Bill Clinton: “New York City May 22, 1996 To the men and women of our Armed Forces gathered here today and their counterparts from…”

“New York City May 22, 1996 To the men and women of our Armed Forces gathered here today and their counterparts from Canada and Mexico and the United Kingdom who join us on board the Intrepid, first things first: At ease. Mr. Sowinski, Secretary Dalton, Admiral Johnson, Admiral Flanagan, Rear Admiral Williamson, Mayor and Mrs. Giuliani. I am delighted to be here today. As your Commander in Chief, I've come to see you off on a challenging assignment, one that demands enormous stamina and strength: Fleet Week. A grueling schedule of baseball and theater awaits you, the seamanship olympics, the legendary best chow contests. Your abilities will be put to the test. Your orders for the mission are clear and simple: Enjoy yourselves. Have fun. You've earned it. All around the world, every day of the year, you show what is best about our country: the commitment to stand up for freedom, to stand against oppression, to give a helping hand, to do all of that together as one America in alliance with our friends. Among you are soldiers from the 77th Regional Support Command which helped to defeat Saddam Hussein in Desert Storm and now is working to preserve the peace in Bosnia. There are sailors from the U.S.S. Arleigh Burke which served as Red Crown in Operation Sharp Guard to protect our Adriatic fleet. There are airmen from McGuire Air Force Base who supported IFOR troops in Bosnia and evacuation airlifts in Liberia.…”