PRESIDENT OBAMA TO THE TROOPS “WELCOME HOME”

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!

PRESIDENT OBAMA TO THE TROOPS “WELCOME HOME”

Both President & Mrs. Obama have been doing their part to bring holiday joy and cheer to our troops.
President Barack Obama on Wednesday saluted troops returning from Iraq, asserting that the nearly nine-year conflict was ending honorably, "not with a final battle, but with a final march toward home."

Marking the conclusion of the war at a military base that's seen more than 200 deaths from fighting in Iraq, Obama never tried to declare victory. It was a war that he opposed from the start, inherited as president and is now bringing to a close, leaving behind an Iraq still struggling.

But he sought to pronounce a noble end to a fight that has cost nearly 4,500 American lives and more than 100,000 Iraqi lives.

"The war in Iraq will soon belong to history, and your service belongs to the ages," he said, applauding their "extraordinary achievement."

All U.S. troops are to be out of Iraq Dec. 31, though Obama has pledged the U.S. will continue civilian assistance for Iraq as it faces an uncertain future in a volatile region of the world.

President and Mrs. Obama were at Ft. Bragg bringing holiday cheer to the troops.
President Obama recently revealed his two favorite shows are "Modern Family" and "Homeland!"

Mrs. Obama looked quite "presidential" herself in a smart black suit.

The FLOTUS then introduced her husband to the soldiers at Ft. Bragg as he offered them words of encouragement. These two are SO into each other... Obama, appearing with first lady Michelle Obama, highlighted the human side of the war, reflecting on the bravery and sacrifices of U.S. forces now on their way back home. He recalled the start of the war, a time when he was only an Illinois state senator and many of the warriors before him were in grade school.

"We knew this day would come. We have known it for some time now," he said. "But still, there is something profound about the end of a war that has lasted so long."

Obama, who became president in part because of his opposition to the Iraq war, said the war faced twists and turns amid one constant: the patriotism and commitment of U.S. troops.

"It is harder to end a war, than to begin one," he said.

Still, he made only passing mention of the enormous soul-searching the war caused in America, saying it "was a source of great controversy here at home, with patriots on both sides of the debate." He did not mention that he had opposed it.

He noted the early battles that defeated and deposed Saddam Hussein and what he called "the grind of insurgency" — roadside bombs, snipers and suicide attacks.

"Your will proved stronger than the terror of those who tried to break it," he said.

The Obamas returned to Washington, DC shortly.

LOVE MY PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY, AND THANKS TO THE MANY WHO HAVE SERVED AND PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUT COUNTRY GOD BLESS AMERICA!!