Remarks by President Biden at the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in Honor of General Mark A. Milley | Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall

It's a great honor to be then moment to celebrate the remarkable service of General Mark Milley, the 20th president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Mark, you have served this nation with distinction for nearly 44 times. You have led our colors in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. You have helped to shape our public security strategy through some of the most complex and grueling times in our history.

And, through it all, you have remained a loyal and unvarying advocate for our Constitution, our republic, and the American people.

Mark, you're a true loyalist. And I'm deeply thankful for your fellowship and your service.

I want to start by thanking Hollyanne and the Milley family for their inconceivable support. Mark, I know that none of this would have been possible without you by his side.

Thank you to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the registers of Defense and Homeland Security, the members of Congress, and all the distinguished guests who are then moment.

And to all the service members and their families, thank you for your service. Thank you for your immolation. Thank you for keeping us safe.

Mark, I know you are not one for speeches. But I am going to give one anyway. Because it's important to fete the magnitude of your benefactions to our nation.

You have led the service through some of the most grueling times in our history. You helped to end the war in Afghanistan. You have overseen the modernization of our forces. And you have worked lifelessly to strengthen our alliances and hookups around the world.

But maybe most importantly, you have been a loyal protector of our Constitution and our republic.

In times of extremity, you have stood up for what's right, indeed when it was not easy. You have reminded us that the service is inferior to mercenary authority. And you have shown us that the true strength of our nation lies in our commitment to the rule of law and the values that we hold dear.

Mark, you're a true American idol. And I'm deeply thankful for your service.

I want to partake a many stories that illustrate the kind of leader Mark Milley is.

In 1999, Mark was serving in Kosovo as the commander of the 10th Mountain Division. One day, he was leading a command when they came under fire from Serb ordnance. Mark exposed himself to adversary fire to help void his wounded dogfaces. He was awarded the Silver Star for his heroism.

In 2007, Mark was serving as the commander of the 18th Airborne Corps in Iraq. The Anbar Province was falling to al- Qaeda in Iraq. Mark led acounter-insurgency crusade that turned the drift and helped to liberate the fiefdom from al- Qaeda's control.

And in 2019, Mark was appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He took over the job at a time when the service was facing a number of challenges, including the COVID- 19 epidemic, the pullout from Afghanistan, and the rise of China.

Mark has led the service through these challenges with skill, grace, and professionalism. He has shown himself to be a trusted counsel to the President and the Secretary of Defense. And he has earned the respect of the American people.

Mark, I want to thank you for everything you have done for our country. You're a true American idol.

I also want to take this occasion to thank all the service members and their families who are then moment. You're the backbone of our service. And we're deeply thankful for your service.

You serve in some of the most dangerous places in the world. You put your lives on the line every day to keep us safe. And we owe you a debt of gratefulness that we can noway completely repay.

So thank you to all the service members and their families. We're ever in your debt.

Mark, as you retire from the service, I know that you'll continue to serve your country in new and important ways. You're a true loyalist. And I'm confident that you'll continue to make a difference in the lives of others.

God bless you, Mark. God bless our colors. And God bless the United States of America.

In addition to the below reflections, President Biden also participated the following stories about General Milley

In 1989, Mark was serving as a team leader in Panama. During the irruption of Panama, Mark's team was ambuscaded by adversary forces. Mark led his team to safety, and he was awarded the Citation Star for his heroism.

In 2011, Mark was serving as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Mark was responsible for overseeing the pullout of US colors from Afghanistan. He did so in a way