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BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (June 9, 2008) - First lady Laura
Bush visited troops here yesterday during a brief stop on her third
trip to Afghanistan, giving words of praise and encouragement to
servicemembers for their efforts and results.
"From overseeing hospitals to responding to [improvised
explosive devices], your efforts are critical to our mission in
Afghanistan," Bush said. "On behalf of President Bush and a
grateful nation, thank you very much for your service to the United
States of America. Every day, you risk your lives to protect the
freedom that we hold so dear."
Bush spoke to a crowd of several hundred in a large hangar and
shared a few observations about the signs of progress that she had
seen in Afghanistan throughout the day. "As you go about your daily
duties, you are brining opportunity and security to the people of
Afghanistan," she said.
The first lady made a number of stops during her day-long visit
to Bamyan province, Kabul and Bagram Air Base.
In Bamyan, Bush visited a police training center, where she met
a female police trainee. The trainee told Bush that seeing Bamyan's
female governor had inspired her to try out for the police force.
Bush added that the female police officer's story, as well as her
own observation of women studying the new Afghan constitution, were
vivid reminders "of how far this nation has come since the
Taliban's reign."
"Women were not even allowed in school, and there was no
democratic constitution to be studied," she said.
She also visited an orphanage in Bamyan and saw a
road-construction project.
"All of these encouraging stories and all of these terrific
things I saw today have been made possible by your efforts, and the
efforts of the U.S. military," Bush said.
Bush then met with members of a New Zealand-led provincial
reconstruction team, who greeted her with a traditional war dance,
complete with spears and war paint. "I can only imagine what the
Secret Service thought, but their performance truly highlights the
international makeup of security forces here in Afghanistan."
The first lady is en route to Paris later this week, where she
said she plans to address an international conference for
Afghanistan reconstruction. Before closing her remarks here, she
took the time to thank military families for their sacrifices in
support of the Afghanistan mission.
"When you e-mail or call them tonight," she told the Bagram
servicemembers, "give them our love, and tell them I know what the
burden of worry is on your family members, and I understand it, and
I thank them."
She then spent several minutes greeting, shaking hands and
taking pictures with servicemembers before boarding a military
aircraft to her next destination.
Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser, commander of Combined
Joint Task Force 101 and of NATO International Security Assistance
Force's Regional Command East, described Bush to the cheering crowd
during her introduction as "someone who has been an advocate to you
and has been a friend of military families for a long time."
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