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Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen volunteer to protect and defend this country and all its citizens, and do so with honor, integrity and excellence. Our nation continually asks them to do more and more, with less and less.

Our National Guard, as I think everybody knows, has provided about 40 percent of the boots on the ground in Iraq and in the conflict against Islamofascism. They went into that battle, being called up for their national security service, short of equipment.

We reserve our deepest respect and admiration for those who volunteer for service and give their lives to help keep our nation secure.

That is why we are working with these various groups that have volunteers. We can get a lot of these things done. Nobody has dropped out, and a lot of people would like to join. We now know what each other does.

The patriot volunteer, fighting for country and his rights, makes the most reliable soldier on earth.

Every member of the U.S. Armed Forces knows what they signed up for, and they know what their job is, and they are proud of their job.

Since far fewer people are recruited to serve in a voluntary military, the connection between America and its military is increasingly tenuous and less personal.

There is no room for military people, including our veterans, to see themselves as victims, even if so many of our countrymen are prone to relish that role.

I have drawn a very close bond to all the military people.

Our men and women in our armed forces are the real heroes in this conflict.