and women -- men and women, thank you and good morning. we are delighted to share this special day with you. this was about three years and six months too long. marks the culmination of our 43 years together in the united states navy. i walk to date one in the naval academy in the summer of 1964, took a young pretty girl to the army- navy game in 1967, in the struggle to graduate a year later and then ask that girl to marry me. had a few objections. triggering them, i thought, maybe i would not marry me either.

i had some luck and she did. deborah, possibly be to express the depth of my love or the full measure of my admiration. complely in ways i have only recently come to understand. i wiser, it is for your counsel. if i am wiser, it is for your courage. the father of a navy seal killed on that day last august wrote to me of your tenderness and kindness when you agreed with him at dover air force base. i do believe, he wrote, that she is perhaps an angel. you have always been my angel, always on my shoder, and i love you more than you can

know. [applause] like that chairman, i am a proud navy father. and a proud navy grandfather now. my son sirs of this nation in uniform, and an aviation and the other in surface warfare. no father to be more proud and love you boys. key for being there d for keeping me if not exactly st. that least well grounded -- not exactly sane, and at least well grounded. look forward to watching your great careers on fold. know my mother would be proud and my father would have been

thrilled. if you ask any of my classmates from a great class of 1968, they would tie it they would be amazed by my success. [laughter] [applause] them.y i don't blame i am wholly amazed. i cannot tell you the number of nights i've woken up and thought, that is an important issue. i should call the chairman. then i realize, that is me. thank you for being here, classmates. i could thank thousands of others, mentors, families, colleagues, people likan enormous influence on me and deborah, made possible every success we have known and made heavy cart ships we have weathered. i will not do that. not because i'm losing my memory.

that football game i took desperate to in 1967, navy 19, army 14. sorry, marty. i will not do because any attempt at a proper share of gratitude will result in remarks to prefer to recognize their contribution to our lives and to long for the audience to indo. endure.o lager to in a know we love them and we are indebted to them. thank you. those were not the closest to us, maybe he should have stepped it up a notch. it doesn't hurt to have friends with access to drones. [laughter] i have been asked by many people would advise i it was given general dempsey.

what pearls of wisdom i would leave to them. a big part of this job is discretion. i have always taken that responsibility very seriously, always considered a low profile was bass, some of like my hero, george marshall. i said as much to david letterman on his show and it is all my facebook page if you want to see it. next to be fair the posion is often misunderstood, and i was at a dinner party a couple of years ago when a woman asked me what i did in the military. not wishing to make a whole thing of it, i told her i work in the pentagon, and she kept

pressing for details before i admitted that i ended joint chiefs share. oh she said. i guess i thought with all of those metals and stars you were someone important, but i am, i stressed. i'm the president's top military adviser. her eyes got big. clearly, she was embarrassed. all my goodness, and general petraeus, i am so sorry. [laughter] >> i just did not recognize you. dave is here today as the director of the cia. thank you, dave, i e you one. if you really want to know what i told marty, it is pretty simple, he is not just the

adviser, he is a personal representative of the men and women that make up all our armed forces and their families. i told him he had a bully pulpit in this job and he should use it to stress their needs and their accomplishments. they will not ask for the help, but they will need it. they will not ask for anything more than his leadership, and sometime try as he might, he will believe he has fallen far short. if i told them he will never be more proud than what he stood among the ranks of troops from other services and find that they sre the same professionalism, pride, and determination, that i, as a sailor, saw in his shoulders -- soldiers. he should not wear one of those dear patches for seasickness. they work ok, they just do not look very good. [laughter]

>> i called -- i told of his fellow chiefs of defense are really the only other people in the world that have any idea what sort of pressure he is under. he will find sources of wisdom, clarity, and support in them. the sameoes for ou cheese and commanders who are the best team -- chiefs and commanders, who are the best team with whom i've ever served. we are a great force because of them and their selflessness. i told him the president will listen to him because that is theresident of the way. he seeks counsel, appreciates candor, except for certain delicate matters concerning the chicago white sox, and he really likes it when you left at his jokes, and it makes the meeting go the other -- go better. [laughter] >> i have every opportunity to offer my views to the president.

all of my advice has been hurt. a military man or won can ask for nothing more of their civilian leaders, and they should expect nothing less. president obama made it clear from the beginning that he valued military council and protecting the american people was his top priority. he has made good on both promises. bin laden is dead. anwar al-awlaki is dead. al qaeda is a much diminished network. we are ending the war in the arrest, and our troops and their families have no stronger advocates for their well-being than he and the first lady, the vice president, and dr. biden. they have devoted time and personal energy to make sure our men and women have the support they need. both in the fight and here at home, i consider myself privileged to have served them

all, and i appreciate their confidence in may. speaking of the fights we are challenge would be afghanistan, and seeing the transition through completion, making sure the security gains are not squandered by corruption or the lack of good governance that still plagues the country. our strategy is the right one, we just must keep executing it. i urged him to remember the importance of pakistan, to try to do a better job with that relationship. i continue to believe there is no solution in the region without pakistan, and no stable future in the region without a partnership. not surprisingly, high tolls and the looming budget bottles would domina -- i told him that a building budget battles would dominate his days, and he could not have a better partner then mr. secretary leon panetta.

our time together has been short in days, but long on substance. i consider myself fortunate to have served for you, and learn from you as i did under- secretary gates, another extraordinary man that i consider a good man and a mentor. thank you for your leadership. it seems you care deeply about our men and women in uniform and you will work to make sure they and their families will remain foremost in mind as we grapple with the difficult budget decisions ahead. first among those decisions is what kind of military american people deserve of the xt 20 to 30 years. en i look at the effect that a war has had on us, and our people, and the looming threats posed by iran and north korea, shudder at the challenges in cyberspace, or ponder the

capabilities as china raises to the field, i become more convinced than ever tt as a nation we cannot afford to lose our edge. we have become the best counter- insurgency force in the world, but done so at the expense of critical capabilities we not -- let lag. we sacrifice some of the basic leadership and continuity that preserve the health of the all- volunteer force. cuts in defense spending are fair game, and we should do our part, but cut too deeply, and we will burn the blanket of protection we have been charged to provide our fellow citizens, and we will harm, perhaps irreparably, the industrial base from which we secure the materials of war. finally, i told martin to consider the job a marathon, not a sprint. time is his best friend and his worst enemy.

i never seems to have enough to do the things i wanted, and it is hard to believe it is over, but martin, you will be great. you are absolutely the right person for this job, a combat- proven leader, who cares about all of us. with your wife at your side, you are the right team for these times, and deborah and i wish you all of the best. i would also like to extend personal wishes from the broth to our military families. the words that follow are few, but they are hers -- "nothing can be more trying at times than life in the military -- the deployment, the stress, the uncertainty, and the fear, but nothing borne from ease and comfort could foster the pride that military families exhumed every day. it is my deep honor to b a military spouse and wife no so many others who would wait,

where it, and worked so hard. thank you for quite a sacrifice, for and power in need to represent your concerns. i will miss the life, a i will miss all of you, debra." from my part, i have only one less thing to say -- the men and women are the best that we have ever known, and believe in at they are doing, and all i s is that you continue to believe in them. continue to look out for ways to reach out to them and their families, to watch over them in this sea of good will that i know exists in the country. war has changed them and their loved ones forever, but it has not changed their dreams. you can help makehose dreams come true. hire them. help them buy a home. get them started on a path toward an educatio gives them ahance.

that is all they want. i know that is tough to do, because you, too, are struggling, and america is struggling, and the wars use of them to fight are not foremost on everyone's mines, but they fought them for you. they are still fighting them for you. that is very mu foremost on their minds. what makes this country so special is not our accomplishments. it is how we bounce back from adversity, how we beat back our fears. it is the way we soldier through disappointment and trial. these are the hallmarks of a great people. we talk about the resilience of our troops and their families as if it is something apart from the rest of society. it is not, or at least it should not be. where do you think those troops learned to be so brave? in your homes, your schools, your communities. welcome them back to those

places not only with bands and yellow ribbons, but with the solemn recognition that they have done your bidding, represented you well, brought the best of you and this country into battle, and have done things and seeing things and there things in their souls that you cannot know. help them through their trials, be tolerant of them and each other, gives them a chance, and together, we will prove the greatness that is america. god bless you all, god bless our troops and our families, and god bless our great country. [applause]

[military orders] [military orders] >> ladies and gentlemen, at this time, general dempsey will be sworn in as the 18th chairman of the general chiefs of staff -- joint chiefs of staff. >> i, state your name >> hi

martin dempsey, having been appointed by the president of the united states to the position of chairman of the joint chiefs of staff do solemnly swear to support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic, i take this obligation freely, without any amount of mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and i will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which i am out to enter so help me god. >> so help me god. [applause]

[applause] [military orders] [military orders] >> ceremonial. >> ceremonial. [military orders] >> ladies and gentlemen, the 18th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general martin dempsey. [applause]

>> the groom's side is at it. [applause] >> that is what i was afraid of. [applause] >> president obama, secretary leon panetta, thank you for the vote of confidence, and for allowing the honor and privilege to continue serving this nation in uniform. vice president joe biden, thank you for your support through the years. i have a lot of family and friends here today. you probably heard a bit of that a moment ago. thank you to all oyou for your love and support. my five, and soon to be seven grandchildren are a particular joy in our lives, and my wife continues to inspire us off by the way she deals with everyone she meets. she taped a phrase to the

refrigerator asserting that life is what happens when you are making other plans and the last year has validated that assertion. there are so many distinguished guests here today, too many to mention individually. i thank you all for dedicating your lives to our country. you are what makes us a nation that there's to be great. i am honored by the presence of my fellow chiefs of defense around the world. you are my brothers. my other brothers of the west point class of 1974, prior to the core, are here again. i hope this is our last gathering for a while, or it will mean something has not gone very well. i also have some high school classmates with me. they are here to confirm the fact that miracles do happen. admiral mullen, and debra, thank you. it seems inadequate.

awesome seems more appropriate, but maybe a phrase better offered by another generation. however we describe your last four years, you have been extraordinary patriots and friends. although you are a sailor, and i am a soldier, in the tradition of the horse cavalry, i want you to bto know that i will be proud to tell people i wrote with admiral mullen. you heard me swear an oath to our nation and the ideals that defined it, as those ideals are embodied in our constitution. the oath reflects a sacred trust that exists between the military forces of the united states and the people of the united states. i will live up to that old, and i will maintain that trust. as i begin my tenure as chairman of the joint chiefs, the armed forces of the united states are powerful, responsible,

resilient, the versatile, and admired. we provide our nation's leaders with a wide range of options to counter the threats and crises weace, and, when sent to do the nation's bidding, we are and unambiguous signal of our nation's resolve. our people, america's sons and daughters, our our decisive edge. we will change, ande will be challenged, but when i complete my tenure as the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, i intend to be able tsay exactly the same thing. we will be the joint force that the nation needs us to be, so help me god thank you. [applause] [military orde]

[military orders] [military orders] >> right shoulder. [military orders] [military orders]

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♪ ♪ ♪ [applause]

[captions copyright national cable tellite corp. 2011] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [applause] ♪ slate is a gentleman, the playing of the joint service

medal in -- >> ladies and gentlemen, the plane of the joint service medley. ♪ ♪ ♪

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, now approaching from your front

right, a training the craft in which thousands of military aviators learned to fly. today's formation was assembled by a retired u.s. air general, flying on the right wing ofhe diamond to pay tribute to enroll -- admeld mike mullen. for a job well done, this is our salute. [applause]

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♪ [applae] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain staing for the benediction. >> let us pray. eternal god, we thank you for

the gift of a move -- admiral mullen, his wife debra, and the contribution to each branch of our armed forces and especially this great nation. may be blessed with your gift of counsel and discernment as they continue on the road of further service to their family, community, and nation. we ask your celestial blessing upon the general martin dempsey, his wife, and their family. be with them as he begins his new role. help them to bear the awesome responsibilities which are placed around -- un him. guard him as he believes admiral mullen, and stand sentinel for each of us night and day. finally, has become to the lore -- caller: of this ceremony, may you continue to bless us and -- as we come to the end of the ceremony, may continue to bless

us and keep us. mid-of sunshine warm up on your face, and the rain fall warlock on your fields, and until we meet again, -- fall upon your fields, and until we meet again, may god hold you in his hand. we ask this in his holy name, amen.

>> ladies and gentlemen, admiral and mrs. mike mullen. [applause] >> ladies angentlemen, please remain at your seats until the president has departed. [applause]

[military chanting] [applause] [applause]

[applause] in briefing. then a discussion on john wall then a retirement ceremony for admiral mike mullen. tomorrow, and george mason university professor garrett jones looks of the jobs created

from the stimulus. moulton discusses president obama's handling of a gay-rights issues. stephen dinan talks about an electronic database the checks whether new hires are eligible to work in the u.s. live on c-span. >> the head of the american association of university professors says that tenure and academic freedom are in jeopardy and need to be protected. >> tenure crete's an atmosphere where people can speak freely, not just in their teaching but also in terms of the university. if you do not like a proposal you have to be able to speak freely about it. administrators should be able to do that as well. that shared speech is part of what academic freedom protect.

without that, you do not have the expertise of the faculty available to you. >> sunday night on c-span's q&a. >> a major topic of discussion what the killing of the leader of the outcry that in the arabian peninsula. -- al qauda in the arabian peninsula. this is about 60 minutes.

>> tito was manager for the first two world series and a long time for the boston red sox. i am a red sox fan because i grew up without a team. i love baltimore. my family and did not travel up 95. [laughter] i love the inner harbor. i have taken my kids to the aquarium and they have a great children's museum. i do like to go to games in camden yards when the red sox are playing. with that -- i guess there's nothing going on today. i don't have any announcements so i will go straight to your questions. associated press? >> on the killing of anwar al- awlaki -- does the president believe a different standard applies when the target is a u.s. citizen?

does he view al qaeda operatives in the same vein? >> you heard the president talk about anwar al-awlaki' death. and why that is a significant event. he was a principal leader in al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula, the most operational affiliate of al qaeda. he himself was directly involved in plotting terrorist attacks against the united states and american citizens including the so-called underwear bomber, the attempted bombing of an airliner in 2009 and a failed attempt to bomb cargo planes headed for the united states. in the overall effort, the sustained effort, to continue

to put pressure on al qaeda, this is a significant fact that anwar al-awlaki is dead. questions about the circumstances of his death i will not get into. the question you just passed contains assumptions within that that i want addressed. -->> if you're going after another -- >> this goes to the assumptions of the circumstances of his death and i will not address that. >> is the administration prepared to lay out the evidence against him? >> separate, again, from the events and the fact that he died today, that he was a leader of al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula and was operationally

involved in serious attempted terrorist attacks against the united states and americans is an established fact we have talked about a long time from here and we have talked about a long time about how dangerous aqap is and that has been our focus and that is what our cooperation with yemen with intelligence and diplomatic late has been so important. it certainly reflects on the partnership we have had in that effort with yemen and the yemeni officials and why that is important to continue. in the overall effort we have made, there are many components to it. when i talk about pakistan and the complicated relationship with pakistan, our cooperation with pakistan has helped us in the efforts against al-qaeda and certainly our cooperation

with yemen has done the same. >> does the administration make a distinction between his role as an inspirational leader and an operational leader? is there a tipping point? >> there is no question he was engaged in inspirational efforts or that he was a recruiter for al qaeda. he was also very demonstrably and probably involve the operational aspects of aqap. he was a senior leader. those are statements of fact. those are things i would have said last week if you ask me. in terms of anything relating to the circumstances, i have said all i can say about that. >> on a separate matter, secretary clinton said there is a formal review -- you had a meeting yesterday nfc with the

president. are you further along in those discussions? you designated some of the terrorist leadership? >> individuals have been designated and that review continues. i don't have an update on the review. >> do you have a time? >> i don't have a time for you. yes? >> did the president personally order or approved the attack? >> i will go back to what i said before. the circumstances of his death i will not address. i will say that who he was and

the threat he posed and the fact, that he -- this is significant and go to our cooperation with yemeni officials and counterparts but also around the region and why it is so important -- we cannot forget that the principal victims of violence perpetrated by al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula were muslims. as a leader of aqap he was responsible for that. going into the circumstances of his death is not something i will do here. >> his focus was primarily international because of his english language capability and his abilities on the internet and speaking to moslems. what affect do you think his death will have on a fax by aqap to destabilize the

government of yemen and saudi arabia? >> this is a serious blow to al-qaeda in the arabian peninsula. we remain extremely vigilant. that organization remains very dangerous and has proven itself to be operational and cable. -- capable. the vigilance continues as it has in the wake of a successful mission against osama bin laden. al-qaeda remains a serious threat and one that we continue to confront in a variety of ways. while this is an important milestone, it is not the end of aqap and it doesn't change our posture toward the organization. >> do you sense in the many

government that they are helping the u.s. government or is this something that has been going along? >> i was asked is because of the unrest in yemen as to how that has affected their cooperation and it made more -- made it more difficult for the corporation to continue and it will continue and it is separate from president salaa and we continue to call on him to abide by the commitments he has made to begin the transfer of power immediately as stipulated in the gcc agreement and that has not changed. we call on him and his government to cease any violent actions against the yeni people. -- against the yemeni people.

>> where, when, and was the president notified? >> he was notified by john brennan, his counter-terrorism adviser and was briefed on it again this morning. >> was woken up by a phone call? >> he was just notified. i won't get into specifics. it was early this morning before the sun. >> at what time? >> i don't have a specific time but it was early. he was notified when he was still in the residence. once he came to the oval office, he had his normal daily briefing and this is a subject there in that discussion. >> nobody questions that this administration and the prior have identified aqap as a threat. it was said this was a u.s. drawn and this was an american

killed. is the justification for deciding where and when an american can be killed, can you speak hypothetically on the justification? >> i will not speak about the circumstances of his death or i will not speak hypothetical. i am not aware of anyone by name who has made the kind of statement you said from the government. >> can you explain why you won't get into any of the specifics of what has gone on here? we have been reported but u.s. drones have been involved and there is u.s. involvement in this attack and this was an american. help us understand why or you're not hearing any more details. >> i will not get into the circumstances of anwar al- awlaki's death. we are asked questions like that all the time and our response is the same which is that we cooperated with our partners around the world whether it is pakistan or yemen

in taking the fight to al qaeda and that cooperation takes many different forms. it is vital to the success we have had integrating al-qaeda and this is collectively with our partners and that effort continues. i will i get into the specific circumstances of his death. >> you said that on were all lucky was demonstrably involved in operations. >> he is clearly -- i think it has been well established and has certainly been the position of his administration and the previous administration that he is a leader and was a leader in aqap but aqap had an operational plan and carry out terrorist attacks that fortunately did not succeed. they were extremely serious

including the one specifically i mentioned in terms of the christmas day bombing in 2009 and the attempt to bomb numerous cargo planes headed for the united states and he was obviously an active recruiter of al qaeda terrorists. thea big and abundant in field would dispute any of those assertions. -- i don't think anybody in the field would dispute any of those assertions. no one would dispute that he was a leader of al qaeda and operationally involved in terrorist attacks against american interests and citizens. >> will you bring before the public any proof? >> the question has embedded within it assumptions about circumstances of his death that i will not address. >> i don't understand. you are a asserting he had

operational involved in the cargo plot and a christmas day plot and he is now dead. can you show us or the american people or as a judge been shown? >> i will not go any further than what i said about the circumstances of his death or the case against him. >> you said he was responsible for these attacks. will there be any evidence presented? >> i don't have anything for you on >> does the administration not see at all a president asserting that he has the right to kill an american citizen without due process? he will not even and explain why he thinks he has that right? that is troublesome to some people.

>> i was not aware of any of those things you said actually happening. i will not address the circumstances of anwar al- awlaki's death. it is an important fact that this terrorist who was actively plotting to attack americans and american interests is dead. from any angle, i will not discuss the circumstances of his death. >> you know that the aclu tried to get permission to represent anwar al-awlaki? they need to get permission from the treasury department said they could challenge him being on this targeted killing list. the obama administration refused to let them represent him. he could not even have the aclu -- aclu representing him.

>> you can direct those questions to the treasury or just as but i don't have anything. >> what would barack obama, constitutional professor, make of this? >> he spoke about it today. >> under what legal authority can the u.s. government kill? >> that is not a question that i would have an answer to. generally speaking, and i am not going to answer a question like that in any way that relates to the events of today. i will not talk about circumstances of anwar al- awlaki's death and i do not acknowledge or concede or accept promises embedded in questions and you should take no response i get to have done that. i am not talking about the circumstances.

>> after 9/11, president bush gave the cia and later the military the authority to kill a u.s. citizen abroad if there were plotting attacks on the united states and then barack obama continued that. is that correct? >> that is a question i would have to taken your best address that to the justice department. >> does the president have any co-sponsors for his american jobs active? -- act? >> he is confident as i said yesterday that the senate will take up the american jobs act./ it has broad support from democrats in both houses. about talking congressional, legislative process. the bill will be taken up. how and with whose names attached, i don't know. i would refer you to the leadership in the senate. the important facts pierre are

-- here are that in the bill why the things that are in the bill would be beneficial to the economy and good teachers and construction workers back to work building schools and bridges and give tax cuts and everybody -- to everybody gets a pay check against tax cuts to small-business is, tax incentives to small businesses to hire or increase wages, specific present -- provision to hire veterans -- these are all things that outside economists have said would have a positive impact on the economy. there was no higher priority for this president than to continue to push congress to take action on those important measures. >> can the president confirmed that not even speak pelosi has not signed up for the bill? >> i'm not aware of any democrat who does not support the provisions that go to

creating jobs, reducing taxes and that sort of thing. it has broad democratic support. i can review all the statements of support in the wake of the joint session. as a matter of record for those who consume public opinion data, most of you do, it has broad public support across the political spectrum. all the provisions within it -- the provisions within it in the past have had democratic and republican support. we are confident that congress will act on the. -- on it. we certainly hope that the entire american jobs act will be passed into law and signed into law by the president. it portions of it are sent to him that come directly from the

american jobs act and it is paid for in a way and is modeled after the principles that the president supports, he would sign those and say send me the rest of it. we are at a moment in our economy when the economy needs this kind of action. the legislative details of this are not particularly important. the broader principle here is the need to pass it. the american people are not particularly concerned about which congressman is assigned up to it but when washington will take action to help create jobs. >> senator durbin is not just any senator. he is the number two senator and when he says the president does not have the votes for the jobs bill, even fellow democrats are saying they will not pass it

now? >> i'm not sure that is what he said. the boat is not today or tomorrow. >> he said we can work on it. >> right, and we are working on and we will get it. we face certain realities in the united states senate which is that you cannot name a post of us without 60 votes of these days. that is the way the filibuster is used. that was meant to be an exaggeration. even if every democratic senator supported it, we face those obstacles, we have made the point and the president has made the point that these are provisions that have historically garnered republican support as well. we are making the case here in washington and around the country as to why that support to be there this time. the american people needed and

wanted and they want washington to take action. >> warren buffett was on cnbc and it sounds like republicans are suggesting he came out against the wall or roll. -- again buffett rule. when asked how the president was paying for the jobs bill, he did not give support for it. he said i will look at the overall plan and decide what i like and don't like. if one of the president's economic gurus supports raising taxes and is not offering support for the way he wants to pay for the jobs bill -- >> he was distinguishing it and making clear that the interviewer understood -- you pointed out that it was not the same at buffett principal and what he discussed. he wants to look more deeply into the various provisions

within the jobs act. the overall principle that he supports the need for wealthy americans to pay their fair share has been established many times by him in a variety of forms. >> he said he is not sure the mechanism that the president wants to pay for the bill. >> he said he will look at it. >> said the senate democrats are looking for other ways to pay for the job bills. >> what i said as recently as yesterday and meant to include in my otherwise eloquent as nora is that if there are other ways to pay for this that are fair and do not put burdens on the middle-class unfairly or seniors, we absolutely are willing to look at that and understand the members of congress have either changes around the margins are different ideas about how to do that. my point about the vast support

of the provisions within the bill was about those provisions that go to stimulating growth and accelerating hiring. the president believes strongly that what the provisions are in the bill are fair and represent the kind of choices we need to make in this country at a time when we have to ensure that we pay for something like this and we tighten our belts and everybody is paying their fair share and therefore, you are not unfairly burden in one sector of society and saying it is all on the seniors or the middle class or kids coming out of college or going into college trying to get in on education. other ideas have to pay for deficit reduction bills have had the problems within them. we think there is a more fair

way to do it. >> it is reported that secretary chu is taking responsibility for solyndra loan. does he have the president's full confidence? does anyone believe he is to blame for what happen solyndra. >> he does have the president's full confidence. he is the head of that department. it is the department where career professionals have administered the program, reviewed the loan application, made their recommendation and ultimately the head of that rate -- department is responsible. there were numerous people involved who were career professionals and work on those kind of issues every day. >> can you explain how the u.s. confirmed and are al lockley's death. he has been dead before. -- can you explain how the u.s. confirmed anwar al-awlaki's death? he has been dead before.

>> i don't have any answer to that. i don't have any specifics whether that came from yemen. >> there has been a report that he was also killed. >> i don't have any information on anyone except anwar al- awlaki. >> you don't know how the confirmation came about? >> i don't have the confirmation. i would not know where the others are getting it. i don't have to give. >> [inaudible] >> what i am saying is that we will not address the circumstances of his death. i would not anticipate a briefing on it.

>> is it because you don't know the answer? >> in terms of notification and things like that -- >> [unintelligible] >> i will cite the question about notification of where it came from. i don't have any details on that themeon the buffett situation is he talked about the attack on the ultra-rich. even at this that make $30 million per year would be paying. >> no, this is important. there has been a lot of delivered misrepresentation for political reasons and misunderstanding. it absolutely fits the buffet role as the president described it. if you make $5 million, and i hope you do, and it is all in

wages, and that $5 million is all in wages or $50 million if you're lucky enough to make that much, you were paying an effective tax rate that is as much as middle-class folks are paying. if, however, you are like warren buffett or someone making $1 million or $10 million or 50 or 5 million, you are paying a tax rate lower than a plumber or a secretary or many of us here. that is where the principle would apply. it does not apply -- that is how warren buffett described it. >> it is said it affects 50,000 people. >> i don't know what the numbers are. this is part of a principle that should guide tax reform overall. we have acknowledged that there

are a lot of very apple -- affluent americans who make millions and maybe even tens or hundreds of millions of dollars and a portion of them are paying an effective tax rate that is as much as a middle-class wage earner. there are certainly numerous very affluent americans who are not and that is what the buffet rule is meant to apply to is those who, because of the way our tax code is written and the nature of their income, can find themselves paying up to 16% unsubstantial income where as most folks are paying much more than that. >> there have been complied s againstuper-pacs. the complaints were filed to the irs to have them look into

whether they are using their charitable tax status. given the president's previous denunciations' of uspac-s in general, does the president's support an investigation? >> that report is new to me so -- -- did he ever ask them not to go about this? >> early in my tenure, i address this question. i have not thought about it today. i will have to take it. >> does the killing of anwar al- awlaki complicate the argument [unintelligible] >> no, i made that clear. our position has not changed that he needs to keep his commitment as embedded g in

thecc agreement that he signed to transfer power right away. we continue to have that position. >> this may prove his point that under his leadership, yemen has been a valuable ally to the united states in counterterrorism. how would you respond? >> the cooperation with yemen with civilian-military intelligence counterparts in yemen is not limited to one person and as their been about one person. it has been about a partnership around the goal of dealing with a threat to the united states and american allies and to yemen. that cooperation continued -- has continued throughout the unrest even though it has made it more difficult and it is one reason why s residencealaa

these to abide by his commitments. -- that is why president salaa need to abide by his agreements. we will endeavor to continue this going forward but it does not change our position with regard to the president. >> can use that or confirm that the president is able to designate individuals on a cia capture or kill less? >> i can't. i don't have an answer to that. i will not get into backdoor ways to discuss the circumstances. >> didn't this happen earlier in the year? >> i don't know what discussions have been had about that in the past. i can look at that. i want to make clear that in

doing that, i am not discussing the circumstances here. >> was the role explained entirely consistent? >> yes, i appreciate the opportunity to make clear here because there has been, i am sure, a accidentalblogging by republican leader in tw andeeting and web sites that have misconstrued what warren buffett was saying. the principal is that affluent americans should pay the same, at least the same tax rate as middle american wage earners. that does not mean that everyone making over a certain figure on that principle would have a change in their tax rates. many are paying an effective tax rate that is at least as

high as middle americans or somebody making $60,000. there are many others who were paying an effective tax rate that is much lower because of the nature of their incomes. as we look at tax reform, as we talk -- try to address all the different loopholes and subsidies and aspects of the tax code that benefit some at the expense of others, that principle should be applied. >> but this only affects 50,000 people a -- >> i don't know if we have numbers that we put together on this. it is not an insubstantial number but it is the principle here. not only does warren buffett's strongly agree with this but most americans agree. i'm not sure if we have gathered figures about what we estimate based on data.

those numbers may not reflect our numbers. a principal is a principle. >> is a lot higher, as high as 400,000? >> we would have to get good numbers. >> can you talk about the role that the yemen government plays [unintelligible] in? >> i will not get into the circumstances of his death. it has been an objective of this administration and the prior one but this one in particular that we were to have that cooperation because of the threat that al qaeda has in the arabian peninsula. through that unrest, that has been an issue because of the need to continue that cooperation that the unrest

adversely affected that and it continues today. >> yes? >> do you think the income of a millionaire ballplayers should be affected by the new tax code? >> i don't know about that. having a larger payroll does not translate into the larger picture. speaking of a bad headline -- sorry. >> the president is doing a lot of fundraising. what has he gleaned out of the meetings he has had and he has been reaching out to small donors. can you give us a summary of

what it means to him? what about his interaction with supporters? >> he has enjoyed the opportunity to get out and talk to his supporters. it is part of what you have to do and what you do when you are running for office. the message that he has carried is the same everywhere which is that when he took office, when he was sworn into office in january of 2009 and back on the night he was elected, he made clear this was not going to be easy. the challenges he faced were enormous and as it turned out, there were more enormous than people realized at the time in terms of the economic challenge. we have made progress but our work is not done. we have to continue to struggle and fight and do the things that need to be done to help the american people economically to ensure that we continue to make the investment in our future in education and infrastructure

and innovation that will enable america to dominate the 21st century economically the way it did in the 1920's. the message he has been bringing to his supporters is similar to the message that he is delivering in general about where he wants the country to go, the steps he needs -- we need to take to get there, the challenges we face which remain substantial, and the need to keep working, to keep pushing forward to achieve the goals he set. >> the president was proud to say the grassroots donors are very important. is he concerned he will not be able to replicate that in this election? >> i will address -- i will leave those kind of questions to the campaign fund-raising and the makeup of downers. -- donors.

my understanding from what i have read in the press is he is getting very broad support from all over the country in small and big ways. yes? >> at fort myers, the president said the operation was a tribute to our intelligence community and the efforts of yemen and security forces. can we infer that this was a covert cia operation without u.s. military involvement? >> no. >> he did not mention military. >> i think the point is is that broadly speaking we have had a cooperative relationship at a variety of levels with our yemeni counterparts. that has been the case for a certain amount of time now and

continues to be the case today. >> the reason i asked it because in the case of osama bin laden, that was pretty clear from the outset. it appears there is no such military involvement this operation. >> i will not parse his words or anyone else's that led down the path of trying to discuss the circumstances of his death. i just will not do it. >> he said the u.s. decision s ofalaa is not related to the anwar al-awlaki situation. does that mean that the timing of salaa's return to yemen does not coincide with this incident? >> there is no connection to my knowledge. >> you took a question yesterday on chinese currency.

does the administration take a position on it? >> we are reviewing the bill. we share concerns about the need for the chinese currency to appreciate. there has been some progress and there needs to be more. >> you will leave it that way? >> that is what i have to say today about it. >> does the president believe there's a risk of retaliation and danger to americans after the anwar al-awlaki attack? >> we are always mindful of the possibility of actions by those who generally have as their goal doing harm to the united states and americans and their allies. after something like this, regardless of what the circumstances of his death might have been, we need to be extra vigilant.

i would expect that is the case in terms of the community that deals with this. yep? >> the president often talks about innovation and other industries. on the buffet rule, it would substantially affect venture- capital lest some who make any kind of capital gains on new businesses. is he concerned that the buffet rule could really harm investments in these type of businesses that he is often promoting? >> as a matter of principle, the president believes strongly that someone making millions of dollars in income should not be paying at a much lower tax rate than an american receiving a paycheck and making $75,000.

>> could this be at the cost of real jobs? >> this administration and president has taken numerous measures toward helping businesses, especially small businesses create jobs and start-ups. in this proposal, the american jobs act, we have tax relief for small businesses specifically aimed at putting more money into the pockets, if you will, of small businesses which will hopefully enable them to grow and fire and give them incentives to borrow their work forces or increase wages. the commitment to this president has to helping our businesses grow and hire is very strong. yes? >> have two questions on the euros on. -- eurozone.

the president is outspoken about his concern on the euroaone. -- eurozone. the parliament took action. is this how foreign leaders should deal with other countries? but congress pointed out that how they deal with the debt crisis and it is a danger for the world economy? would you think that leaders in congress would go along with that? is it a consideration to see what european leaders can do to get their house in order? >> it european leaders or other leaders want to make the point we have made that political dysfunction in washington is bad for the economy, that is fine with me and i'm sure it is fine with the president. it is a self-evident fact that

the kind of dysfunction we witnessed here in washington this past summer had a negative impact on confidence both here in america and probably globally, business and consumer confidence, it was a drag on our economy. the kind of self-inflicted wound that we should not be self-inflicted here in washington when we have so many challenges we need to sell. we should not create more challenges for ourself. we were some very well with our european counterparts on this position. it remains the same. we urge europe to take decisive action to deal with this challenge which affects the

europeans, the bureau -- the eurozone. we are working with our counterparts to help them in that process. >> the german ambassador put a statement out today. "this is now time for a transatlantic plane game."

good morning, ladies and gentleman and welcome to be honorarium of admiral michael mullen. [military orders] >> moving on to the field is the commander of troops, the old

guard.

>> please stand for the arrival of the official party. ladies and tell mike, the vice president of the united states -- these and gentlemen.

official,viewing admiral mike mullen. a copy by the host, the honorable leon panetta, secretary of defense -- accompanied by the host. and general martin e. dempsey.

>> present. ♪ [band plays] the president of the united states. ["hail to the chief" plays]

ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the vocation. plays]

[military orders] >> let us pray.

eternal father, we praise you and thank you. it's subtle presence -- your eternal presence touches us this morning. thank you for your leadership, guidance, and direction that admiral mullen has given to this grea nation. we thank you for having stood next to this great leader as he led hundreds of thousands of our most treasured puncher man and woman through two major conflicts. we ask you for a special blesng, a blessing upon admiral mullen. such service has meant sacrifes, chief of which has been the long separations from

home, family, and friends. we rejoice with him on this day. we pray that the lord will be with him. life has advance the well-being of soldiers, coastguardsman, and marines, and the loving admilies -- his wife has event vanced. as new beginnings jones them into other aspects of life, maybe a short of lasting friendships and support. maybe no the many continued blessings of health, happiness, and peace. we ask this in your holy name, amen. please be seated.

[band plays]

[navy band plays]

[navy band plays]

[applause] [military orders] > >> ready, one. [navy band plays]

[military orders] >> the united states navy band. elements of the armed forces include the presidential marching platoon, led by captain matthew hernaez. the united states marine honor

guard. sergeant robert martinez. the colors have been one of the most important elements. armed forces color guard. an element from the navy honor guard led by lt. andrew jefferson. united states air force honor guard. technical sergeant kelly mckinley. first-class petty officer michael soufra. the old guard fife and drum corps.

resistance or the reverse colors of their infantry unit. they maintain this tradition by wearing traditional red coats. major william white. 56 flags of the united states. army maj james stolk. air force major john pilon. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the advancing of the colors and the playing of the national anthem. [military orders] >> forward. [navband plays]

["star-spangled banner" plays]

>> please be seated. >> flag, order. flag. flag. ready. >> ready. >> ceremonial.

>> defense distinguished service medal is awarded to mike m ullen. animal mullen -- admiral mullen distinguish himself during an increasingly dynamic time in our nation's history. he advise the president, secretary of defense, and national security staff, providing strategic direction to the armed forces. he oversaw multiple sustain joint military operations disrupt terrorist networks, and improve the security and stability in iraq.

he worked to expan counterinsurgency capabilities while bolstering ties in pakistan as that region became the central effort. admiral mullen initiate a dialogue to advance support for warriors. the distinctive accomplishments, make a long and distinguished career and reflect great credit upon himself, the united states navy, and the department of defense. [applause] he is also receiving the distinguished service medals from the army, navy, air force, and coast guard.

the department of defense not offer distinguished public service is presented to debra mullen. she met with a host of spouses at arms services installations in order to better understand and drive progress on the issues that affected the quality of life. the depth of the compassion and common sense and energy she employed on behalf of wounded and injured warriors and the families of the followed as well as female homeless veteransas indispensable. she served as an ambassador of goodwill for the united states for visits to countries across the globe. she will brew remembered for grace and kindness.

her warmth and charm greatly contributed to the worldwide acclaim enjoyed by the department of defense and the united states military. her willingness to give of yourself improve the lives of others improved beyond military spouses. the distinctive accomplishments reflect great credit upon herself and the department of defense. she gave voice to those who could not speak for themselves. she gave strength to thoswho work flagging. no problem on their behalf was too big to handle. she will be missed by all those lives that she touched and souls that she comforted. [applause]

>> flag. [military orders] >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the posting of the colors. >> honor guard.

[band plays] [military orders]

[military orders] [band plays] >> flag. [military orders] >> please be seate. >> flag, ready. >> ready. [military orders] >> ceremonial. >> ceremonial. [military orders]

>> ladies and gentlemen, the secretary of defense. [applause] >> mr. president, mr. vice presidents, the sting which guests, ladies and gentlemen. it is indeed a privilege for me to be able to honor two very special persons and two very special human beings. thank you all for being here, help pay tribute to animal mike mullen for is more than four decades of service to our nation and to help recognize general martin dempsey for once

again entered the country's call as he takes on the new leadership role as chairman. but firsof all, none of us in public service could do these jobs without the love and support of our families. i want to extend my deepest thanks to the animal mullen's family, his wife deborah -- to admiral mullen's family, his wife deborah. now serving with the fleet. i want to recognize general than see's family -- general dempsey 's family.

they also follow it into their fathers' footsteps and became soldiers. it is truly inspiring to see the same cmitment to serve this nation, passing to a new generation of leaders who will follow in the footsteps of their fathers the route my long career in public service -- the route my long career, i've had the distinct honor to serve with a vast array of immensely talented peopland impressive leaders. but for me, admiral mullen will always stand apart in a special place. his leadership, his influence, his honest candor, his straight talk, his compassion and his

outspoken concern for our troops and for their families have set him apart and he has set exceptionally high standard for the role of chairman of the joint chiefs. he hasefined the role of the 21st century chairman of the joint chiefs. part warrior, part diplomats, , spokesman,r spoke, leader. it's career is exampled dogged persistence and hard work. -- his career is an example of

dogged persistence and hard work. [applause] >> i think most of them are here. most >> of them will not have predicted that mike would have lasted five years in the navy alone rise to the pinnacle of his military profession. in the fleet and seeing combat in vietnam, mike was taken by the navy a the navy was taken by mike. thanks in part to great people who saw his deep inner strength and his leadership qualities. he flourished, rising to command, u.s. double forces in europe, sir ring as the 20th

chief of naval operations. mike came the job of chairman and a critical time for our military and for our country. we faced hard fighting and heavy casualties in iraq as the surge troops battled it determined insurgency. afghanistan w slipping away as the taliban expanded its presence throughout the country. our military forces, particularly the gund troops, were under tremendous strain deployment after deployment after deployment. he was determined to preserve the help of our all-volunteer force, even in the face of the unrelenting demands from these wars. he saw wha the repeated to

performance or doing to america's finest, our young men and women, exhausted. wounded warriors returning home bearing the scars of w. and those bearing and seemed scars forever changed by the horrors they witnessed. mike saw before many others that the war in afghanistan needed more attention, more resources, and a new approach. we all agreed deal to his vision, his determination, his dedication, and his tireless work as a military diplomat to route the region. i'm personally honored by the fact that the operation that took down bin laden could not have been done without mike's support and without his cooperation. he also made extraordinary

progress on asian-pacific matters. he worked to prevent a dangerous escalation in the conflict of the peninsula of the korean peninsula. helped our allied forge closer ties. the repeal of don't ask don't tell. at the moment in time when few thought it was possible, in his courageous testimony and leadership on this issue were major factors in brging about this important change. his courage and his honesty achieved what was- what will be forever known as a milestone in the history of equal rights for all. mike tells it like it is an

frankly, that is a rare quality in this town. at a dinner this week, i was reminded by mike his father was a hollywood publicist. as i thought about it, i stated that mike in many ways represented the culmination of all of the qualities from the wiza of oz. great brain, a great heart, and great courage. sometimes a little wizardry behind the curtain to get things done. it's time to say a few words about his dorothy, the more kabul woman who was been by his side since his first day in 1967 and an army-navyame, his wife deborah. both of them came from ow business family is. her mother was a dancer from australia.

i know the love of the theater continues today and hopefully they will now have some time to enjoy that. deborah has been a steadfast and tireless advocate forore and better resources to care for our wounded warriors and their families. she's been at the forefront of issues confronting military families, spousal employment, homelessness, survivors' benefits, education, posttraumatic stress, and no one has done more to bring to light the special challenges being faced by military children, whom she wod have often noted labor under a special kind of fear. as only a military spouse could do, she was a powerful voice for our families. borah, you are a national treasure and the country owes

you a profound debt of gratitude. [applause] the good thing is that today we will move fm one extraordinarily decent human being to another in the role of chairman. up from the roots of an irish family from bayonne, new jersey, marty truly, from the grassroots. he knows about people. he knows about hard work. he knows about sacrifice. having worked with him over these past few months, i can say that the president made a truly inspired choice in picking him to serve as the next chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. he brings a keen intellect, proven leadership, strategic vision, and humanity to the

critical post. and he tells it like it is as well, only with an irish smile. his strategic this is the right one for this time ofransition, as we craft a joint force that can defeat the wide range of security threats that we face in the world today and in the future. at this time of budget constraints, he will be a great partner in maintaining the bt defense force in the world. i know that both the president and i look really benefit from your advice and counsel. i am delighted that your wife is joining our team. she is the real -- she is a real friend to military families and i know that you will continue to champion the cause of military

families. as the new secretary of defense, i am supremely confident of the future. we have the strongest military force in our history and in the history of the world. and it is strong, exactly because we can replace one great warrior with another. the men and women in uniform are the greatest asset we have. they are our greatest strength. we celebrate the strength today by honoring these two great leaders. is my privilege to introduce another great leader who cares greatly about our men and women in uniform. ladies and gentlemen, our commander in chief, president of the united states, and barack obama. [applause]

thank you very much. secretarpanetta, thank you for your introduction and for your extraordinary leadership. members of congress, by president biden, -- vice- president biden, stingless guests -- sting was aghast -- distinguished guests. want to acknowledge your son jack who is deployed today. of you have performe extraordinary service to our country. want to say a few words about some important news. earlier this morning, anwar al- awlaki, was killed in yemen.

[applause] the death --the death is a major blow to al qaeda'most- actives operational of cilia. he was the leader of the external operations for al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. he took the lead in planning and directing efforts to murder innocent americans. he directed a failed attempt to blow up an airplane on christmas day in 2009. he directed a failed attempt to block u.s. cargo planes in 2010. he repeatedly called on individuals to kill innocent men, women, and children to advance the murders agenda. the ath of anwar al-awlaki marks another significant milestone to defeat al qaeda and

its affiliates. the success is a tribute to our intelligence community and to the efforts of yemen and its security forces who have worked closely with the united states over the course of several years. his organization has been responsible for the deaths of many yemenis citizens. this has been rejected by the vast majority of muslims and people of all faiths. the governor and people of yemen have joined in a common effort against al qaeda. al qaeda in the arabian peninsula remains a dangerous terrorist organization. we will remain vigilant against any threat to the united states or our allies and partners. this is further proof that al qaeda and its affiliates will find no safe haven anywhere in

the world. working with yemen and our other allies and partners, we will be delivered and we will be relentless and resolute in our commitment to destroy it terrorist networks that aim to kill americans. we will build a wor in which people can live in greater peace, prosperity, and security. advancing that security has been of the man wek honor today. he got out to a somewhat shaky start. he was a young ensign commanding a small tanker, 23 years old, when the collided with a buoy. you're on a ship, audit with anything is not a good thing -- colliding with anything is not a

good thing. i tell the story because mke still did himself. he has always understood that the true measure of our success is not whether we stumble. is whether we pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and got the job. whether the matter the storm that, are as a, we chart our course and keep our eyes fixed on the horizon and take care of those around us, because we all rise and fall together. that is the story of mike mullen. that's the story of america and the spirit that we celebrate today. if there is a threat to register his olestra's career, it is his sense of stewardship. the understanding that as leaders, our time at the helm is but a moment in the life of our nation.

the humility which says the institution and peoplentrusted to our care look to us, yet they did not belong to us. the sense of responsibility we have to pass them safer and stronger to those who follow. as you look back to your four years as chairman and your four decades in uniform, be assured --ur military is stronger and our nation is more secure because of the service that you have rendered. [applause] today we have renewed american leadership in the world. we have strengened our alliances including nato. we all leading again in asia and we forged a new treaty russia. every american can be grateful to admiral mullen, as am i, is

critical role in these achievements. today we see the remarkable achievements of our 9/11 generation of service members. they have given arakis a chance to determine their own future. they pushed the taliban and other afghan strongholds and put al qaeda on the path to defeat. well, our forces have responded to sudden crisis with compassion as in haiti and with precision as in libya. there will be long remembered that our troops that these tasks on animal mullen -- admiral mullen's leadership. our soldiers, afford to sure deployments, wartime with the

families, and more time training for future missions. despite the stresses and strains of a hard decade of war, the military that admiral mullen passes on is the best that it has ever been. today, our military draws its strength from more members of our of american families. soon all women will report to duty on our submarines. truck service members who are gay and lesbian no longer have to lie to serve the country that they love. tipping point towards is progress came when the 17th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff when before congress and told the nation that it was the right thing to do. your legacy will indoor in a military that is stronger but also in a nation that is more just. f [applause]

finally, in every discussion i've ever had with mike, one thing has always been foremost in his mind -- the lives of our men d women in uniform. i have seen it in the quiet moments with our wooded warriors. sought that day in the situation room as we held our breath for the safe return of our forces who delivered justice to osama bin laden. i saw it at dover as we honored our fallen heroes in the final journey home. you have to fill out the pledge you made at the beginning, to represent our troops with unwavering dedication. and so waseborah. thank you for four decades of service -- we thank her for

kindness, her jealous, her grace under pressure. she is an extraordinary woman, mike. both lucky to have married up. [applause] now the mantle of leadership passes to general martin dempsey, the most respected generals. thank you, your wife, chris, making, and caitlin -- megan, entering the call to serve once more. curtail panetta, we of one of ourinest public servants -- in secretary panetta, we have one of the finest public servants. and the new vice chairman

rubout a team where both the chairman and vice-chairman will have the experience of leading combat operations in the years since 9/11. leon, marty, ash, sandy, men and women of this department both uniformed and civilian, we still of much to do, bring the rest of our troops home from iraq this year, two trends is the two afghan lead to their own security, from defeating al qaeda, tour most solid of obligations, taking care of our forces bridget to our most solemn of obligations. none of this will be easy. let me say this as clearly as i can. will be guided by the mission we ask of our troops and the

capabilities they need to succeed. we will maintain our military superiority. we'llever wavered in defense of our country, our citizens, or our national security interests. the united states of america and our armed forces will remain the greatest force for freedom and security that the world has ever known. this is who we are, as americans. this is to we must always be, as we salute mike mullen as an exemplar of this spirit. we salute him for a life patriotic service as we continue his legacy to keep the country that we love safe and as we renewed the source of american strength here home and around the world. mike, thank you, from a grateful nation. [applause]

>> ceremonial. >> ceremonial. [military orders] >> ladies and gentlemen, admiral mullen. [applause] >> thank you.

mr. president, mr. vice president, secretary panetta, general dempsey, distinguished guests, people i've worked so hard with, many of whom have become great friends -- the general from russia, general richards from the u.k., of from denmark, family and friends, and and women -- men and women, thank you and good morning. we are delighted to share this specl day with you. this was about three years and six months too long.

marks the culmination of our 43 years together in the united states navy. i walk to date one in the naval academy in the summer of 1964, took a young pretty girl to the army- navy game in 17, in the struggle to graduate a year later and then ask that girl to marry me. had a few objections. triggering them, i thought, maybe i would not marry me either. i had some luck and she did. deborah, possibly be to express the depth of my love or the full measure of my admiration. completely in ways i have only recently come to understand. i am wiser, it is for your

counsel. if i am wiser, it is for your courage. the father of a navy seal killed on that day last august wrote to me of your tenderness and kindness when you agreed with him at dover air force base. i do believe, he wrote, that she is perhaps an angel. you have always been my angel, always on my shoulder, and i love you more than you can know. [applause] like that chairman, i am a proud navy father. and a proud navy grandfather now. my son sirs of this nation in

uniform, and an aviation and the other in surface warfare. no father to be more proud and love you boys. key for being there and for keeping me if not exactly st. that least well grounded -- not exactly sane, and at least well grounded. look forward to watching your great careers on fold. know my mother would be proud and my father would have been thrilled. if you ask any of my classmates from a great class of 1968, they would tie it they would be amazed by my success. [laughter] [applause] them.y i don't blame i am wholly amazed. i cannot tell you the number of nights i've woken up and

thought, that is an important issue. i shld call the chairman. then i realize, that is me. thank you fobeing here, classmates. i could thank thousands of others, mentors, families, colleagues, people like an enormous influence on me and deborah, made possible every success we have known and made heavy cart ships we have weathered. i will not do that. not because i'm losing my memory. that football game i took desperate to in 1967, navy 19, army 14. sorry, marty. i will not do because any attempt aa proper share of gratitude will result in remarks to prefer to recognize their contribution to our lives and to long for the audience to indoor.

endure.o lager to in a know we love them and we are indebted to them. thank you. those were not the closest to us, maybe he should have stepped up a notch. it doesn't hurt to have friends with access to drones. [laughter] i have been asked by many people would advise i it was given general dempsey. what pearls of wisdom i would leave to them. a big part of this job is discretion. i have always taken that responsibility very seriously, always considered a low profile was bass, some of like my hero, george marshall.

i said as much to david letterman on his show and it is all my facebook page if you want to see it. next to be fair the position is often misunderstood, and i was at a dinner party a couple of years ago when a woman asked me what i did in the militar not wishing to make a whole thing of it, i told her i work in the pentagon, and sheept pressing for details before i admitted that i ended joint chiefs share. oh she said. i guess i thought with all of those metals and stars you were someone important, but i am, i stressed. i'm the president's top military adviser. her eyes got big.

clearly, she was embarrassed. all my goodness, and general petraeus, i am so sorry. [laughter] >> i just did not recognize you. dave is here today as the director of the cia. thank you, dave, i owe you one. if you really want to know what i told marty, it is pretty simple, he is not just the adviser, he is a personal representative of the men and women that make up all our armed forces and their families. i told him he had a bully pulpit in this job and he should use it to stress their needs and their accomplishments. they will not ask for the hel but they will need it. they will not ask for anything more than his leadership, and sometimes, try as he might, he

will believe he has fallen far short. if i told them he will never be more proud than what he stood among the ranks of troops from other services and find that they share the same professionalism, pride, and determination, that i, as a sailor, saw in his shoulders -- soldiers. he should not wear one ofhose dear patches for seasickness. they work ok, they just do not look very good. [laughter] >> i called -- i told of his fellow chiefs of defense are really the only other people in the world that have any idea what sort of pressure he is under. he will find sources of wisdom, clarity, and support in them. the same goes for our cheese and commanders who are the best team -- chiefs and commanders, who are the best team with whom i've

ever served. we are a great force because of them and their selflessness. i told him the president will list to him because that is the president of the way. he seeks counsel, appreciates candor, except for certain delicate matters concerning the chicago white sox, and he really likes ithen you left at his jokes, and it makes the meeting go the other -- go better. [laughter] >> i have every opportunity to offer my views to the president. all of madvice has been hurt. a military man or woman can ask for nothing more of their civian leaders, and they should expect nothing less. president obama made it clear from the beginning that he valued military council and protecting the american people was his top priority. he has made good on both promises. bin laden is dead. anwar al-awlaki is dead. al qaeda is a much diminished

network. we are ending the war in the arrest, and our troops and their families have no stronger advocates for their well-being than he and the first lady, the vice president, and dr. biden. they have devoted time and personal energy to make sure our men and women have the support they need. both in the fight and here at home, i consider myself privileged to have served them all, and i appreciate their confidence in may. speaking of the fights we are challenge would be afghanistan, and seeing the transition through completion, making sure the security gains are not squandered by corruption or the lack of good governance that still plagues theountry. our strategy is the right one,

we just must keep executing it. i urged him to remember the importance of pakistan, to try to do a better job with that relationship. i continue to believe there is no solution in the region without pakistan, and no stable future in the region without a partnership. not surprisingly, high tolls and the looming budget bottles would dominate -- i told him that a building budget battles would dominate his days, and he could not have a better partner then mr. secretary leon panetta. our time together has been short in days, but long on substance. i consider myself fortunate to ha served for you, and learn from you as i did under- secretary gates, another extraordinary man that i consider a good man and a mentor. thank you for your leadership. it seems you care deeply about our men and women in uniform and

you will work to make sure they and their falies will remain foremost in mind as we grapple with the difficult budget decisions ahead. first among those decisions is wh kind of military american people deserve of the next 20 to 30 years. when i look at the effect that a war has had on us, and our people, and the looming threats posed by iran and north korea, shudder at the challges in cyberspace, or ponder the capabilities as china raises to the field, i become more convinced than ever that as a nation we cannot afford to lose our edge. we have become the best counter- insurgency force in the world, but done so at the expense of critical capabilities we not -- let lag. we sacrifice some of the basic

leadership and continuity that preserve the health of the all- volunteer force. cuts in defense spending are fair game, and we should do our part, but cut too deeply, and we will burn the blanket of protection we have been charged to provide our fellow citizens, and we will harm, perhaps irreparably, the industrial base from which we sere the materials of war. finally, i told martin to consider the job a marathon, not a sprint. ti is his best friend and his worst enemy. i never seems to have enough to do the things i wanted, and it is hard to believe it is over, but martin, you will be great. you are absolutely the right personor this job, a combat- proven leader, who cares about all of us. with your wife at your side, you are the right team for these times, and deborah and i wish you all of the best.

i would also like to extend personal wishes from the broth tour military families. the words that follow are few, but they are hers -- "nothing can be more trying at times than life in the military -- the deployment, the stress, the uncertainty, and the fear, but nothing borne from ease and comfort could foster the pride that military families exhumed every day. it is my deep honor to be a military spouse and wife no so many others who would wait, where it, and wked so hard. thank you for quite a sacrifice, for and power in need to represent yr concerns. i will miss the life, and i will miss all of you, debra." from my part, i have only one less thing to say -- the men and women are the best that we have

ever known, and believe in what they are doing, and all i s is that you continue to believe in them. continue to look out for ways to reach out to them and their families, to watch over them in this sea of good will that i know exists in the country. war has changed them and their loved ones forever, but it has not changed their dreams. you can help make those dreams come te. hire them. help them buy a home. get them started on a path toward an education. gives them a chance. that is all they want. i know that is tough to do, because you, too, are struggling, and america is struggling, and the wars use of them to fight are not foremost on everyone's mines, but they fought them for you. they are still fighting them for you. that is very much foremost on their minds. what makes this country so

special is not our accomplishments. it is how we bounce back from adversity, how we beat back our fears. it is the way we soldier through disappointment and trial. these are the hallmarks of a great people. we talk about the resilience of our troops and their families as if it is something apart from the rest of society. it is not, or at least it should not be. where do you think those troops learned to be so brave? in your homes, your schools, your communities. welcome them back to those places not only with bands and yellow ribbons, but with the solemn recognition that they have done your bidding, represented you well, brought the best of you and this country into battle, and have ne things and seeing things and there things in their souls that you cannot know. help them through their trials,

be tolerant of them and each other, gives them a chance, and together, we will prove the greatness that is america. god bless you all, god bless our troops and our families, and god bless ougreat country. [applause] [military orders] [military orders]

>> ladies and gentlemen, at this time, general dempsey will be sworn in as the 18th chairman of the general chiefs of staff -- joint chiefs of staff. >> i, state your name >> hi martin dempsey, having been appointed by the president of the united states to the position of chairman of the joint chiefs of staff do solemnly swear to support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemiesoreign and domestic, i take this obligation freely, without any amount of mental

reservation or purpose of evasion, and i will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which i am about to enter so help me god. >> so helpe god. [applause] [applause] [military orders]

[military orders] >> ceremonial. >> ceremonial. [military orders] >> ladies and gentlemen, the 18th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general martin dempsey. [applause] >> the groom's side is at it. [applause] >> that is what i was afraid of. [applause] >> president obama, secretary leon panetta, thank you for the vote of confidence, and for

allowing the honor and privilege to continue serving this nation in uniform. vice president joe biden, thank you for your support through the years. i have a lot of family and friends here today. you probably heard a bit of that a moment ago. thank you to all of you for your love and support. my five, and soon to be seven grandchildren are a particular joy in our lives, and my wife continues to inspire us off by the way she deals with everyone she meets. she taped a phrase to the refrigerator asserting that life is what happens when you are making other plans and the last year has valided that assertion. there are so many distinguished guests here today, too many to mention individually. i thank you all for dedicating your lives to our country. you are what makes us a nation that there's to be great. i am honored by the presence of my fellow chiefs of defense

around the world. you are my brothers. my other brothers of the west point class of 1974, prior to the core, are here agai i hope this is our last gathering for a while, or it will mean somhing has not gone very well. i also have some high school classmates with me. they are here to confirm the fact that miracles do happen. admiral mullen, and debra, thank you. it seems inadequate. awesome seems more approprie, but maybe a phrase better offered by another generation. however we describe your last four years, you have been extraordinary patriots and friends. although you are a sailor, and i am a soldier, in the tradition of t horse cavalry, i want you to bto know that i will be proud to tell people i wrote

with admiral mullen. you heard me swear an oath to our nation and the ideals that defined it, as those ideals are embodied in our constitution. the oath reflects a sacred trust that exists between the military forces of the united states and the people of the united states. i will live up to that old, and i will maintain that trust. as i begin my tenure as chairman of the joint chiefs, the armed forces of the uned states are powerful, responsible, resilient, the versatile, and admired. we provide our nation's leaders with a wide range of options to counter the threats and crises we face, and, when sent to do the nation's bidding, we are and unambiguous signal of our nation's resolve. our people, america's sons and daughters, our our decisive edge. we wil change, and wwill be

challenged, but when i complete my tenure as the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, i intend to be able to say exactly the same thing. we will be the joint force that the nation needs us to be, so help me god. thank you. [applause] [military orders] [military orders]

[military orders] >> right shoulder. [military orders] [military orders] ♪

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