Bill Clinton: “Thank you very much, Captain. I know that I won't be able to see all of you now, but I've seen as many as I could, and…”

“Thank you very much, Captain. I know that I won't be able to see all of you now, but I've seen as many as I could, and I've shaken hands with a lot of you. I've also reviewed your mission and been very impressed with it. I want to recognize the presence on the ship of the 1992 Sailor of the Year, Donald Leroy Heffentrager; as well as the First Class Petty Officer of the Quarter, Gary Neff; the Senior Petty Officer of the Quarter, Gregory Ham; the Junior Petty Officer of the Quarter, Jason McCord; and the Blue Jacket of the Quarter, Airman Todd Pearson. I've been very impressed with everything I've seen and with all the people I've met. As Commander in Chief it's immensely reassuring to me to know that the United States is served by people of such high quality and such great dedication. The Secretary of Defense, Les Aspin, and the others who are here in my company have already learned a great deal and see a lot that we admire and that we like. I thank you for your service to the country, and I look forward to the remainder of my stay here. And I wish you well on your deployment.”