THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  I’m sorry, Bagram, I can’t hear you.  (Applause.)  Air Assault!  (Applause.)  It is great to be back.  Let me first of all thank the 101st Airborne Division Band.  Where’s the band?  Give them a big round of applause.  Thank you.  (Applause.) 

To Chief Thomas Hager and to the commander and conductor.  I gather we had a couple of other bands playing, Manifest Destiny and Nuts.  I don’t know about, you know -- I don’t know how they sounded.  What did you think?  Were they pretty good?  (Hooah!)

It is great to be back.  And I apologize for keeping you guys up late, coming on such short notice.  But I wanted to make sure that I could spend a little time this holiday with the men and women of the finest fighting force that the world has ever known, and that’s all of you.  (Applause.)

I want to thank General Petraeus, not only for the introduction and the T-shirts, but for General Petraeus’s lifetime of service.  This is somebody who has helped change the way we fight wars and win wars in the 21st century.  And I am very grateful that he agreed to take command of（指挥，开始控制） our efforts here in Afghanistan.  He has been an extraordinary warrior¹ on behalf of the American people.  Thank you, David Petraeus.  (Applause.)

I want to thank all your outstanding leaders who welcomed me here, including General John Campbell; Admiral Bill McRaven from the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing; Colonel Todd Canterbury.  I want to salute²（致意，行礼） your great senior enlisted³ leaders, including Command Sergeant⁴ Major Scott Schroeder -- (hooah!) -- Command Sergeant Major Chris Farris, and Command Chief Craig Adams.  (Hooah!)

I also want to acknowledge the outstanding work that our civilians⁵ are doing each and every day, starting with Karl Eikenberry all the way through to your senior civilian⁶ representative Thomas Gibbons and all the civilians who are here.  They are fighting alongside you.  They are putting themselves at risk.  They are away from their families.   And we are very, very grateful to them as well.  So give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

I think we’ve got every service here tonight.  We’ve got Army.  (Applause.)  We’ve got Navy.  (Applause.)  We’ve got Air Force.  (Applause.)  I think we may have a few Marines around, too.  (Applause.)  And a whole lot of folks from the 101st Airborne Division, The Screaming Eagles.  (Applause.)

Here in Afghanistan, you are all -- Coast Guard, is that what I heard?  (Laughter.)  Here in Afghanistan, all of you are part of one team, serving together, succeeding together, except maybe in next week’s Army-Navy game.  As your Commander-in-Chief, I’ve got to stay neutral on that.  (Laughter.)  We also have some ISAF partners here as well. 

You know, when I was here in the spring, we had a coalition⁷ of 43 nations.  Now we’ve got a coalition of 49 nations.  And this sends a powerful message that the coalition of nations that supports Afghanistan is strong and is growing. 

Now, I’m not here to give a long speech.  I want to shake as many hands as I can.  (Hooah!)  But let me say that at this time of year, Americans are giving thanks for all the blessings⁸ that we have.  And as we begin this holiday season, there is no place that I’d rather be than be here with you. 

I know it’s not easy for all of you to be away from home, especially during the holidays.  And I know it’s hard on your families.  They’ve got an empty seat at the dinner table.  Sometimes during the holiday season that’s when you feel the absence of somebody you love most acutely. 

But here’s what I want you to know.  As President of the United States, I have no greater responsibility than keeping the American people secure.  I could not meet that responsibility, we could not protect the American people, we could not enjoy the blessings of our liberty without the extraordinary service that each and every one of you perform each and every day.

So on behalf of me, on behalf of Michelle, on behalf of Malia and Sasha, on behalf of more than 300 million Americans, we are here to say thank you.  (Hooah!)  We are here to say thank you for everything that you do.