tagged w/ appointments
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The president began his day by hosting a breakfast at the White House for Gold Star Families - those who have lost loved ones in war.
As is traditional each year on Memorial Day, when the nation honors its war dead, the president and his wife then traveled the short distance from the White House across the Potomac River to Arlington National Cemetery.
There Obama took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, followed by a Memorial Day service in a large amphitheater at the cemetery.
Saying his heart goes out to those mourning the loss of a loved one, Obama said the sacrifices of those who have been killed defending the United States must always be remembered.
"On this day we remember that it is on our behalf that they gave their lives," said President Obama. "We remember that it is their courage, their unselfishness, their devotion to duty that has sustained this country through all its trials and will sustain us through all the trials to come. We remember that the blessings we enjoy as Americans came at a dear cost; that our very presence here today, as free people in a free society, bears testimony to their enduring legacy."
Introducing the president at the Arlington memorial service was Robert Gates, the outgoing defense secretary who served not only Mr. Obama but his predecessor in the White House, former President George W. Bush.
"As I come to the end of my time in this post, I know this will be my final opportunity to stand and to speak in this hallowed place and pay tribute to the fallen," said Gates. "It is up to us to be worthy of their sacrifice in the decisions we make, the priorities we set, the support we provide to troops, veterans and their families."
Before President Obama left Arlington cemetery, he and his wife stopped at Section 60, an area containing the graves of men and women who lost their lives in wars since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. According to Defense Department figures, nearly 6,000 U.S. military personnel have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, with more 43,000 wounded.
President Obama also used Memorial Day to announce new leadership changes for the military.
Earlier, in a Rose Garden ceremony, he confirmed his choice of U.S. Army General Martin Dempsey as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
With extensive experience in the Iraq war, General Dempsey, after U.S. Senate confirmation, would replace U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush and was kept by President Obama.
Obama praised Mullen, citing his involvement in everything from military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to revitalizing U.S. relations with NATO and resetting relations with Russia.
The president called General Dempsey one of the nation's most respected and combat-tested generals.
"In Iraq, he led our soldiers against a brutal insurgency," he said. "Having trained Iraqi forces he knows that nations must ultimately take responsibility for their own security. Having served as acting commander of Central Command he understands that in Iraq and Afghanistan security gains and political progress must go hand in hand."
Another Iraq war veteran, U.S. Army General Ray Odierno, moves from his current position as head of the U.S. Joint Forces Command, to become Army chief.
Obama said Odierno helped bring down once rampant violence in Iraq and oversaw the transfer of security responsibility to Iraqi forces, paving the way for the formal end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq.
The president also announced that Admiral James Winnefeld, commander of the U.S. Northern Command, will become vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
In announcing his choices Monday, President Obama said they mark the first time that the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will have the experience of having led combat operations in the years since the September 11, 2001 al-Qaida terrorist attacks on the United States.
Source: Voice of America http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Obama-Honors-US-War-Dead-on-Memorial-Day--122821759.htmlThe president began his day by hosting a breakfast at the White House for Gold Star... more
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President Bush made another round of last-minute appointments Tuesday, giving 45 aides, supporters and others a parting gift as he leaves office: presidential appointments to boards and councils, with terms lasting three to six years after he leaves office.
The full list as released by the White House after the jump includes attorney general Michael Mukasey, deputy national security advisor Elliott Abrams, and Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff.
The President intends to appoint Martin Faga, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Public Interest Declassification Board, for the remainder of a three-year term expiring 10/03/11.
The President intends to appoint the following to be Members of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, for six-year terms expiring 06/19/14:
Panel of Conciliators:
James C. Boggs, of Virginia;
William Burck, of New York;
Ronald A. Cass, of Virginia;
Emmet Flood, of Maryland.
Panel of Arbitrators:
Fred F. Fielding, of Virginia;
Daniel M. Price, of Maryland.
The President intends to appoint the following individuals to be Members of the Board of Directors of the Valles Caldera Trust:
Raymond Loretto, of New Mexico, (State or Local Government Representative in New Mexico), for a four-year term beginning 01/17/09;
Virgil Trujillo, of New Mexico, (Livestock Management Representative), for a four-year term beginning 01/17/09.
The President intends to appoint the following individuals to be Members of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, for the remainder of two-year terms expiring 05/03/10:
David Allen Josserand, of Florida, and upon appointment designate Chairman;
Kirk M. Bauer, of Maryland, and upon appointment designate Vice Chairman;
Steven Bornstein, of California;
Susan Lieberman Dell, of Texas;
Allyson Felix,of California;
Susan Finn, of Ohio;
Diego Gutierrez, of Illinois;
James W. Holsinger, of Kentucky;
Michelle Kwan, of California;
Robert A. Labonte, of North Carolina;
Edward R. Laskowski, of Minnesota;
Elisha Nelson Manning, of Louisiana;
David W. Marsh, of Alabama;
Leslie E. Miles, of Louisiana;
Omar Minaya, of New Jersey;
Richard F. Phelps, of Indiana;
Ruth Riley, of Florida;
Jason Sehorn, of California.
The President intends to appoint the following individuals to be Members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council:
Elliot Abrams, of Virginia, for a five-year term beginning 01/16/09;
Joshua B. Bolten, of the District of Columbia, for a five-year term beginning 01/16/09;
Alan I. Casden, of California, for the remainder of a five-year term expiring 01/15/11;
Michael Chertoff, of New Jersey, for a five-year term beginning 01/16/09;
William Danhof, of Michigan, for a five-year term beginning 01/16/09;
Sanford Gottesman, of Texas, for a five-year term beginning 01/16/09;
Cheryl Feldman Halpern, of New Jersey, for a five-year term beginning 01/16/09,;
J. David Heller, of Ohio, for a five-year term beginning 01/16/09;
Amy Kaslow, of Maryland, for a five-year term beginning 01/16/09;
M. Ronald Krongold, of Florida, for a five-year term beginning 01/16/09;
Michael B. Mukasey, of New York, for a five-year term beginning 01/16/09;
Daniel Silva, of the District of Columbia, for a five-year term beginning 01/16/09.
.......there's more.....President Bush made another round of last-minute appointments Tuesday, giving 45... more
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