>> sunday night, at 8:00 eastern and pacific on c-span's q&a. today marine corp general joseph dunford became the new chair of the joints chiefs of staff, taking over from general martin dempsey who is retiring after a 41 year career in the army. president obama and defense

secretary ashton carter both spoke at the transition ceremony in arlington, virginia. this is an hour and 40 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for at rival of the official party and please welcome today's reviewing official, general martin e. dempsey, the 18th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff accompanied by the host for today's ceremony, the honorable ashton cartier, secretary of defense and joven f. dunford jr., incoming general of the joint chiefs of staff. >> you guys got nothing better to do?

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>> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states. ♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing as honors are rendered to general dempsey. ♪

>> please be seated.

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♪ ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, the troops representing america's

armed forces and participating in today's revue are the united states army band under timothy j. holton and led by drum major scott little. elements of the armed forces include the presidential escort platoon from the army's 3rd regiment, the old guard, led by captain michael brunmeyer. the next element on line is the united states marine honor guard led by captain jason rolls and the platoon sergeant leo gingras. the colors have always been one of the most important elements of a military unit at the center of our formation is an armed forces color guard bearing the national color and the service flags of the army, marine corps, navy, air force and coast guard. following is an element from the navy honor guard led by lieutenant william maston. the platoon petty officer is petty officer patrick sullivan. the next element on line is comprised of members from the

united states air force honor guard led by first lieutenant kenda guzme. the flight's noncommissioned officer is tech sergeant michael marr. following is an element of the united states coast guard honor guard led by lieutenant junior grade edward gaylord and platoon petty officer is petty officer mike kaiser. the last element on line dressed in the continental musicians uniform is the old guard fife and drum corps. musicians wore the reverse colors of their parent infantry unit. the men and women of the old guard drum corps maintain this tradition by wearing red coats instead of the infantry blue. it's led by drum major james hague. to the rear of our formation are the 56 state and territorial flags of the united states led by captain brendan wright and the platoon sergeant is sergeant 1st class joseph brown. to the right of the formation is the presidential salute gun battery led by staff sergeant ernie winsel.

marching in on the joint staff is army captain alexander triplet, marine captain brian lander, navy lieutenant chris da le y, con lottums and corey hoffman. the commander of troops for today's ceremony is colonel johnny k. davis. ♪ ♪ ♪

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ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the advancing of the colors and remain standing for the singing of the united states national anthem. >> colors, forward. ♪

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♪ o say, can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? ♪ ♪ and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪

♪ oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ o'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ and the home of the brave? ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, please be seated.

>> ladies and gentlemen, at this

time, general dunford will be sworn in as the 19th joint chiefs of staff. >> please raise your right hand and repeat after me. i -- state your full name. >> i joseph dunford jr. >> having been appointed the 19th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> against all enemies foreign and domestic. that i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. and that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. and that i will well and faithfully discharge the duties. of the office upon which i am about to enter. so help me god. congratulations. >> thanks.

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>> the defense distinguished service medal is awarded to general martin e. dempsey. general martin dempsey, united states army distinguished himself as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff from october 2011 to september 2015. throughout this period, general dempsey provided trusted and insightful guidance to the president, secretary of defense, national security council and other senior governmental leaders on a vast array of complex military and national security issues. he teamed with the joint chiefs to build a joint force with the right capabilities, capacity and readiness and with combatant commanders to protect our national security interests. general dempsey's wise counsel, unwavering integrity reflected

great credit upon himself and were in keep with the highest traditions of the united states arm and the department of defense. general dempsey is receiving the distinguished service medals of the army, navy, air force and coast guard. [ applause ] at this time general dempsey's son major chris dempsey will read his father's retirement order. >> attention to orders. headquarters department of the army, order number 110-02 -- the following general officer is

retired. dempsey, martin e., rank of general, signed mark a.millie chief of staff, united states army. >> ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. at this time, secretary carter is presenting the united states flag to general dempsey for his faithful service to his country. this flag was flown over the pentagon and arlington national cemetery in honor of his retirement and distinguished service to the nation.

the distinguished public service award is being presented to deenie dempsey for distinguished public service in the succession of voluntary initiatives to the service members and families of the united states armed forces from october 2011 to september 2015. during this period, mrs. deenie dempsey's patriotism and sincere personal involvement in the welfare of the members of the military community have earned her deep respect from all with whom she has come in contact. as a devoted ambassador of good will and a model example for the spouses of all soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen. she was an untiring advocate for the improvement of their quality of life. mrs. dempsey's presence on numerous trips to visit our stateside bases and overseas deployment areas served as a

constant reminder of the stid fast commitment to our personnel and reflected her total devotion to the values we cherish within the military community. the distinctive accomplishes reflect great credit upon herself, the joint staff and department of defense and our nation. [ applause ] the department of the army certificate of appreciation is also being presented to mrs. deenie dempsey on the occasion of the retirement of your spouse from the united states army. you have earned grateful

appreciation for your unselfish, faithful and devoted service. your unfailing support and understanding helped make possible your spouse's lasting contribution to the nation. >> honor guard, attention. >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the posting of the colors.

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>> ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. ladies and gentlemen, secretary carter.

>> pause a moment, all of us. pause, behold this sight in front of you. so magnificent, so proud. they out on that field represent the millions of men and women who make america's military the finest fighting force the world has ever known. [ applause ] president obama, so many distinguished guests and elected officials, your presence with us here today signifies the awesome responsibility reposed in the office of the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff which we're about to transfer from general marty dempsey to general joe dunford.

the current chairman shares with me the duty to love and respect those who defend this country. to advise the commander in chief with candor, carry out his orders with excellence and share just a bit of the enormous weight he bears. and to help this great nation to make a better world. marty dempsey was nominated to be chairman at the same time i was nominated to be deputy secretary of defense. he and deanie and stephanie and i sat down for dinner together and talked about what we wanted to accomplish and how we wanted to conduct ourselves. in him, i saw dedication to hard work, devotion to the force and the country and the civility to all that i hoped to have.

marty had already shown all these traits and more for 37 long years of service. he had led the 1st armored division during difficult days, returned to reconstitute the iraqi army, and had been chief of staff of the army. three and a half years later, i became secretary of defense, and once again turned to marty for inspiration and brotherhood. there's so much i could say about what marty has done to make sure tomorrow's force is as superb as today's to drive forward in new domains like cyber and space and to manage as well as possible through unconscionable budget turbulence. but since president obama is present, i would like to alight for a moment upon the benefit i

immediately observed marty bringing to the president's decision-making. in the situation room, all listen attentively when marty offered his advice from the military leadership. as a physicist by train, i'm partial to one way marty describes leadership. the challenge is not unlike hig heisenberg's uncertainty. when you touch it, you change it. i'm not going to quibble with marty's physics here, but i'm certain he's exactly right about this. every decision the military leader makes, large or small, touches the lives of our troops. it touches the lives of countless families. it changes the nature of our world and the destiny of our country. for men and women who operate every day during time of rapid change and uncertainty, this is

the constant weight and responsibility of leadership. in those counsels, marty dempsey speaks with the concision of the english student he once was and with a little bit of a sparkle of the irish man he will always be. he lives by the words of his favorite irish poet yates that every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than before. i'm confident in telling you, marty, you will be missed. marty has also said the best leaders make us want to be better versions of who we are. and, of course, we know one remarkable woman who has done that for marty and that's his wife deanie. so when marty heard, for example, "time" magazine named him one of the world's most influential people, it caught him by surprise.

he said he didn't even know he was the most influential person in his family. marty and deanie make a wonderful team. over the years, no one has attended more memorials, wakes or weddings. for the dempeys there are truly no strangers in our military family. to quote yates yet again, they are only friends they haven't yet. so deanie, we thank you for finding marty during your days at goshon high school and sharing with him the blessings of three children, all of whom answered the call to serve, and no fewer than nine grandchildren. an irishman indeed. now on to the other irishman joe dunford. since not a lot of you were able to be present yesterday at the marine barracks when we retired joe dunford from the job, every marine considers the best job in the military commandant of the

marine corps, it bears repeating. but first, and foremost to ellen. ellen has been joe's rock-solid foundation for more than three decades. her support for military families and wounded warriors is much more than dutiful. it's personal. the rest of joe's family, three children, joseph, pat and kathleen and parents mr. and mrs. dunford, have supported joe and ellen in providing that support. and i want to give ellen a special word of appreciation. and here's why. she was just settling in joyfully to her duties as the commandant's wife and enjoying having joe home from afghanistan when a different calling came. joe was the clear choice to be the president's next chairman of the joint chiefs, but he wasn't

ellen's. ellen, thanks from all of us for going one more measure of devotion. now to why joe is the right man for the job. joe du nford is the kind of officer marines want to follow. in the early years of the iraq war, joe commanded the 5th marine regiment. he refuse inserts in his flak jacket until every marine was issued a pair. that story says more than any of us ever could about the character and leadership of this great man. humble, strong, centered. always faithful to his people and mission. wielding the operational acuity of a battle-hardened commander and the strategic wisdom of a

statesman. we saw that clearly during joe's time leading u.s. and allied troops as the nato isaf commander. we saw his compassion in handwritten condolences sent to families of the fallen. we saw his tenacity in the way he managed dealing with president karzai. and we saw his skillfulness in transitioning security responsibility to afghan forces. during that time, all that time, and over the past 14 years, in two complex all-consuming wars in iraq and afghanistan, our marines and all our service members performed spectacularly. today the marine corps is at the center of a great strategic transition in our military. emerging from 15 years of counterinsurgency and strength and presence to preparing for a

full spectrum of threats where we remain overwhelmingly strong in posture and not only presence. in a way, that's what marines have always done. answering the call across the full range of military operations. no one understands that's better than joe. as the 19th chairman of the joint chiefs, joe answers the president's call. joe will provide him critical counsel and serve as a critical bridge between military and civilian leadership and also between two administrations. between 14 years of war at a time of strategic transition for our force. once again, we thank ellen and their family for sharing joe with our country. the chairman will soon change, but the quality of counsel they provide to the president and the caliber of their leadership will

endure. the characteristics that marty and joe so excellently demonstrate. flexibility and creativity. the ability to act courageously and decisively. these are the attributes of our greatest leaders. these are the qualities they share with our commander in chief. so as we say farewell to marty and welcome joe as chairman, we also thank the president for his leadership and constancy. for his deep commitment to the safety, welfare and dignity of our men and women in uniform. the example and commitment of these three leaders has indeed made each of us nobler and stronger. and because of their unwavering service to country and commitment to our military, our nation is nobler and stronger

and will be forevermore. thank you. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, president obama. [ applause ] >> 45 years ago, in june of 1970, a telegram arrived in upstate new york at the home of 18-year-old marty dempsey. congr congratulations, it read. you are appointed to the west point class of 1974.

[ cheers ] marty was honored. he had just finished high school and he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to head off to the academy. his mother, i'm told, thought different. she urged him to give it a try for the summer, which sounds like these barracks meet sleepaway camp. sound advice with a little irish charm runs in the dempsey family. over the decades that followed, he patrolled the iron curtain, commanded the visions on desert battlefields and led america's soldiers. and more than a few times he burst into song. over these last four years, marty's wisdom, his vision and

his character have helped lead the greatest fighting force the world has ever known. secretary carter, deputy secretary, members of congress and the joint chiefs, service secretaries, men and women of the defense department, our armed forces and our military families. it is a deep honor to join you as we pay tribute to a singular leader for our military and nation and one of the finest men that i know, general martin dempsey. [ applause ] a little over four years ago i

tapped marty to serve as chief of staff of the army. we let him enjoy it for one day. then i asked him to be chairman. so let me say, marty, and more importantly deanie, this time i promise, no surprises tomorrow. i chose marty for these leadership roles because of his moral fiber and his deep commitment to american strength and american values. i chose him because of his vision for our military as a more versatile and responsive force. i chose him because he had the steady hand we needed in this moment of transition as we tackle emerging threats and support so many of our troops as we transfer to civilian life. i've watched marty manage each of these challenges with integrity and foresight and

care. perhaps most of all, i chose marty because he's a leader you can trust. marty, you've always given it to me straight. i can't tell you how much i've appreciated your candor and your counsel. and i've seen you build that trust not just with me but across our military with our troops and their families, with congress and our allies abroad. and with the american people. today, thanks in no small measure to marty's leadership, america has reassured allies from europe to the asia pacific. we ended our combat mission in afghanistan and brought america's longest war to a responsible end. we forged new partnerships from south asia to meet terrorist

threats. we built a coalition that's combating isil in iraq and syria. we have bolstered our cyberdefenses. we helped halt the spread of ebola in west africa. none of this would have been possible without marty's guidance and leadership. and what makes it more remarkable is that he's guided our forces through a time of reckless budget cuts. in less than a week before congress needs to pass a budget to keep the government open, let me just say, now is not the time for games that lock in sequester. it's not good for our military readiness, it's not good for our troops, our family, and it's not good for our country. as commander in chief, i believe we should invest in america and

in our national security and not short change it. and yet, even in these tough fiscal times, marty has made sure we maintain our military superiority. and no one can match our services because no one can match our service members. our sons and daughters who he's cared for like his own. and then he sees the west point classmates of his youth. he sees those he commanded. he sees their families and in them he sees his own. there's deanie, of course, his high school sweetheart, life-long better half whose grace and resilience and good cheer embody the military spouses she fights so fiercely for.

chris, megan and katlyn who followed in their father's footsteps to wear our nation's cloth. marty's mother sarah who we thank for making him give the military a try for the summer, and there are his nine grandchildren who we can be confident will mark this nation in so many positive ways in the future. on behalf of the american people, i want to thank the entire dempsey family for their service to our nation. [ applause ]

marty would be the first to tell you that he couldn't have done his job without his outstanding vice chair. and i, too, have depended on the advice and experience of admiral sandy wennefeld. thank you, sandy, for your outstanding service. [ applause ] and general joe dunford and two of the most respected officers in our military, we have tested leaders ready to carry on marty and sandy's work. i could not be prouder of them and the service they've already rendered this great nation. i could not be more confident in the advice and counsel that they'll provide me. thank you to them. thank you, ellen. thank you so much for everything

that you've done. [ applause ] we're going to have a lot of work to do long after not just marty is gone but i'm gone from the stage. there are always new threats. there are always new challenges in this ever-changing world. we have to degrade and ultimately destroy isil, the remnants of al qaeda, terror networks around the world. we have to adapt our defenses for the 21st century. we have to give our troops the support they need to meet their missions. we have to make sure that our forces and our families receive the pay and the benefits and the quality of life that they have earned. that is how we maintain a military that is second to none.

i'm confident that we are up to the task. i'm told that on marty's desk there's a box. it's a cigar box with 132 cards. each one with the name, picture and story of every one of the 132 soldiers who gave their lives under his command in iraq. and on top of the box are three words. make it matter. make it matter. and every morning, marty places three of those cards in his pocket so that every moment as chairman, every meet, every trip, every decision, every troop review, every moment of

every day, some of those fallen heroes are with him. those cards were with him a few years back when for the first time as chairman marty spoke to a group of military children who had lost a parent. and that day, as he walked through the crowd, some 600 gold star kids, young and so full of hope, he began to think about their lives and how each of them would have to make their way without a father or a mother. and marty had planned to speak, but he couldn't. so he did one of those things that he does best. he began to sing. and in that moment the highest ranking military leader in our nation forged a bond with those children. boys and girls who at such a

tender age had given up so much in a way that perhaps nobody else could. and year after year, they've invited him back because they know marty dempsey will always give them everything he has. his voice, but even more, his full heart and soul. this is the man we honor today. a friend to so many troops and families across our military. a patriot with a profound love for our country and those who sacrifice for it. a trusted leader who in a time of great change made it matter. all the time. i am extraordinarily grateful to have had him by my side through the bulk of my presidency and i

am extraordinarily proud to call him my friend. marty, for your lifetime of extraordinary service, you have the deepest thanks of a grateful nation. god bless you, and god bless our men and women in uniform. [ applause ]

>> ladies and gentlemen, general dunford. [ applause ] >> good afternoon distinguished guests, family and friends. once again, thank you for joining us today. mr. president, secretary carter, thank you for those kind words but more importantly, thank you for your leadership and trust in me and selecting me as your principal military adviser. before i begin ides like to draw your attention to the men and women in formation today. they not only look superb but as secretary carter said, they represent more than 2 million members of our total joint force. many of oured soiers, sailors, airmen and marines are forward deployed. some are in harm's way. and as we enjoy today's ceremony

i'd ask you to keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers as well. in addition to the many special guests and senior officials who were mentioned by name as the ceremony began, i'd like to thank our family and friends for milwauk making the effort to join us. i'm appreciative my brother and his families are here and ellen's families. i'd also like to single out my mom and dad who are here. i became a marine because of my dad. and any success in uniform was because of my mother's discipline and exacting standards. so mom and dad, thank you. [ applause ] more importantly, i want to recognize my wife ellen and our children, joseph, patrick and kathleen. without their love and support throughout the years, i couldn't be standing here today. ellen, thanks for your willingness to continue to serve our men and women in uniform and

their families. mr. president, i know i have big shoes to fill. bier all indebted to general marty dempsey for his extraordinary leadership, commitment and service. on a personal note for many years he's been a great friend, mentor and role model. deanie has been with him every step of the way and she's been a tireless advocate for military families even as she raised three soldiers of her own. the dempsey's with well-earned admir augs, appreciation and affection from all soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines to include the dunfords. marty and deanie, thank you for what you've meant to those of us in uniform and our families. you are what winning looks like. it's a deep privilege to have the honor to continue that. and to follow in the steps of those who on their watch demonstrated decisive leadership, extraordinary commitment and a strong moral

compass. in the days ahead, i'll draw strength from their example. and i look forward to serving with my fellow joint chiefs, combatant commanders and other senior leaders in our government as we tackle the challenges on our watch. i see several chiefs of defense from around the world here today. i look forward to working with you and further developing our relationships. it's customary for the incoming officer at events like this to be brief so i'll close by saying how humbled i am for the opportunity to represent our men and women in uniform. they are a true national treasure. my focus in the coming days will be to provide them with the leadership and support that they deserve. god bless you all, and semper fidelis. [ applause ]

>> ladies and gentlemen, by special request, lizzie yagi will introduce general dempey. >> ladies and gentlemen, the 18th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and my friend general dempsey.

[ applause ] >> thanks, lizzie. being your friend and lead vocalist of the taps kids will always be among my most cherished memories in my time as chairman. for everybody here today. i want everybody to know that that's the first time the president ever made me cry. so unless you think we've had this kind of back and forth over the course of time. that's a first. and whoever had the over and under on how long it would take me to cry, it was when my son read my retirement letter. i think my classmates probably have had a few side bets going. let me begin by thanking everyone for the kind words and recognition. to tell you the truth, it rubs a bit uncomfortable against my

conviction that duty is its own reward and those called to serve should seek no recognition for simply doing their duty. we all owe this great country our very best and our fellow citizens our very best. it was humbling to accept this job four years ago, and it's humbling to relinquish it today. mr. president, thanks for being here and for allowing me to advise you. i've been honored to work with you and your national security team. i know this is a very busy and very important week for you. but then again, they are all very busy and important weeks for the president of the united states. i also want to thank you in particular for allowing me to release my inner leprechaun from time to time dearing national security council meetings and for allowing two dempseys into the situation room at the same time. i should have included this in my chairman's risk assessment. by the way, i hope you were able to get that good word in for me

with the pope. i also want to thank the 22nd, the 23rd, the 24th and the 25th secretaries of defense with whom i've served over the last five years. seriously? i really do appreciate them for their service to the nation, for their support to men and women in uniform and their families and for teaming with the joint chiefs to protect this nation. you are all great patriots and predigguous leaders. there is no way i can explain what the past 41 years have meant to me in the next few minutes and the next four years will be ably led by the 19th chairman. so i'll focus on the moment right here, right now, surrounded by so many family and friends. let me start by thanking the old guard, the joint honor guard and great military fans.

i will continue to be your biggest fan and strongest advocate. you set the cadence of our march into the future. you are outstanding soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen serving right here in our nation's capital. you inspire us. thank you for providing the images and sounds that will eninsure we'll always remember this day. please join me in thanking them. [ applause ] i note with great esteem the presence of our service chiefs, our combatant commanders, senior enlisted advisers, directors of the joint staff, my senior enlisted adviser, and as well some of the spouses of our closest allies and military leaders. few know the burdens you bear. willingly and even

enthusiastically for our countries. deanie joins me in thanking you for your service and sacrifice and, most of all, for ensuring the readiness of the young men and women we send into harm's way in the name of freedom. i'm honored by the presence of civilian leaders. i thank my teammates from the department of defense, the service secretaries and the national security council staff. i will tell you that the glamour of working issues at this level wears off quickly. but i will always remember with fondness the camaraderie forged in the difficult work of national security. i also think you'd agree that the protocol team today has done an extraordinary job, as they do every day. they are quiet professionals whose lot in life means they get only an "a" or an "f." mark this down as another "a." i wish i could introduce you to my personal staff. in a job like this at such a

frenetic pace and with so much travel, we have become a family. deanie and i have said good-bye to them privately but i'll add another thank you. you left an indelible mark in our hearts. in the audience are friends from elementary school and high school, the west point class of 1974, pride of the corps. from the national war college and even from my capstone class, apparently i made the right decision when i decided not to study too hard so i could make a lot of friends. i have both mentors and proteges here. as i've become older, i realize the distinction between them blurs. we've learned from each other. i'll tell you this. deanie and i came into the military for each other but we stayed in the military because of you. i admire you all. there are friends here from the storied fighting 69th new york army national guard and from usa basketball. stars from the worlds of

entertainment and professional sports who have traveled with us around the world and superstars from the many private organizations dedicated to support our military, their families, the wounded and our veterans. you've all touched our hearts, filled our souls, inspired us and made it an extraordinary four years. bee are privileged to call you friends. another yates quote. think where man's glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was i had such friends. i know in my heart that martin joseph dempsey, thomas joseph sullivan and bridget barber are all proudly looking down on us today. and they are probably up there whispering far too loudly for god's sake, i just hope he doesn't start singing. my mom is sitting right over there thinking to herself, i told you so. if there's a more soft-spoken,

respectful, humble woman on the face of the earth, i'd like to meet her. thanks for inspiring us to be humble, to always give just a little more than an honest day's work, to have courage and to live a life of fauith. bee love you, mom. [ applause ] marjorie sullivan is sitting at home in florida a little too frail to be with us here today, but she has been an unwavering champion and safety net on more than one occasion for our family throughoutor career. we love you, too. i have a big family. remember what i said about protocol, earning their "a." kind and loving aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, inlaws and outlaws. far too many to single out. though i haven't seen much of you through the years, it's pretty darn remarkable how little we've changed. thanks for all the support.

i said i wouldn't reminisce but i'm going to make an exception. about this time in september 1974, i reported as a 2nd lieutenant to the armor school at ft. knox kentucky. in preparing my remarks today, i was struck by how much my emotions today remind me of my emotions then. in september 1974, just like today, i was a little nervous, i was humbled to wear the uniform of an army officer. i was eager to get started on a new career, and i was in love -- pardon me -- and i was in love with a girl named deanie. [ applause ] i fell in love with deanie when she was 15. it took her a few years to come around to the idea. but i was sure that whatever life brought my way, i wanted to

experience it with her. here's the thing about deanie. she's the only one more passionate than me about the military and their families. she's a better leader than i am. she has far more energy than einstein predicted could be packed into a 5'2" body, and she has shown an amazing patience during the trials that accompany a military life. in every way, she's made me a better person. because this has been her career, just as much as mine, it's fitting and proper to say that we are both retiring today. congratulations, deanie sullivan dempsey. [ applause ]