
literally up and running
at SOCOM headquarters,

558
00:29:24,570 --> 00:29:27,790
the joint MISO, Military
Information Support Operations'

559
00:29:27,790 --> 00:29:30,450
WebOps Center is humming.

560
00:29:30,450 --> 00:29:32,030
It's a great opportunity for us

561
00:29:32,030 --> 00:29:33,700
to help the department compete

562
00:29:33,700 --> 00:29:35,350
in the information environment,

563
00:29:35,350 --> 00:29:37,060
and an even more exciting platform

564
00:29:37,060 --> 00:29:39,430
for applied artificial intelligence,

565
00:29:39,430 --> 00:29:42,780
more on that topic, my
passion, in a moment.

566
00:29:42,780 --> 00:29:45,740
We are accomplishing all this
with a relatively small force.

567
00:29:45,740 --> 00:29:48,290
Only 2% or so the overall DoD,

568
00:29:48,290 --> 00:29:52,480
but tolling 86,000 military
civilian and contractors

569
00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:53,780
who are some of the most extraordinary

570
00:29:53,780 --> 00:29:56,570
problem solvers in our
national security arena.

571
00:29:56,570 --> 00:30:01,360
2% of the DoD budget and
about 2% of the DoD manpower.

572
00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:03,770
Exceptional return on investment.

573
00:30:03,770 --> 00:30:06,190
I'm often asked in
Congressional and OSD channels

574
00:30:06,190 --> 00:30:08,480
about the pressure or
strain on this force.

575
00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:11,340
And it's undeniable, this
command has been at war

576
00:30:11,340 --> 00:30:14,900
for 18 straight years now,
and almost always in some form

577
00:30:14,900 --> 00:30:18,060
over the entirety of the
organization's 32-year existence.

578
00:30:18,060 --> 00:30:20,410
My personal career's
tracked almost in parallel

579
00:30:20,410 --> 00:30:22,340
with the evolution of this command.

580
00:30:22,340 --> 00:30:25,930
In April 1980, my classmates
out here will remember,

581
00:30:25,930 --> 00:30:28,530
when we were served the New
York Times on the morning

582
00:30:28,530 --> 00:30:30,730
a month out from graduation,

583
00:30:30,730 --> 00:30:32,900
where we woke up to the
front-page headlines

584
00:30:32,900 --> 00:30:34,430
about the debacle in the desert.

585
00:30:34,430 --> 00:30:36,100
You saw a few pictures of that,

586
00:30:36,100 --> 00:30:38,490
Desert One, Operation Eagle Claw.

587
00:30:38,490 --> 00:30:41,200
We didn't discuss it, it
was just another bad day

588
00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:42,570
for the United States of America.

589
00:30:42,570 --> 00:30:45,340
Again, a shortcoming of the
military academy at that time.

590
00:30:45,340 --> 00:30:47,310
It was a bad period of
time for our military

591
00:30:47,310 --> 00:30:49,870
in the wake of Vietnam,
possibly the very nadir,

592
00:30:49,870 --> 00:30:52,350
the Army was certainly
not in very good shape.

593
00:30:52,350 --> 00:30:54,810
However, it was a seminal event
which provided the impetus

594
00:30:54,810 --> 00:30:57,610
for the creation of our
special mission units, JSOC,

595
00:30:57,610 --> 00:31:00,170
and finally seven years later, SOCOM.

596
00:31:00,170 --> 00:31:02,710
Next year will be the 40th anniversary

597
00:31:02,710 --> 00:31:04,550
of that day in the desert.

598
00:31:04,550 --> 00:31:05,600
This command and our warriors

599
00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:07,020
have been in a steady state of combat

600
00:31:07,020 --> 00:31:09,140
or so-called low intensity conflict

601
00:31:09,140 --> 00:31:12,540
for most if not all of
that four-decade period.

602
00:31:12,540 --> 00:31:14,380
Having said that, the
force and our families

603
00:31:14,380 --> 00:31:16,670
are incredibly strong and resilient.

604
00:31:16,670 --> 00:31:18,670
They're riding it hard
but driven by an ethos,

605
00:31:18,670 --> 00:31:22,110
to whom much is given much is expected.

606
00:31:22,110 --> 00:31:24,560
We operate, you could say we thrive,

607
00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:26,490
in ill-defined situations.

608
00:31:26,490 --> 00:31:27,970
The standard guidance that I've received

609
00:31:27,970 --> 00:31:28,803
for the last couple of years,

610
00:31:28,803 --> 00:31:31,030
and a little policy and
strategy in some cases,

611
00:31:31,030 --> 00:31:34,340
is buy us space and time, develop options.

612
00:31:34,340 --> 00:31:37,420
Meanwhile, don't box
in the decision maker.

613
00:31:37,420 --> 00:31:39,367
We've significantly evolved
as a combatant command,

614
00:31:39,367 --> 00:31:42,150
and more specifically as
a global combat command.

615
00:31:42,150 --> 00:31:44,460
And I'm really privileged by
the relationship I've developed

616
00:31:44,460 --> 00:31:46,200
with John Hyten at STRATCOM,

617
00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,340
Paul Nakasone here today Cybercom,

618
00:31:48,340 --> 00:31:51,440
Steve Lyons at Transcom
and Jay Raven at Spacecom,

619
00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:53,640
attempting to afford melded global options

620
00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:56,610
to the department and the
geographic combatant commanders.

621
00:31:56,610 --> 00:31:58,460
We continue to be the DoD trendsetter

622
00:31:58,460 --> 00:31:59,900
in taking care of our people

623
00:31:59,900 --> 00:32:00,990
through the platforms of our

624
00:32:00,990 --> 00:32:04,640
preservation of the Force and
Family and our Care Coalition.

625
00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:06,560
Despite my seeming satisfaction

626
00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:08,160
with the progress of the command,

627
00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:12,030
I depart acknowledging that
the world is not a better place

628
00:32:12,030 --> 00:32:13,480
or a safer place.

629
00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:16,350
In fact, it's trending
badly on multiple fronts,

630
00:32:16,350 --> 00:32:18,330
to include several which
are existential threats

631
00:32:18,330 --> 00:32:21,070
to us and our way of life.

632
00:32:21,070 --> 00:32:22,370
We're at a critical juncture

633
00:32:22,370 --> 00:32:24,350
for the command and the department,

634
00:32:24,350 --> 00:32:27,250
simultaneously maintaining
pressure on violent extremists,

635
00:32:28,350 --> 00:32:30,900
while reorienting and
transforming ourselves

636
00:32:30,900 --> 00:32:34,010
for the threats identified in
the national defense strategy.

637
00:32:34,010 --> 00:32:37,220
The violent extremists fight
is at a pivotal historic point.

638
00:32:37,220 --> 00:32:39,160
Afghanistan, we've gone from 2012,

639
00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:41,960
where the commander
time told my formation,

640
00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:45,870
we aren't winning but we're
leaving anyway in 2014,

641
00:32:45,870 --> 00:32:47,780
an end date invites an end state,

642
00:32:47,780 --> 00:32:50,820
to turning the corner up
till this critical moment

643
00:32:50,820 --> 00:32:53,410
when we have absolutely driven the Taliban

644
00:32:53,410 --> 00:32:55,070
to the reconciliation table

645
00:32:55,070 --> 00:32:57,380
under the leadership of Zal Khalilzad.

646
00:32:57,380 --> 00:32:59,020
In Syria and Iraq, we've declared

647
00:32:59,020 --> 00:33:00,780
the defeat of the physical caliphate.

648
00:33:00,780 --> 00:33:02,410
There's 15,000 of those rascals

649
00:33:02,410 --> 00:33:04,160
still suspected to be out there.

650
00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:05,410
They've gone to ground,

651
00:33:05,410 --> 00:33:07,010
hoping we'll take the pedal off the metal

652
00:33:07,010 --> 00:33:08,910
like we did in 2011.

653
00:33:08,910 --> 00:33:11,530
All the precursors are still in place

654
00:33:11,530 --> 00:33:15,200
with the heinous Assad regime,
Iranian hegemonic activities,

655
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:18,200
and our folks are thriving and serving

656
00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,800
in the most complex
battlefield on the planet.

657
00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:22,090
I was there not too long ago,

658
00:33:22,090 --> 00:33:25,150
and within small arms range,
certainly mortar range,

659
00:33:25,150 --> 00:33:27,350
you have the confluence of Syrian regime,

660
00:33:27,350 --> 00:33:29,788
Russian regular and paramilitary forces,

661
00:33:29,788 --> 00:33:33,480
IRGC, Lebanese Hezbollah,
Shia militia groups,

662
00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:36,660
Turks and their proxies,
U.S. and our proxies,

663
00:33:36,660 --> 00:33:38,380
and oh yeah, by the way, ISIS.

664
00:33:38,380 --> 00:33:40,070
And over the top of that you have Iran

665
00:33:40,070 --> 00:33:43,070
trying to push in mid-range
ballistic missiles

666
00:33:43,070 --> 00:33:44,800
and Israel requesting permission

667
00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:46,430
to come into that battle space.

668
00:33:46,430 --> 00:33:49,010
Tell me that's not a complex
environment for our operators

669
00:33:49,010 --> 00:33:52,110
and our other great professionals
from the inter-agency,

670
00:33:52,110 --> 00:33:54,110
specifically State Department and USAID.

671
00:33:55,270 --> 00:33:57,390
To more aggressively and
coherently propel the command

672
00:33:57,390 --> 00:34:00,150
to achieve the capabilities
required for the future fight,

673
00:34:00,150 --> 00:34:02,410
and specifically against peer competitors,

674
00:34:02,410 --> 00:34:03,900
I recently directed the establishment

675
00:34:03,900 --> 00:34:05,680
of the SOCOM Experimental Force

676
00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:08,210
to drive future force capabilities.

677
00:34:08,210 --> 00:34:10,990
We have established
ourselves in very short order

678
00:34:10,990 --> 00:34:13,800
as an artificial intelligence platform.

679
00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:16,220
I'd like to say it was a short order,

680
00:34:16,220 --> 00:34:19,118
but not when I reflect back
on really what my epiphany was

681
00:34:19,118 --> 00:34:21,930
for this particular initiative.

682
00:34:21,930 --> 00:34:24,070
Three years ago, and Bill
McRaven you can remember

683
00:34:24,070 --> 00:34:26,410
riding around in a car
on Bayshore Boulevard

684
00:34:26,410 --> 00:34:27,860
with none other than Eric Schmidt,

685
00:34:27,860 --> 00:34:29,890
the former Google and Alphabet CEO.

686
00:34:29,890 --> 00:34:32,440
He was here as part of the
Department of Defense's

687
00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:34,610
initiative task force
under your leadership.

688
00:34:34,610 --> 00:34:36,440
He spent a day or two with us

689
00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:39,420
and felt compelled to
give me a report card,

690
00:34:39,420 --> 00:34:40,640
pretty bold move on his part.

691
00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:41,920
But he felt pretty comfortable,

692
00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:42,970
and if you know Eric Schmidt,

693
00:34:42,970 --> 00:34:45,260
he's very comfortable in his own skin.

694
00:34:45,260 --> 00:34:47,217
We rode down Bayshore Boulevard
in a suburban and he said,

695
00:34:47,217 --> 00:34:49,477
"General, I'd like to give
you props for your people.

696
00:34:49,477 --> 00:34:51,617
"You clearly hire extraordinary talent."

697
00:34:51,617 --> 00:34:52,900
And I thought, check,

698
00:34:52,900 --> 00:34:54,740
if you got nothing
other out of this visit,

699
00:34:54,740 --> 00:34:57,240
we do have America's best and brightest.

700
00:34:57,240 --> 00:34:59,650
He said, "You seem to
prototype pretty effectively."

701
00:34:59,650 --> 00:35:01,760
And I thought, yep,
we've been failing fast

702
00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:03,560
long before I ever read a business book,

703
00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:04,564
and I don't read books,

704
00:35:04,564 --> 00:35:05,397
but before I ever read a business book

705
00:35:06,266 --> 00:35:07,980
that described the phenomenon.

706
00:35:07,980 --> 00:35:08,813
But then he went on to say,

707
00:35:08,813 --> 00:35:11,177
"You absolutely" fill in the blank

708
00:35:11,177 --> 00:35:15,640
"at qualitative computing and
applied machine learning."

709
00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:18,290
He then went on to say, and
I was getting a little edgy,

710
00:35:18,290 --> 00:35:20,287
that, "I know you live in a complex world,

711
00:35:20,287 --> 00:35:22,377
"but if I got under your tent for one day

712
00:35:22,377 --> 00:35:24,327
"I could solve every one
of your wicked problems

713
00:35:24,327 --> 00:35:28,627
"to a simple up-down switch
with advanced algorithms

714
00:35:28,627 --> 00:35:31,600
"and applied mathematics and
computational computing."

715
00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:33,130
I was ready to boot him out of the car

716
00:35:33,130 --> 00:35:34,820
on Bayshore Boulevard.

717
00:35:34,820 --> 00:35:38,200
But I stopped for a minute
and I let Bill McRaven

718
00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:40,490
continue the conversation
with Eric Schmidt,

719
00:35:40,490 --> 00:35:42,010
and it struck me in very short order

720
00:35:42,010 --> 00:35:43,440
he was absolutely right.

721
00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:45,520
We were swimming in oceans of data

722
00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:48,380
pertinent to our wartime efforts

723
00:35:48,380 --> 00:35:49,860
and were being absolutely flummoxed

724
00:35:49,860 --> 00:35:51,630
by our inability to leverage it.

725
00:35:51,630 --> 00:35:54,260
And so, we did put some things in motion

726
00:35:54,260 --> 00:35:55,850
to really get after this phenomenon

727
00:35:55,850 --> 00:35:58,350
that's here now, called
artificial intelligence.

728
00:35:58,350 --> 00:36:01,400
I've become a self-described zealot.

729
00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:04,320
Interestingly at Senate testimony,

730
00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:05,760
one of the Senators asked me about

731
00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:08,020
artificial intelligence and
where I thought it applied.

732
00:36:08,020 --> 00:36:10,900
I looked at Paul who was
testifying with me and said,

733
00:36:10,900 --> 00:36:13,320
do you want this one because
I'm really ready to jump on it.

734
00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:15,373
He deferred and let me reply.

735
00:36:16,336 --> 00:36:19,660
And I said, Senator, it applies
to everything we're doing

736
00:36:19,660 --> 00:36:21,870
and everything we could
consider doing the future.

737
00:36:21,870 --> 00:36:23,010
I'm an absolute zealot,

738
00:36:23,010 --> 00:36:25,520
we are trying to drive
SOCOM in that direction.

739
00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,000
My oh-so-supportive youngest son Michael,

740
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:29,240
who's here with us today,

741
00:36:29,240 --> 00:36:32,107
texted me right after
that session and said,

742
00:36:32,107 --> 00:36:35,237
"Dad, if you're a zealot
for artificial intelligence,

743
00:36:35,237 --> 00:36:36,642
"I'm Steve Jobs."

744
00:36:36,642 --> 00:36:40,210
(audience laughing)

745
00:36:40,210 --> 00:36:42,280
The point being, I'm the
60-year-old in the room

746
00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:45,110
who barely understands how
any of this stuff works.

747
00:36:45,110 --> 00:36:46,868
But I absolutely can see the application

748
00:36:46,868 --> 00:36:48,930
and we need to get there.

749
00:36:48,930 --> 00:36:50,270
We need to embrace the phenomenon,

750
00:36:50,270 --> 00:36:52,840
it applies to everything
we do and will do.

751
00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:55,530
We have to educate the force
and change the culture.

752
00:36:55,530 --> 00:36:57,400
We're aggressively pursuing small wins

753
00:36:57,400 --> 00:36:58,910
in targeting, predictive maintenance,

754
00:36:58,910 --> 00:37:02,180
logistics, information
operations, everything.

755
00:37:02,180 --> 00:37:05,170
The audience here today has
several industry leaders

756
00:37:05,170 --> 00:37:06,870
who have already begun partnering with us

757
00:37:06,870 --> 00:37:09,200
to pursue the integration
of this technology,

758
00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:11,920
and I very much appreciate their help.

759
00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,130
Yes, we need to debate
and formulate policy

760
00:37:14,130 --> 00:37:16,420
which applies to this
world-changing technology.

761
00:37:16,420 --> 00:37:19,020
But in the meantime, we need to get at it.

762
00:37:19,020 --> 00:37:21,440
Our adversaries already are.

763
00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:22,850
Recently we've gone back to the roots

764
00:37:22,850 --> 00:37:24,960
of our shared lineage with the OSS,

765
00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:27,757
recalling General Bill
Donovan's vision that, quote,

766
00:37:27,757 --> 00:37:29,177
"The importance of the OSS."

767
00:37:29,177 --> 00:37:31,490
And you could substitute the SOCOM

768
00:37:31,490 --> 00:37:34,387
and maybe even Gina Haspel's
organization as well.

769
00:37:34,387 --> 00:37:36,607
"That the importance of our organization

770
00:37:36,607 --> 00:37:39,567
"lies not only in its role
in hastening military defeat,

771
00:37:39,567 --> 00:37:40,587
"but also in the development

772
00:37:40,587 --> 00:37:42,977
"of the concept of unorthodox warfare,

773
00:37:42,977 --> 00:37:45,697
"which alone constitutes
a major contribution

774
00:37:45,697 --> 00:37:48,907
"to drive us to develop
substantive approaches

775
00:37:48,907 --> 00:37:51,277
"to the irregular warfare core competency

776
00:37:51,277 --> 00:37:54,297
"and desire to compete,
short of direct conflict,

777
00:37:54,297 --> 00:37:56,940
"called for in our
national defense strategy."

778
00:37:56,940 --> 00:37:59,060
I wanna close by thanking
the multitude of agencies,

779
00:37:59,060 --> 00:38:01,480
partners and services
who support our command.

780
00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:02,690
Special thanks, as I mentioned,

781
00:38:02,690 --> 00:38:05,060
to Gina Haspel here from the CIA.

782
00:38:05,060 --> 00:38:07,100
Gina, It was my personal
pleasure to work with you

783
00:38:07,100 --> 00:38:09,070
when you were the FA out there in London.

784
00:38:09,070 --> 00:38:11,180
You've been a phenomenal public servant,

785
00:38:11,180 --> 00:38:12,660
the right person, the right time

786
00:38:12,660 --> 00:38:14,130
for that great organization.

787
00:38:14,130 --> 00:38:15,793
God bless you going forward.

788
00:38:16,778 --> 00:38:18,960
Vayl Oxford at DTRA,
another tremendous teammate.

789
00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:20,420
Vayl, thank you for being here today.

790
00:38:20,420 --> 00:38:22,570
And again, if I haven't
called you out I'm sorry,

791
00:38:22,570 --> 00:38:24,130
I'm conscious of the time.

792
00:38:24,130 --> 00:38:27,010
I'd like to thank Congress,
representative Castor here today

793
00:38:27,010 --> 00:38:28,410
is as a representative for that,

794
00:38:28,410 --> 00:38:29,990
who has consistently provided us

795
00:38:29,990 --> 00:38:33,520
with the resources to sustain
our operational approach

796
00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:36,770
while transforming our
capabilities for the future fight.

797
00:38:36,770 --> 00:38:39,220
I'd like to thank the
great local community again

798
00:38:39,220 --> 00:38:42,540
for all you do to support
USSOCOM and our service members.

799
00:38:42,540 --> 00:38:45,000
Lastly, I'd like to personally thank

800
00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:47,010
the leaders and members of USSOCOM

801
00:38:47,010 --> 00:38:50,010
for what they do every
day to defend the nation.

802
00:38:50,010 --> 00:38:53,500
While we stay focused on the
fight and our transformation,

803
00:38:53,500 --> 00:38:56,070
we must remain equally
or more so committed

804
00:38:56,070 --> 00:38:58,320
to our most precious asset, our people.

805
00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:01,200
It's the only way we can
maintain this juggernaut.

806
00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:04,060
In my comments about the
strain and demand on the force,

807
00:39:04,060 --> 00:39:06,130
I don't want you to walk away
with the wrong perception

808
00:39:06,130 --> 00:39:09,230
that we, this team, isn't up to the task.

809
00:39:09,230 --> 00:39:10,770
The resilience of this force

810
00:39:10,770 --> 00:39:13,260
and their families is on a daily display.

811
00:39:13,260 --> 00:39:15,330
Let me give you a couple examples.

812
00:39:15,330 --> 00:39:18,130
A year and a half ago,
we went to a funeral

813
00:39:18,130 --> 00:39:20,270
in Monticello, Utah,
for Aaron Rhett Butler

814
00:39:20,270 --> 00:39:23,320
who was National Guard
E6 killed in combat.

815
00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:27,480
Aaron was the seventh of eight
children, you guessed it,

816
00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:32,080
they might be a Latter-Day
Saints family in Southern Utah.

817
00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:33,870
I got in to meet, there was a long queue,

818
00:39:33,870 --> 00:39:36,450
the entire town of Monticello,
was about 5,000 strong

819
00:39:36,450 --> 00:39:39,380
had turned out to be there for the family.

820
00:39:39,380 --> 00:39:41,690
I got in the queue, and
awkwardly as they always do,

821
00:39:41,690 --> 00:39:44,200
they rushed the senior
officer up to the front.

822
00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:46,170
So I got to meet the father,
he was a big bear of a man.

823
00:39:46,170 --> 00:39:47,300
He had taught every one of his kids

824
00:39:47,300 --> 00:39:49,080
how to either grapple or wrestle,

825
00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:51,130
to include the oldest, a stunning blond,

826
00:39:51,130 --> 00:39:52,480
and then seven daughters.

827
00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:56,410
The oldest daughter was an
MMA, very competitive athlete.

828
00:39:56,410 --> 00:39:58,130
All the sons were wrestlers.

829
00:39:58,130 --> 00:40:01,130
Aaron was the four-time Utah
State Wrestling champion.

830
00:40:01,130 --> 00:40:01,963
There's only been one other

831
00:40:01,963 --> 00:40:03,750
person in history that's done that.

832
00:40:03,750 --> 00:40:05,710
And so, I went down the line
and met all these folks.

833
00:40:05,710 --> 00:40:08,980
They asked me to speak,
which I usually defer.

834
00:40:08,980 --> 00:40:11,260
I don't go to these sessions to speak,

835
00:40:11,260 --> 00:40:12,470
I go there to be for the families,

836
00:40:12,470 --> 00:40:13,700
but they asked me to speak

837
00:40:13,700 --> 00:40:15,550
and I was blessed to
have that opportunity.

838
00:40:15,550 --> 00:40:17,320
Because I followed seven siblings

839
00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:20,190
talking about their brother,
to include the youngest sibling

840
00:40:20,190 --> 00:40:22,557
that said, "Aaron was always there for me.

841
00:40:22,557 --> 00:40:25,767
"Never ever let anybody
take advantage of me

842
00:40:25,767 --> 00:40:28,217
"or beat up on me on the playground,

843
00:40:28,217 --> 00:40:31,130
"except for him when he beat up on me."

844
00:40:31,130 --> 00:40:32,560
But he was already living

845
00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:35,460
the motto of our Special
Forces, De Oppresso Liber.

846
00:40:35,460 --> 00:40:37,530
It was the mother though that gave me

847
00:40:37,530 --> 00:40:40,680
the lasting impression
that I will never forget.

848
00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:45,290
Aaron's mom was the matriarch
right out of Central Casting.

849
00:40:45,290 --> 00:40:46,440
And she gripped my hand.

850
00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:47,720
I was giving her a hug

851
00:40:47,720 --> 00:40:50,290
and was conveying my condolences to her.

852
00:40:50,290 --> 00:40:52,647
And she looked me in the eye
and very fiercely stated,

853
00:40:52,647 --> 00:40:56,000
"Stay on this and finish it."

854
00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:57,670
And as the mighty mighty SOCOM commander,

855
00:40:57,670 --> 00:40:59,690
my knees almost buckled.

856
00:40:59,690 --> 00:41:01,520
'Cause I thought, here's
this woman that just lost

857
00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:03,300
the seventh of eight pups,

858
00:41:03,300 --> 00:41:05,470
and she's telling me to stay on it.

859
00:41:05,470 --> 00:41:07,770
And if that doesn't
inspire you to stay after

860
00:41:07,770 --> 00:41:12,030
the evil that this country's
facing, I don't know what does.

861
00:41:12,030 --> 00:41:13,870
More recently we lost two Rangers,

862
00:41:13,870 --> 00:41:15,740
in a space of about three months.

863
00:41:15,740 --> 00:41:19,710
We lost Ranger Jasso from
2nd Ranger Battalion.

864
00:41:19,710 --> 00:41:22,330
At that funeral I met the wife

865
00:41:22,330 --> 00:41:25,940
of an NCO named Cameron
Meddock, Cameron was deployed.

866
00:41:25,940 --> 00:41:27,870
His wife was seven months pregnant,

867
00:41:27,870 --> 00:41:30,600
but she was there to support the team.

868
00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,160
I saw her again four
months later at the funeral

869
00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:35,040
for her husband, Cameron
Meddock who was killed.

870
00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:37,680
Same team, had replaced
the team leader in action,

871
00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:39,150
but killed four months later.

872
00:41:39,150 --> 00:41:40,900
She was now eight-and-a-half months-ish

873
00:41:40,900 --> 00:41:41,760
pregnant at the point.

874
00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:42,960
I guess I was overestimating

875
00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:44,870
how pregnant she was the first time.

876
00:41:44,870 --> 00:41:46,380
But they're as strong

877
00:41:46,380 --> 00:41:49,090
as any Spartan wife
you could ever imagine.

878
00:41:49,090 --> 00:41:50,150
Most recently we attended

879
00:41:50,150 --> 00:41:52,160
on the other side of stage
here about a month ago,

880
00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:54,710
the funeral for Warrant
Officer John Farmer.

881
00:41:54,710 --> 00:41:57,210
I didn't know John Farmer,
but I know his type.

882
00:41:57,210 --> 00:42:00,760
John was a six-foot-five
hulking man-mountain.

883
00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:03,639
He was a team captain for
his college basketball team

884
00:42:03,639 --> 00:42:06,260
in Beloit College up in Maine.

885
00:42:06,260 --> 00:42:07,900
Good at everything he touched,

886
00:42:07,900 --> 00:42:09,660
and his teammates got up,

887
00:42:09,660 --> 00:42:11,580
teammate after teammate talking about him.

888
00:42:11,580 --> 00:42:13,490
But it wasn't until his
wife Tabitha got up there,

889
00:42:13,490 --> 00:42:15,180
who had four children as well,

890
00:42:15,180 --> 00:42:17,100
to include four-year-old twins.

891
00:42:17,100 --> 00:42:20,650
And Tabitha got up on
the altar, and for us,

892
00:42:20,650 --> 00:42:22,730
told us that the question
she was always asked was,

893
00:42:22,730 --> 00:42:25,390
how do you do it, how do you stay

894
00:42:25,390 --> 00:42:27,750
the spouse of a Special Forces officer,

895
00:42:27,750 --> 00:42:30,139
Special Forces operator
through all this stuff?

896
00:42:30,139 --> 00:42:32,150
And she said, interestingly,

897
00:42:32,150 --> 00:42:34,650
John would ask her the same question

898
00:42:34,650 --> 00:42:36,300
every time before he deployed.

899
00:42:36,300 --> 00:42:38,870
But then he would pick her up,
six-foot-five bear of a man,

900
00:42:38,870 --> 00:42:42,060
look her in the eye and say, you got this.

901
00:42:42,060 --> 00:42:44,130
Which is typically what
we do with our spouse.

902
00:42:44,130 --> 00:42:45,790
You got this, it's only four kids.

903
00:42:45,790 --> 00:42:48,610
I'm going off with my teammates to combat.

904
00:42:48,610 --> 00:42:51,140
You got this, how hard could it be?

905
00:42:51,140 --> 00:42:53,710
And so, Tabitha, as she ultimately was

906
00:42:53,710 --> 00:42:56,160
fighting off fits of
crying and fits a smiling,

907
00:42:56,160 --> 00:42:58,777
remembering her man up there,
turned to all of us and said,

908
00:42:58,777 --> 00:43:02,810
"Don't worry, we got this."

909
00:43:02,810 --> 00:43:04,663
That's the resiliency of our force.

910
00:43:06,490 --> 00:43:07,850
I'll close by telling you

911
00:43:07,850 --> 00:43:09,680
it's been my personal
and professional pleasure

912
00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:12,260
to work with this amazing
organization and its people.

913
00:43:12,260 --> 00:43:13,290
God bless this command

914
00:43:13,290 --> 00:43:15,230
as it continues to do
the nation's bidding,

915
00:43:15,230 --> 00:43:17,360
and may God continue to
bless this great country.

916
00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:18,276
Thank you very much.

917
00:43:18,276 --> 00:43:21,443
(audience applauding)

918
00:43:50,550 --> 00:43:53,280
- [Announcer] Ladies and
gentlemen, please be seated.

919
00:43:53,280 --> 00:43:55,050
As a token of our appreciation

920
00:43:55,050 --> 00:43:58,030
to Mrs. Thomas's service to the command,

921
00:43:58,030 --> 00:44:00,563
we would like to present her a small gift.

922
00:44:08,300 --> 00:44:11,400
The change of command
is a military tradition

923
00:44:11,400 --> 00:44:14,550
that is rich with symbolism and heritage

924
00:44:14,550 --> 00:44:17,290
dating back to medieval times.

925
00:44:17,290 --> 00:44:20,980
Soldiers often carried staffs
or standards into battle

926
00:44:20,980 --> 00:44:23,670
that identified them as a unit.

927
00:44:23,670 --> 00:44:27,070
Throughout military history,
unit colors have marked

928
00:44:27,070 --> 00:44:30,230
the position of the
commander on the battlefield

929
00:44:30,230 --> 00:44:32,720
and served as a rally point.

930
00:44:32,720 --> 00:44:36,950
Soldiers would follow the
standard or guidon of their leader

931
00:44:36,950 --> 00:44:40,710
most often found at the
forward edge of battle.

932
00:44:40,710 --> 00:44:43,890
All others within the
organization might perish,

933
00:44:43,890 --> 00:44:47,070
but the colors live forever.

934
00:44:47,070 --> 00:44:49,850
In more recent times, the colors represent

935
00:44:49,850 --> 00:44:53,080
not only the heritage
and history of the unit

936
00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:58,080
but also the unity and loyalty
of its service members.

937
00:44:58,190 --> 00:45:02,473
Wherever the commander is,
there also are the colors.

938
00:45:03,450 --> 00:45:07,070
Today, United States
Special Operations Command

939
00:45:07,070 --> 00:45:08,930
continues this tradition

940
00:45:08,930 --> 00:45:13,210
as Mr. Shanahan, General
Thomas and General Clarke

941
00:45:13,210 --> 00:45:16,100
take their positions for the exchange

942
00:45:16,100 --> 00:45:20,193
of the United States Special
Operations command colors.

943
00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:23,733
Ladies and gentlemen,
please remain seated.

944
00:45:29,730 --> 00:45:33,760
The command sergeant major
is the keeper of the colors.

945
00:45:33,760 --> 00:45:36,300
As the senior enlisted
soldier in the unit,

946
00:45:36,300 --> 00:45:38,610
he is a spokesman for both the loyalty

947
00:45:38,610 --> 00:45:40,600
and the concerns of the soldiers,

948
00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:43,663
and he is the principal
advisor to the commander.

949
00:45:44,550 --> 00:45:46,130
The passing of the colors

950
00:45:46,130 --> 00:45:49,260
from the command sergeant
major to the outgoing commander

951
00:45:49,260 --> 00:45:53,483
signifies his last act of
allegiance to that commander.

952
00:45:54,350 --> 00:45:57,350
At this time Command
Sergeant Major Pat McCauley

953
00:45:57,350 --> 00:45:59,940
is passing the colors to
the outgoing commander,

954
00:45:59,940 --> 00:46:01,463
General Thomas.

955
00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:06,820
General Thomas relinquishes
the colors to Mr. Shanahan,

956
00:46:06,820 --> 00:46:10,923
thereby signifying termination
of his time in command.

957
00:46:12,180 --> 00:46:16,090
Mr. Shanahan presents the
colors to the new commander,

958
00:46:16,090 --> 00:46:19,930
General Clarke, charging
him with the responsibility

959
00:46:19,930 --> 00:46:24,683
for mission accomplishment
and the welfare of his force.

960
00:46:25,700 --> 00:46:27,750
General Clarke assumes command

961
00:46:27,750 --> 00:46:31,820
and returns the colors to
Command Sergeant Major McCauley,

962
00:46:31,820 --> 00:46:35,930
signifying his acceptance
of command responsibility

963
00:46:35,930 --> 00:46:38,043
and the continuation of the mission.

964
00:46:52,530 --> 00:46:53,880
Ladies and gentlemen,

965
00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:56,903
please stand for the reading
of the official orders.

966
00:47:06,690 --> 00:47:08,200
Attention to orders.

967
00:47:08,200 --> 00:47:10,260
By the authority of title 10

968
00:47:10,260 --> 00:47:15,160
United States code section 164 and 167,

969
00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:17,450
the undersigned assumes command

970
00:47:17,450 --> 00:47:20,730
of the United States
Special Operations Command,

971
00:47:20,730 --> 00:47:25,380
MacDill Air Force Base, Florida,
effective 29 March 2019.

972
00:47:26,740 --> 00:47:29,380
Signed Richard D. Clarke, General,

973
00:47:29,380 --> 00:47:31,813
United States Army commanding.

974
00:47:32,770 --> 00:47:35,433
Ladies and Gentlemen,
please take your seats.

975
00:47:39,683 --> 00:47:42,850
(audience applauding)

976
00:47:49,710 --> 00:47:52,440
Ladies and gentlemen,
General Richard D. Clarke,

977
00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:56,750
Commander, United States
Special Operations Command.

978
00:47:56,750 --> 00:47:59,917
(audience applauding)

979
00:48:03,790 --> 00:48:04,623
- Some people think

980
00:48:04,623 --> 00:48:05,870
I was just trying to
run to the microphone,

981
00:48:05,870 --> 00:48:07,820
but that was actually
what I was told to do,

982
00:48:07,820 --> 00:48:09,650
to come straight here.

983
00:48:09,650 --> 00:48:11,070
But yes, I was excited.

984
00:48:11,070 --> 00:48:13,290
And so, to the Class of '84,

985
00:48:13,290 --> 00:48:15,369
thanks for that shout-out,
I appreciate it.

986
00:48:15,369 --> 00:48:17,110
(class cheering)

987
00:48:17,110 --> 00:48:20,763
We will not do an '84 to
'80 comparison whatsoever.

988
00:48:22,370 --> 00:48:26,950
Secretary, Director,
Chairman, elected officials,

989
00:48:26,950 --> 00:48:30,730
all former SOCOM commanders,
combatant commanders, chiefs,

990
00:48:30,730 --> 00:48:32,470
but most of all, to the men and women

991
00:48:32,470 --> 00:48:34,340
of the Special Operations Command

992
00:48:35,360 --> 00:48:39,480
who are the reason we are
here to celebrate, thank you.

993
00:48:39,480 --> 00:48:40,710
Thanks to all of you.

994
00:48:40,710 --> 00:48:42,900
I make a special note of thanks

995
00:48:42,900 --> 00:48:47,150
to the 82nd Airborne Division
Band, the All Americans.

996
00:48:47,150 --> 00:48:50,220
Undoubtedly you're here due to proximity,

997
00:48:50,220 --> 00:48:53,660
but there are no closer
ties in any Army division

998
00:48:54,530 --> 00:48:56,550
to the Special Operations Command

999
00:48:56,550 --> 00:48:58,640
than the All American Division.

1000
00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:02,320
And today, 1/3 of all SOCOM commanders

1001
00:49:02,320 --> 00:49:03,853
and current commander, 1/3,

1002
00:49:04,700 --> 00:49:07,180
all were 82nd Division commanders.

1003
00:49:07,180 --> 00:49:08,920
And probably all of 'em have some ties

1004
00:49:08,920 --> 00:49:10,340
if they're in the Army,

1005
00:49:10,340 --> 00:49:12,957
General Thomas starting
his career in the 82nd

1006
00:49:12,957 --> 00:49:14,840
and so did General Milley.

1007
00:49:14,840 --> 00:49:16,723
Secretary Shanahan, thanks.

1008
00:49:17,610 --> 00:49:21,580
Your kind words honoring
the warriors of SOCOM,

1009
00:49:21,580 --> 00:49:25,880
and for your and President
Trump's trust and confidence

1010
00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:28,620
in me to assume the mantle
of this great command.

1011
00:49:28,620 --> 00:49:31,970
I still recall my first meeting
with you in the Pentagon

1012
00:49:31,970 --> 00:49:35,110
shortly after your arrival two years ago.

1013
00:49:35,110 --> 00:49:39,240
I was struck by your relentless
pursuit of innovation,

1014
00:49:39,240 --> 00:49:41,920
prioritization, but most of all,

1015
00:49:41,920 --> 00:49:44,410
your drive to think differently.

1016
00:49:44,410 --> 00:49:46,870
And you always focused on outcome

1017
00:49:46,870 --> 00:49:49,460
and not on the bureaucratic process.

1018
00:49:49,460 --> 00:49:51,290
It was about getting it done.

1019
00:49:51,290 --> 00:49:53,050
And it was getting it
done for this department

1020
00:49:53,050 --> 00:49:54,500
and most of all for the men and women

1021
00:49:54,500 --> 00:49:55,333
who are out fighting for us.

1022
00:49:55,333 --> 00:49:57,063
So, Secretary, thank you.

1023
00:49:57,063 --> 00:50:00,230
(audience applauding)

1024
00:50:04,290 --> 00:50:06,600
Chairman Dunford and Ellen,

1025
00:50:06,600 --> 00:50:09,110
Suzanne and I greatly
appreciate your friendship

1026
00:50:09,110 --> 00:50:13,420
and welcoming approach to all
who come in contact with you,

1027
00:50:13,420 --> 00:50:16,550
from privates to presidents
and world leaders.

1028
00:50:16,550 --> 00:50:18,740
Chairman, for these past three years,

1029
00:50:18,740 --> 00:50:21,220
serving on your staff
and for your support,

1030
00:50:21,220 --> 00:50:23,380
for my nomination for this position,

1031
00:50:23,380 --> 00:50:26,240
I am and will always be appreciative.

1032
00:50:26,240 --> 00:50:28,880
But most of all, I'll be
appreciative of the example you set

1033
00:50:28,880 --> 00:50:31,090
for the countless members
of the joint force,

1034
00:50:31,090 --> 00:50:34,540
your strategic leadership
and clarity of thought

1035
00:50:34,540 --> 00:50:38,680
that maintains this joint
force on the proper trajectory.

1036
00:50:38,680 --> 00:50:40,172
Chairman, thanks.

1037
00:50:40,172 --> 00:50:43,339
(audience applauding)

1038
00:50:46,630 --> 00:50:50,530
General Thomas, sir, Tony, T2.

1039
00:50:50,530 --> 00:50:53,400
Sometimes that'll take a
while for me to get used to.

1040
00:50:53,400 --> 00:50:55,643
But as General Milley
talked about earlier,

1041
00:50:56,590 --> 00:50:59,860
our nation has never produced
a more combat-experienced,

1042
00:50:59,860 --> 00:51:03,650
multifaceted, talented
and qualified SOF officer.

1043
00:51:03,650 --> 00:51:07,150
I have had the privilege of
working for you and around you

1044
00:51:07,150 --> 00:51:09,550
for really coming up on two decades,

1045
00:51:09,550 --> 00:51:13,620
and to say that you have
passion is an understatement.

1046
00:51:13,620 --> 00:51:16,080
That passion manifests itself

1047
00:51:16,080 --> 00:51:18,400
in a relentless drive for excellence,

1048
00:51:18,400 --> 00:51:20,780
because you know that the stakes are high

1049
00:51:20,780 --> 00:51:23,820
in terms of accomplishing
the most sensitive

1050
00:51:23,820 --> 00:51:26,860
and important nations, as is

1051
00:51:26,860 --> 00:51:28,913
the importance of our risk to force.

1052
00:51:29,890 --> 00:51:32,420
It is an honor to assume
the mantle of command

1053
00:51:32,420 --> 00:51:34,610
from such an esteemed SOF warrior,

1054
00:51:34,610 --> 00:51:38,240
and someone that I call
both a mentor and a friend.

1055
00:51:38,240 --> 00:51:39,920
Barb and Tony, thanks for all

1056
00:51:39,920 --> 00:51:41,600
that you have done for this command,

1057
00:51:41,600 --> 00:51:43,290
but what you will continue to do

1058
00:51:43,290 --> 00:51:47,230
as we're so glad that you will
remain local here in Tampa.

1059
00:51:47,230 --> 00:51:48,063
Thank you.

1060
00:51:48,063 --> 00:51:51,130
(audience applauding)

1061
00:51:53,970 --> 00:51:58,350
Just a few quick
shout-outs of individuals,

1062
00:51:58,350 --> 00:52:01,360
and there's probably some
that I'm gonna forget.

1063
00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:04,490
But to Frank Mackenzie who
was on this stage yesterday

1064
00:52:05,850 --> 00:52:08,340
as he as he took over Centcom.

1065
00:52:08,340 --> 00:52:10,710
There is no finer person whom I would

1066
00:52:12,380 --> 00:52:16,000
look forward to working with in the future

1067
00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:17,070
than Frank Mackenzie.

1068
00:52:17,070 --> 00:52:18,260
He's been a friend.

1069
00:52:18,260 --> 00:52:22,993
I've replaced him now several
times when he was the J5.

1070
00:52:23,940 --> 00:52:26,340
And we're really glad
that we'll be neighbors

1071
00:52:26,340 --> 00:52:27,960
with Frank and Marilyn Mackenzie,

1072
00:52:27,960 --> 00:52:32,120
and the Centcom-SOCOM
relationship will remain strong.

1073
00:52:32,120 --> 00:52:34,140
Director Haspel, you honor us

1074
00:52:34,140 --> 00:52:38,250
by being here with us here today.

1075
00:52:38,250 --> 00:52:40,740
We worked together on
the deputies committee,

1076
00:52:40,740 --> 00:52:42,200
trying to work problems

1077
00:52:42,200 --> 00:52:45,170
with many others that
you're seated there with.

1078
00:52:45,170 --> 00:52:50,170
But by your presence here
today, you honor SOCOM,

1079
00:52:50,440 --> 00:52:54,797
but you also highlight
to both of our workforces

1080
00:52:56,020 --> 00:52:59,130
how important this
SOCOM-CIA relationship is.

1081
00:52:59,130 --> 00:53:00,603
So, thank you for being here.

1082
00:53:02,489 --> 00:53:04,057
(audience applauding)
Thank you.

1083
00:53:09,090 --> 00:53:11,530
The last individual that
I will highlight today

1084
00:53:11,530 --> 00:53:15,452
really epitomizes everything
that this command is about,

1085
00:53:15,452 --> 00:53:18,400
what we stand for, and that's

1086
00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:20,640
Sergeant First Class
Retired Cory Remsburg.

1087
00:53:20,640 --> 00:53:22,943
He is one of several
wounded warriors here,

1088
00:53:23,947 --> 00:53:27,860
but he is the one with whom
I've had the most contact.

1089
00:53:27,860 --> 00:53:29,910
When I first entered 1st Ranger Battalion

1090
00:53:29,910 --> 00:53:33,070
in the summer of 2004,

1091
00:53:33,070 --> 00:53:35,980
I was doing a barracks
walkthrough on day one.

1092
00:53:35,980 --> 00:53:39,390
Cory Remsburg was in the barracks,

1093
00:53:39,390 --> 00:53:43,860
and he really was the class
clown of Charlie Company 175.

1094
00:53:43,860 --> 00:53:48,100
I met Specialist Remsburg at
that time and immediately said,

1095
00:53:48,100 --> 00:53:51,570
this kid has just got a lot
of pizzazz, a lot of talent.

1096
00:53:51,570 --> 00:53:56,130
I continue to watch Cory's
career as the 175 commander,

1097
00:53:56,130 --> 00:53:58,770
watched him get promoted to the
Ranger regimental commander,

1098
00:53:58,770 --> 00:54:00,710
continue to watch his career grow.

1099
00:54:00,710 --> 00:54:03,310
And then as I'm the JSOC J3,

1100
00:54:03,310 --> 00:54:07,540
we'd had an extraordinary
fire fight in Afghanistan.

1101
00:54:07,540 --> 00:54:09,600
I'm looking at the casualty report

1102
00:54:09,600 --> 00:54:11,310
coming from that operation

1103
00:54:11,310 --> 00:54:13,410
and then I see Cory Remsburg's name there,

1104
00:54:14,440 --> 00:54:18,360
and knew that he was in dire straits.

1105
00:54:18,360 --> 00:54:20,740
A couple weeks later I
visited him in the hospital

1106
00:54:20,740 --> 00:54:24,030
in Bethesda, Walter Reed Medical Center.

1107
00:54:24,030 --> 00:54:26,030
And he was in an extreme coma,

1108
00:54:26,030 --> 00:54:29,653
was not sure if he was going to make it,

1109
00:54:30,820 --> 00:54:33,823
and he epitomizes courage.

1110
00:54:34,660 --> 00:54:37,560
Because courage in the inability to fight,

1111
00:54:37,560 --> 00:54:40,760
but merely courage in
his ability to overcome

1112
00:54:40,760 --> 00:54:42,930
extreme adversity of his wounds.

1113
00:54:42,930 --> 00:54:46,790
And he stands as example for
so many people in this audience

1114
00:54:46,790 --> 00:54:48,090
and so many people for our nation.

1115
00:54:48,090 --> 00:54:49,810
So Cory, you've been there

1116
00:54:49,810 --> 00:54:51,380
for so many of my changes of command,

1117
00:54:51,380 --> 00:54:53,170
so many of my promotions.

1118
00:54:53,170 --> 00:54:54,620
Cory, I'm glad that you are here

1119
00:54:54,620 --> 00:54:57,830
accompanied by your mom and dad,

1120
00:54:57,830 --> 00:55:00,130
because it's the caregivers of our wounded

1121
00:55:00,130 --> 00:55:01,470
who also so important.

1122
00:55:01,470 --> 00:55:04,060
So Cory, Annie and Craig, thank you.

1123
00:55:04,060 --> 00:55:07,227
(audience applauding)

1124
00:55:35,430 --> 00:55:37,290
Since World War II

1125
00:55:37,290 --> 00:55:40,730
we have had a perfect record
of predicting future wars,

1126
00:55:40,730 --> 00:55:41,963
and that record's zero.

1127
00:55:43,410 --> 00:55:46,130
But the good news is, our
national defense strategy is clear

1128
00:55:46,130 --> 00:55:49,480
and it sets us on a path of prioritization

1129
00:55:49,480 --> 00:55:52,140
of longer-term threats,
transforming the way

1130
00:55:52,140 --> 00:55:54,601
we approach our warfighting capabilities,

1131
00:55:54,601 --> 00:55:57,010
capitalizing on capabilities

1132
00:55:57,010 --> 00:55:58,580
that General Thomas already talked about,

1133
00:55:58,580 --> 00:56:00,930
machine learning and
artificial intelligence,

1134
00:56:00,930 --> 00:56:03,610
all while maintaining the
most asymmetric advantage

1135
00:56:03,610 --> 00:56:06,690
that we have over our
adversaries and our competitors,

1136
00:56:06,690 --> 00:56:08,910
and that is our allies and partners.

1137
00:56:08,910 --> 00:56:10,720
What I pledge is that SOCOM,

1138
00:56:10,720 --> 00:56:12,560
working with the joint chiefs of staff,

1139
00:56:12,560 --> 00:56:14,200
our inter-agency partners

1140
00:56:14,200 --> 00:56:16,260
and through the geographic
combatant commanders,

1141
00:56:16,260 --> 00:56:19,960
will remain laser focused on
the current terrorism fight,

1142
00:56:19,960 --> 00:56:22,587
but also to continue
developing capabilities

1143
00:56:22,587 --> 00:56:26,630
and place continued efforts
on the longer-term threats

1144
00:56:26,630 --> 00:56:28,960
by ensuring that we are capable

1145
00:56:28,960 --> 00:56:31,420
of operating in the competitive space,

1146
00:56:31,420 --> 00:56:33,780
and setting conditions on the edges

1147
00:56:33,780 --> 00:56:36,970
that makes our advisories wary.

1148
00:56:36,970 --> 00:56:39,840
I first joined the
Rangers over 27 years ago,

1149
00:56:39,840 --> 00:56:43,170
and since then have come
in and out of SOCOM unit.

1150
00:56:43,170 --> 00:56:45,930
Every time we left Suzanne would say

1151
00:56:45,930 --> 00:56:47,930
we really need to get back,

1152
00:56:47,930 --> 00:56:51,190
never knowing that this
would ever be a possibility

1153
00:56:53,470 --> 00:56:55,540
after each in and out.

1154
00:56:55,540 --> 00:56:59,010
There was one reason for
wanting to come back,

1155
00:56:59,010 --> 00:57:01,820
and that is the people,
the quality members

1156
00:57:01,820 --> 00:57:03,550
of this great team and their families.

1157
00:57:03,550 --> 00:57:06,140
And that is why we are ecstatic

1158
00:57:06,140 --> 00:57:08,850
to rejoin the SOCOM team today.

1159
00:57:08,850 --> 00:57:10,850
The Warriors of SOCOM are critical

1160
00:57:10,850 --> 00:57:13,050
to addressing clobal challenges.

1161
00:57:13,050 --> 00:57:16,760
They provide our nation
experienced, quiet professionals,

1162
00:57:16,760 --> 00:57:21,270
mature warriors driven to excel and win,

1163
00:57:21,270 --> 00:57:24,130
who are disciplined, resilient

1164
00:57:24,130 --> 00:57:26,360
and persistent problem solvers.

1165
00:57:26,360 --> 00:57:30,800
But most of all, they love
this country, our way of life,

1166
00:57:30,800 --> 00:57:34,400
and are willing to lay down
their lives on the line

1167
00:57:34,400 --> 00:57:37,593
in constant pursuit of
mission accomplishment.

1168
00:57:38,700 --> 00:57:41,450
Together as we gather
here in this auditorium,

1169
00:57:41,450 --> 00:57:43,510
there are a thousand
of these professionals

1170
00:57:43,510 --> 00:57:46,180
spread throughout the globe
defending our freedoms,

1171
00:57:46,180 --> 00:57:47,483
many in harm's way.

1172
00:57:48,320 --> 00:57:51,530
They don't know and they don't care

1173
00:57:51,530 --> 00:57:53,313
that this ceremony is going on.

1174
00:57:54,170 --> 00:57:56,810
It is the furthest thing
from their thoughts,

1175
00:57:56,810 --> 00:57:58,460
and that's a good thing.

1176
00:57:58,460 --> 00:58:00,550
They are focused on their mission at hand

1177
00:58:00,550 --> 00:58:03,430
and they are following their given orders.

1178
00:58:03,430 --> 00:58:05,470
For all those warriors in SOCOM deployed

1179
00:58:05,470 --> 00:58:07,200
or preparing to do so,

1180
00:58:07,200 --> 00:58:11,410
I commit to you my
utmost each and every day

1181
00:58:11,410 --> 00:58:13,710
to ensure that you are
adequately resourced,

1182
00:58:13,710 --> 00:58:15,540
have proper command guidance

1183
00:58:15,540 --> 00:58:17,530
and the appropriate authorities.

1184
00:58:17,530 --> 00:58:20,730
I will embrace my role in
SOCOM each and every day

1185
00:58:20,730 --> 00:58:23,190
and work to my absolute utmost

1186
00:58:23,190 --> 00:58:25,990
to accomplish the critical
missions of this command.

1187
00:58:25,990 --> 00:58:30,360
I'm humbled and honored to
assume the ranks of this command,

1188
00:58:30,360 --> 00:58:33,410
but most of all to be
amongst the finest warriors

1189
00:58:33,410 --> 00:58:35,350
our nation has ever known.

1190
00:58:35,350 --> 00:58:39,200
Suzanne and I give our
sincerest thanks to all of you

1191
00:58:39,200 --> 00:58:41,520
and all of your families and what you do.

1192
00:58:41,520 --> 00:58:43,810
God bless this command,
this great country.

1193
00:58:43,810 --> 00:58:45,709
Rangers will lead the
way, thank you very much.

1194
00:58:45,709 --> 00:58:48,876
(audience applauding)

1195
00:59:04,740 --> 00:59:07,590
- [Announcer] Ladies and
gentlemen, please be seated.

1196
00:59:07,590 --> 00:59:11,070
As a welcome to United States
Special Operations Command,

1197
00:59:11,070 --> 00:59:14,613
we would like to present this
small gift to Mrs. Clarke.

1198
00:59:19,607 --> 00:59:22,774
(audience applauding)

1199
00:59:27,310 --> 00:59:29,250
And then one last time for the day,

1200
00:59:29,250 --> 00:59:31,660
ladies and Gentlemen, please stand

1201
00:59:31,660 --> 00:59:33,890
for the playing of the Service Medley

1202
00:59:33,890 --> 00:59:37,463
and remain standing for the
departure of the official party.

1203
00:59:39,329 --> 00:59:42,662
(rousing trumpet music)