Defense.gov News Article: Hagel Greets U.S. Troops at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON, June 1, 2014  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel stopped at Bagram Airfield today on his way from Singapore to Brussels to thank U.S. troops for their service in Afghanistan and to share the intense gratification of freeing prisoner of war Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl after nearly five years in captivity.
At Bagram, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, introduced the secretary to the gathered soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and DOD civilians as “a combat vet from Vietnam and wearing two purple hearts.”
“Nothing makes me more proud than to say I served in uniform and served in the United States Army,” Hagel told them, over some cheers in the background. “I’m proud of that and I want you to know it, and I'm proud of you all.”
The secretary added, “This is a happy day … for our country, for our armed forces, because we got one of our own back last night.”
On behalf of the American people and the men and women in uniform and those who work for the Defense Department all over the world, Hagel said, and to the many people and personnel from all the services who had something to do with the recovery effort, “I want to thank you for that.”
Hagel said the week has been interesting for many reasons, including Obama’s announcement about America's post-2014 role in Afghanistan.
“We all recognize the tremendous progress made over the last 13 years,” the secretary added, “and that progress is clearly a direct result of the men and women of the U.S. armed forces and how you have helped the Afghan people build and strengthen their institutions, and put the people on a path to being able to defend themselves, govern themselves, support themselves and secure themselves.”
“That will be important because we can continue to help the Afghan people and their military continue to strengthen their efforts to secure their own country,” Hagel said. “You should be very proud of that. We're proud of you for being able to do that.”
The secretary said he knows that “more than occasionally” the troops must ask themselves if anybody is paying attention to their work in Afghanistan.
“We are,” he said. “The American people want our job finished here but they want it finished the right way, and you want to finish it the right way. The president of the United States and I want to finish it the right way, and I think we're on a path to doing that over the next two years.”
Hagel added, “Of our coalition partners, who have been particularly important to us in this effort, most will continue to have a role with us over the next two years.”
“I read each of your stories coming in from Singapore this morning,” he told them. “We admire your character, your courage and not only what you did on the battlefield and contributions you made to our country and Afghanistan but what you're doing now.
“You are tremendous inspirations to everybody,” Hagel said, “and I want to thank you personally for that. And I want to thank your families in particular … they anchor us and help each of us get through this, especially men and women who serve in combat.”
Hagel’s next stops on his 12-day trip to countries in Asia and Europe include Brussels for a NATO defense ministerial, Romania, and France for stops in Paris and Normandy to commemorate with President Barack Obama the Allied victory in World War II and the sacrifice and courage shown on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944.