U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Change of Command
Remarks as Delivered by Secretary
of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, Miami, Florida, Thursday, October 19,
2006
(Courtesy of Department of Defense from its DefenseLink website at http://www.defenselink.mil/Speeches/Speech.aspx?SpeechID=1053 ) |
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General Pace, thank you so very much for those kind words and --
needless to say, for your superb leadership in the Department of
Defense as the senior military leader in our country and adviser to
the President of the United States. The American people are
most fortunate that you chose to wear our country's uniform. Thank
you, Pete.
Members of Congress and military and civilian leaders here -- all
those in uniform -- friends and family of General John Craddock and
Admiral Jim Stavridis. Distinguished guests from around the
world.
I'm very pleased to join with you as we send one fine leader off to
his new assignment and we welcome another fine leader to this
command.
I've heard a good deal about John Craddock. It seems to me that
so many distinguished leaders from our hemisphere have joined us
here today to thank him for his service and to wish him and Linda
well in their new assignment.
Linda, I'm told that John recently described you as “the best
soldier in the Craddock family.” Through the years, you've
been a partner he could count on, giving so much and looking after
the needs of so many military families. And I know the folks
here at the Southern Command appreciate all that you have done for
them as do we. Thank you so much for your service. (Applause.)
The other day, I was thinking about General Craddock's military
service. He's been around a long time. How many years --
John, 35 years or something like that?
Doesn't look so long to me, but -- (laughter) -- I guess John made
his mark first as an Armor officer in M1 Tanks -- several decades
ago.
As a matter of fact, I was the one who approved the M1 Tank back in
1975, I think.
Since that time:
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John has commanded an armored battalion during
Operation Desert Storm and;
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He's a brigade at Fort Knox;
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The 1st Infantry Division, and;
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He's also served in what I suspect he found to be one
of his toughest assignments ever, and that was as the senior
military assistant in the Pentagon, and he did a superb job there,
as Pete Pace indicated.
And now he completes a highly successful tour as commander of the
Southern Command. One of his colleagues once compared John to
an “all-star” shortstop -- quiet, but you always knew that he
would handle every ball that came his way and make it look easy --
and that's exactly what John Craddock's done.
Two weeks ago, I had an opportunity to see first-hand the benefits
of his service here in Southern Command, his consensus-building
leadership.
It was in Nicaragua. We had a meeting of the defense ministers
of the entire hemisphere, and some -- representatives of some 32
nations were gathered in Nicaragua to discuss how to better promote
peace and stability here in this hemisphere. And it was
striking that in each of our meetings there seemed to be some core
themes that indicated a common perspective. And a common
approach and a cooperative and cohesive feeling among the nations of
the hemisphere that reflected an awareness that the problems faced
by our countries -- all of our countries in this hemisphere -- can't
be solved by any one country alone.
Whether it's counternarcotics or gangs or hostage taking,
counterterrorism, each of these 21st century problems, difficulties,
challenges, require a very close working relationship among our
nations.
And a great many countries in our hemisphere understand this today. And
they have come to understand it in no small part because of the
leadership of General John Craddock and the Southern Command. His
ability to make things happen has contributed to an era of growing
cooperation here in this hemisphere.
General Craddock is well suited to his next assignment, in a region
that also needs to work together in ways that fit this new 21st
Century. His ability to make things happen is an important
quality. As Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, John will
assume the command that was, I believe, first led by General Dwight
Eisenhower so many years ago. I know that the NATO alliance,
the military and civilian leadership as well as our very important
European Command there, will welcome you, John, and that you will
serve the alliance and our country well.
I can also say with a great deal of confidence that your successor
here at the Southern Command -- Admiral Jim Stavridis -- will
continue the strong progress this region has experienced ever since
-- at least since General Pete Pace served here as the commander. The
next leader here -- Jim Stavridis -- has spent a good deal of his
career at sea taking on tough assignments; notably, commanding a
carrier strike group in support of operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan. And over the last two years, I've come to rely on
his counsel and his sound judgment, to my great benefit and to the
benefit of the Department of Defense.
Jim, you're the right man for this important post. And it is an
exceedingly important post, and I know you will do a superb job for
our country. We wish you full success. Congratulations
and Godspeed. (Applause.)
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