I've had the privilege of meeting with kings and queens, and presidents and prime ministers, and princes and sultans and emirs, and yes, parliamentarians the world over. I marvel at your raw courage and your willingness to constantly train and prepare to fight the wars that can't be prevented. And as I reflect on the swift passage of time these past four years, all of these moments and memories come rushing at me with a terrifying velocity. On our visit to Eagle Base in Bosnia on Christmas Eve three years ago as we have done every holiday since that time we joined hundreds of soldiers to share songs and love and levity and laughter, and to bring them just a touch of home. As we left around midnight, we passed along the perimeter and came across three young soldiers for whom Christmas Eve meant manning a security post that was fashioned from wood.
Somebody has to do it.
And besides, I think we're making a difference here. Men and women of the United States Armed Forces for the past four years, we've been blessed to serve with you as you stand guard in the night, and as you continue to make an extraordinary difference the world over. Well, I'd never really given any thought to legacies. The Chairman stole my thunder here, because I was going to engage in just a touch of immodesty, but he already outlined everything we've done. Four years ago we were told there wouldn't be any increases.