 Once again, good morning and welcome. Today, the United States Army, represented by the soldiers of the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard, and the United States Army Band, Pershing Zone, bids farewell to General Raymond T. Odierno, the 38th Chief of Staff of the Army, and welcomes General Mark A. Milley, incoming Chief of Staff of the Army. Participating in today's review from left to right is the United States Army Band, Pershing Zone, formed in 1922 by then Army Chief of Staff, General John J. Pershing. The United States Army Band is the premier band of our senior service. Pershing Zone provides musical support for ceremonies and special events in our nation's capital and throughout the United States. The United States Army Band is under the direction of Colonel Timothy Holton, and led by drum major Scott Little. Elements of the Old Guard include Charlie Company, commanded by Captain Pete Escamilla, and led by First Sergeant Jose Barrero. Next online is Delta Company, commanded by Captain Andrew Duronco, and led by First Sergeant Anthony Montalbo. Since the days of the American Revolution, the colors have been one of the most important elements of a military unit. As soldiers kept their position in formation by dressing on the sole, on the colors. At the center of today's formation and bearing the national color is the Third Infantry's Continental Color Guard, led by Corporal Robert Gambrill. Next online is Honor Guard Company, commanded by Captain Alexander Triplett, and led by First Sergeant Jason Lewis. Following is the Commander-in-Chief's Guard, patterned after the unit created by General George Washington in 1776 to be his personal guard. The Commander-in-Chief's Guard is commanded by Captain Brandon Bangsball, and led by First Sergeant Jason Taylor. The last element online, dressed in the Continental Musicians' uniform, is the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. During the American Revolution, musicians wore the reverse colors of their parent infantry unit. The men and women of the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps maintained this tradition by wearing red coats instead of the infantry blue. The corps is led today by drum major James Hague. To the right of the formation is the Presidential Salute Gun Battery, led today by Staff Sergeant Matthew White. And to the rear of the formation are the 56 state and territorial flags of the United States, led by Captain Brendan Wright. And the First Sergeant for this element is Sergeant First Class Joseph Brown. Ladies and gentlemen, before the ceremony begins, we would like to take this opportunity to recognize some distinguished guests that are in attendance today. General and Mrs. Eric K. Shinseki, former United States Army Chief of Staff, retired and former Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The Honorable and Mrs. Buck McKeon, United States Senate, retired. The Honorable and Mrs. Chet Edwards, United States House of Representatives, retired. The Honorable Patrick J. Murphy, United States House of Representatives, retired. The Honorable Robert O. Work, Deputy Secretary of Defense. The Honorable Paul Wolfeitz, former Deputy Secretary of Defense. Ms. Christine Fox, former Acting United States Deputy Secretary of Defense. The Honorable and Mrs. Louis Caldera, former Secretary of the Army. The Honorable Francis J. Harvey, former Secretary of the Army. Admiral and Mrs. Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations. Lieutenant General Jorg Volmer, Captain Hanno Feld, Lieutenant Colonel Karsten Hake, Chief of Staff, German Army. General Carl E. Viano, former United States Army Chief of Staff, retired. General Gordon Sullivan, former United States Army Chief of Staff, retired. General and Mrs. Frank J. Grass, Chief National Guard Bureau. The Honorable Eric K. Fanning, Acting Undersecretary of the Army. Ms. Lisa Desbrow, Acting Undersecretary of the Air Force. The Honorable and Mrs. Jo R. Reeder, former Undersecretary of the Army. The Honorable Les Brownlee and Ms. Susan, former Undersecretary of the Army. Mr. Raymond Dubois, former Acting Undersecretary of the Army. The Honorable and Mrs. Scott Cosper, Mayor, City of Colleen, Texas. General and Mrs. John M. Paxton Jr., United States Marine Corps, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. General and Mrs. Daniel B. Allen, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. Lieutenant General Joseph L. Langell, Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau. General Lloyd J. Austin III, Commander, United States Central Command. General and Mrs. John F. Campbell, Commander, Resolute Support Mission. General and Mrs. J. H. Binford-Pierre III, and Mrs. Heather Pie, former United States Army Vice Chief of Staff, retired. General John M. Keen, former United States Army Vice Chief of Staff, retired. General and Mrs. Richard A. Cody, former United States Army Vice Chief of Staff, retired. The Honorable Joe Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works. The Honorable Heidi Xu, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. The Honorable Deborah S. Wada, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Manpower and Reserve Affairs. The Honorable and Mrs. Robert M. Speer, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Financial Management and Comptroller. Mr. Philip R. Park, Senior Official, Office of General Counsel. The Honorable Mahlon Apgar IV, former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment. General and Mrs. David M. Rodriguez, Commander, United States Africa Command. General and Mrs. Dennis L. Villa, Commanding General, United States Army Material Command. General and Mrs. David G. Perkins, Commanding General, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. General and Mrs. Joseph L. Vatell, Commander, United States Special Operations Command. General and Mrs. Robert Abrams, Commanding General, Force Comm. General John F. Kelly, United States Marine Corps, Commander, United States Southern Command. Admiral and Mrs. Michael S. Rogers, United States Navy, Commander, United States Cyber Command, Director, NSA, Chief, CSS. Admiral William B. E. Gordney, United States Navy, Commander, United States Northern Command. General, Retired, and Mrs. William Buck Kernan, Board Member, Patriot Foundation. General John W. Foss, United States Army, Retired. General William G. T. Tuttle Jr., United States Army, Retired. General and Mrs. Crosby E. St., United States Army, Retired. General William W. Hartzog, United States Army, Retired. General Larry R. Ellis, United States Army, Retired. General John P. Abizade, United States Army, Retired. General Anne E. Dunwoody, United States Army, Retired. General Carter F. Ham, United States Army, Retired. Lieutenant General and Mrs. Robert Foley, United States Army, Retired, and Medal of Honor, Recipient. Sergeant Kyle White, Medal of Honor, Recipient. Sergeant Major and Mrs. Brian Battaglia, United States Marine Corps, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman. Sergeant Major of the Army and Mrs. Daniel A. Daly, Sergeant Major of the Army. Chief Master Sergeant and Mrs. Mitchell O. Brush, Senior Enlisted Advisor, National Guard Bureau. Sergeant Major of the Army, Retired, Kenneth O. Preston, Former Sergeant Major of the Army. Ladies and gentlemen, the history of the Third United States Infantry Regiment reflects the growth and development of our nation. Fifty-five well-earned battle streamers, two valorous unit awards, three meritorious unit commendations, and five superior unit awards, a test to the Old Guard's record of bravery in action and achievements during peacetime. In 1922, the Ward Apartment granted permission for the Old Guard to pass and review with bayonets fixed. The Old Guard will now fix bayonets to the traditional beat of the drum. Ladies and gentlemen, moving into position is the Commander of Troops for today's ceremony. Colonel Johnny K. Davis, Commander, Third United States Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard. Ladies and gentlemen, taking the reviewing stand is the host for today's ceremony. The Honorable John M. McHugh, Secretary of the Army, accompanied by the Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Ashton Carter, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin E. Dempsey, the Reviewing Official, General Raymond T. Odeirno, the 38th Chief of Staff, United States Army, and General Mark A. Milley, incoming Chief of Staff, United States Army. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the arrival of the official party and remain standing as honors are rendered. Please be seated. Von Storben was the Continental Army's Inspector General and witnessed the Continental Army's first review on 6 May 1778 at Valley Forge. During that period, a review consisted of four stages, a formation of the troops, presentation and honors, the inspection you are seeing now, and a march in review. As the Commander of Troops escorts the reviewing official through the review, the focus is on the pride, precision and discipline instilled through many hours of drill. Von Storben knew, as we realize today, the same focus is essential in order to win on the battlefield. Established in 1784, the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard, is the Army's oldest active infantry regiment and has a distinguished history of service that predates the Constitution and has continued throughout our nation's conflicts. In 1948, the Army established the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment as the premier memorial affairs and ceremonial unit, rendering final honors to fallen comrades in Arlington National Cemetery and representing the Army in venues across the country, communicating its story to the nation's citizens and the world. It has participated in every inauguration from President Eisenhower to President Obama and it maintains a 24-hour vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In addition to their ceremonial responsibilities, Old Guard soldiers serve as the National Capital Region's domestic response force, the military's first responders to emergencies in the National Capital Region. Old Guard soldiers also maintain their tactical and technical proficiency and the Old Guard has deployed companies in support of overseas operations to the Horn of Africa and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The vast majority of Old Guard leaders are combat experienced. Old Guard soldiers are coming from and returning to deploying units in support of overseas contingency operations. Whether defending our nation's capital, honoring our country's veterans or serving overseas, the Old Guard always stands ready to serve. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the advancing of the colors and remain standing for the United States National Anthem. Please be seated. The Secretary of Defense has awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal to General Raymond T. Odierno, United States Army, for extraordinary meritorious service for the armed forces of the United States. General Raymond T. Odierno, United States Army, distinguished himself by exceptionally distinguished service as Chief of Staff of the Army, Department of the Army, from September 2011 to August 2015. As the 38th Chief of Staff, General Odierno ensured the Army provided depth and versatility to the Joint Force, supporting the requirements of combatant commanders for security force assistance, humanitarian relief operations, and contingency operations around the world. General Odierno drove aggressive implementation of multiple mutually supporting strategic initiatives, ensuring that the United States Army was the foundation of the Joint Force and remained the greatest land force in the world. General Odierno ensured that the Army possessed the capability and capacity to provide globally responsive and regionally aligned forces, as well as expeditionary and decisive land power across the full range of military operations, providing the groundwork for a global land power network of interconnected nodes. Simultaneously, General Odierno worked closely with the other Joint Chiefs of Staff to ensure that the United States Armed Forces stand ready to serve our nation in any capacity needed and to advise our country's senior leaders as required. General Odierno led the effort in developing and implementing a vision for the Army that synchronized and integrated joint, inter-organizational, and multinational teams positioning the Army and the Joint Force to defend the nation in the 21st century. The distinctive accomplishments of General Odierno culminate a long and distinguished career in the service of his country and reflect great credit upon himself, the United States Army, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, signed Ashton Carter, Secretary of Defense. General Odierno has also been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the Department of the Air Force and the United States Coast Guard. Headquarters Department of the Army Special Orders, by order of the Secretary of the Army, the following soldier is retired. General Raymond T. Odierno. At this time, Secretary McHugh is presenting the United States flag to General Odierno for his faithful service to his country. Senate Army Caucus Co-Chairs Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma and Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island paid tribute to General Odierno in the congressional record as one of our nation's finest military officers. On the occasion of the retirement of this distinguished soldier, we also recognize the outstanding service of his spouse, Mrs. Linda M. Odierno. The Secretary of Defense has awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service to Mrs. Linda M. Odierno. Mrs. Linda M. Odierno is recognized for Distinguished Public Service in support of the members of the United States Armed Forces. Since June 1976 to August 2015. Over the course of nearly four decades, Mrs. Odierno relentlessly served as a caring advocate for the military community at large, our service members, and their families. As an ambassador for the Department of Defense and the Department of the Army, she hosted senior military and civilian leaders and selflessly worked toward improving military communities and quality of life programs for our men and women in uniform. Mrs. Odierno served as a volunteer within numerous military support organizations and veteran support groups to ensure that they were aware of how to best support our military families. She enthusiastically volunteered her time and support to military and community organizations which benefited countless military families along the way. Whether helping service members and their families cope through deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, or meeting with and comforting wounded warriors and their families. Mrs. Odierno was always there to aid and assist with understanding and caring support. The distinctive accomplishments of Mrs. Odierno reflect great credit upon herself and the Department of Defense. Signed Ashton Carter, Secretary of Defense. Mrs. Odierno is also being presented with the Department of the Army Certificate of Appreciation for her faithful and devoted service. It is dedicated support which made possible such a lasting contribution to our nation. By order of the Secretary of the Army, ladies and gentlemen, at this time, a bouquet of red roses are being presented to Mrs. Linda Odierno on behalf of the men and women of the United States Army. Also at this time, two white roses are being presented to his daughter, Mrs. Catherine Funk and Mrs. Hilda Burkarth, his mother-in-law. Chief of Staff Coins are also being presented to his grandsons, Brennan Funk and Albie Funk. Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, the Secretary of the Army will swear in General Milley as the 39th Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Assisting Secretary McHugh is General Milley's wife, Holly Ann. Raise your right hand. Repeat after me. I, state your name. I, Mark Alexander Milley. Having been appointed the Chief of Staff Army. Having been appointed the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Do solemnly swear. Do solemnly swear. That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Against all enemies, foreign or domestic. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That I take this obligation freely. Without any mental reservations. Without any mental reservations. For a purpose of evasion. For a purpose of evasion. And that I will well and faithfully. That I will well and faithfully. Discharge the duties of the office. Discharge the duties of the office. Upon which I am about to enter. upon which I am about to enter so help me God so help me God congratulations ladies and gentlemen at this time Mrs. Milly is being presented a bouquet of flowers from the men and women of the United States Army and a single rose is being presented to Miss Mary Margaret his daughter and a coin to his son Peter ladies and gentlemen please stand as the colors are posted please be seated ladies and gentlemen secretary Carter secretary McHugh my admired friend public servant thank you for hosting today's ceremony it's a privilege for me to be here today to honor these two great Americans and their families and thank you also to the large and distinguished audience that came here today to recognize both Ray Odeirno and what he has meant in connecting our army to all walks of life of American society that's represented here today Ray in this audience and the magnificent representatives of our force who stand so proud before us all on his first day as the 38th Army Chief of Staff General Odeirno shared with his soldiers a creed that defines his life and his duty the strength of our nation he said is our army the strength of our army is our soldiers the strength of our soldiers is our families that is what makes us army strong I join everyone here today in celebrating Ray Odeirno's 39 years of unwavering commitment to army to soldier and to family and let me start there with Ray's family Linda you've stuck by Ray's side since high school and you've given your life to the army you're a source of comfort for army families a source of leadership in military communities and a source of healing for wounded warriors and their loved ones to the entire Odeirno family Linda Tony Katie Mike we cannot thank you enough for your service to our nation and your support for Ray Ray's legacy is like Ray himself it simply won't fit into the space behind a podium but let me characterize it this way Ray Odeirno's story is our army's story he's a consummate leader and more the very symbol of the US army big strong capable always willing after 9 11 under the weight of our army's mission as important difficult unprecedented and all-consuming as it was our soldiers performed exceptionally with courage and strength befitting the most highly trained and professional land power on earth no other force no other force could have executed or adapted the way our army did in Iraq and Afghanistan for that we are all so proud and so deeply in its debt as a leader in over 50 months in Iraq Ray's tenacity helped us get through the most heated period of conflict his operational savvy helped us surmount the insurgency his commanding presence calmed the confused and his courage and compassion helped carry the burden of loss and sacrifice I and my predecessors as secretary of defense and their commanders in chief drew great confidence knowing Ray was on the ground leading our political and military work in those heroic and trying times Ray embodies as if a symbol army strong Ray's a big guy but even bigger is his personality his passion and his heart he devotes so much time to mentoring young leaders not just because it's the right thing to do but because he loves it and his soldiers love him back Ray is just as likely to give you a bear hug as he is to give you a sturdy handshake he speaks to you with his shoulders always forward the eyes always clear arguments always sharp each one buttressed by an unyielding commitment to his mission and his people whether listening intently to a grieving family or looking a foreign leader in the eye to deliver the honest truth or shaving Stephen Colbert's head in front of hundreds of soldiers Ray lives his life as his ivy division motto goes steadfast and loyal simply put in the post-911 era Ray Odierno sustained and strengthened the U.S. Army's statute as the world's preeminent land power and the groundwork he laid as a battlefield commander and above all his chief of staff of the army to guide the army's transition to confront future challenges we'll bear fruit for years to come each service gives our military unique and unrivaled capabilities our planes fly high our ships sail far our marines act quickly but it's our soldiers who are unmatched in their ability to seize and to dominate physical terrain and human terrain they help give our military and our nation an overwhelming edge in defending our people and making a better world for our children America maintains that edge today forged in two long wars sharpened and counter-terror efforts around the world and leading what must forever be a free world we must not take that for granted we must keep honing that edge into the future as the world changes we must change with it to stay unrivaled in posture agile and ready and army strong that charge now falls to general mark milley our 39th army chief of staff he's the right officer to lead the army over the next four years to shape our force to continue restoring its readiness to get there quickly and to win as our nation expects of our army mark is a leader a warrior and a statesman one story as it happened i was with mark in afghanistan as the u.s. consulate in herot was attacked in 2013 and as we flew there i saw him take decisive command of the scene in addition to decades of such operational experience mark clearly also has the strategic vision needed to build on what ray started i have confidence i know he'll succeed because he carries that same unyielding commitment to army to soldier and to family and in his case something ray odierno doesn't have but mark milley has and i do have namely the boston red sox i also want to thank holly an for her leadership and service as yet another admired military spouse to the milley family thank you for supporting mark and for assuming this new post with him to general odierno general milley and both your families for your distinguished leadership your selfless service and your belief that above all our people and our principles make our military the finest fighting force the world has ever known your country will be forever grateful ladies and gentlemen secretary micu thank you really mr secretary the red sox you couldn't tell me that before the oath sir welcome thank you so much for being here to your daily guidance and leadership over this not just army but the entire united states military we're deeply appreciative both of of that leadership but obviously for your making time to be here with us and mr chairman welcome thank you too sir for all that you do and for joining us and to each and every one of our audience members thank you so much for joining in what is really if not unusual certainly special celebration the celebration of not one but two great americans and two great american families i speak of course of army general ray or dierno his bride linda their amazing family and also to welcome and congratulate the incoming chief of staff general mark milley his bride hollyanne and their family and i want to begin by repeating what i said four years ago when we first welcome ray and linda to the pentagon as the 21st secretary of the army i can't think of anything more important than this job and i can think of few aspects of this job that are more procedurally more symbolically important than this the transfer of authority from one chief of staff of army to another not with weapons not with force as we have seen in so many other places across the world but with honor tradition and yes reverence today is indeed a credit to our democratic principles indeed a credit to our nation but most importantly it is a credit to the selfless men and women a profound character and conviction who take up arms and don the uniform in defense of our nation our liberty and our freedoms as i know you all might imagine this is a typically bitter sweet moment for we all we are rightfully celebrating the incredible career and contributions of ray and linda at the same time i'm losing a battle buddy a partner and two good friends in good times and often in not so good times the chief and i were tied at the hip although i had to stand on my tiptoes to have that happen but as anyone who has had the pleasure of serving with ray will affirm it's a great comfort to enter a room a hearing or a ceremony with him by your side exactly what i like a truly commanding presence simply put ray is as fine an officer as i've ever known and a leader wholly committed to the army and doing so the last four years at army headquarters wholly dedicated to the people and relationships that propel our mission and to the broader strategy framed within the department of defense more importantly at all times he's been faithfully committed to the men and women of the united states army to the men and women of the united states military to all who wear the uniform and their families as uh it is with me rake and gaze out his windows at the pentagon office and view the marbled mark fields of arlington cemetery and on many days of view of arlington is one of the most striking in our nation's capital on most days it serves as a stark reminder of the awesome and irrevocable responsibilities and consequences of the position of chief of staff of the army and like general creighton abrams before him ray firmly believes that soldiers are not in the army they are the army and it's always been his number one job to serve them well and to serve them honorably and whether it's a fighting hole into crit or visiting a wounded warrior in a hospital bed at wall to read ray has been the consummate leader distinguished and thoughtful he's led with a quick mime callous hands and a servant spirit and while the army has been his profession for more than 39 years serving this great nation and its people protecting his beloved army has always been his career that there are so many of you here today so many senior leaders both active and retired and civilians it's a clear and true testament to the legacy of ray or dierno as the secretary said there's really no earthly way to fully capture the breadth and depth of ray's 39 years of service to the army and to the nation at least not in this ceremony but to put it most broadly ray has made a difference everywhere he's served in each post leaving a rich and lasting legacy to his army his grandfather silvio and his father also named ray taught him that life lesson and he shared it with his own family and soldiers do the right thing regardless of what's swirling around you as george marshal once famously said go right straight down the road do its best and do it frankly without evasion to our nation's great benefit ray has lived that adage every day for the past 39 years ray because of your efforts our army will forever be in your debt but i know you haven't strived you haven't served alone the linda and the three or dear no children tony kate and mike you've been a powerful and ready source of strength for ray and by so doing you've served this nation ray drew from that strength throughout his career for all that you have done for all that you have sacrificed i recognize my thanks are really inadequate but i hope that mine combined with what really is hundreds of thousands of those whom ray has led expressed to some degree the depth of gratitude we have to you as well ray i know that your desire your desire to make a difference will not end here and as you and linda resettle in pinehurst north carolina you will i know continue to serve the nation and help us through our next challenges and i know as well your legacy your leadership your legacy of service will not just be remembered but treasure your kids and grandkids will see a bit more of you no doubt and your golf game will get what i'm told is a pretty needed boost but as ray himself has said much work remains to be done and it's the character and commitment of our leaders that will carry the days that lie ahead and that's why we have once again this morning turned to one of our best general mark milley is one of the united states military's most highly regarded senior officers and strategic commanders i've had the privilege knowing mark since his earlier days as a two star commander at the tenth mountain division for drum new york an army installation that was part of the congressional district i had the honor to represent he's been a remarkable leader as well and i'm confident i'm absolutely certain that he'll be an exceptional chief of staff and member of the joint chiefs mark has more than 34 years of exceptional leadership as the secretary noted at every level he's a rare mix of a forthright thinker and a warrior's warrior and he has a deep appreciation of both the environment he is entering and the dawning tasks at hand as i said when his selection was announced i've watched him lead soldiers overseas in afghanistan and iraq as well as at home in places like ford hood for drum and most recently as the commander of the united states army forces command at all times he's led with distinction both in war and peace mark has the personal trust of each and every one of us the trust to guide our army through these next critical phases and as he takes the flag i know he'll also take the momentum of his predecessors and he'll keep his eyes on the horizon of a bright future for the us army our nation and our soldiers so mark welcome back to the pentagon ranks we're thrilled to have you here i look forward to working with you in the weeks ahead you're the absolutely right leader for this job and we're all grateful for your willingness to take it on as i said though even the toughest soldiers can't do it without support and all of us greatly appreciate your wife holly ann and the rest of your family your son michael daughter mary margaret for their willingness and support as you take on yet another tough assignment so to both the odierno and the milley families thank you for what you've done and thank you for what's to come it's because of great leaders like you and the soldiers your privilege to lead that we remain the world's preeminent ground force in the world's indispensable nation congratulations thank you all army strong ladies and gentlemen general dempsi oh thank you all for being here today for this great celebration of two terrific army families i'll begin by adding my own compliments to the old garden purging zone for everything they do for their country often and always with distinction let's give them another round of applause well i'm honored to be part of this occasion and to see so many distinguished guests and friends to include many great leaders of our military past and present rate congratulations it's a privilege to be part of this ceremony to thank and celebrate you and linda for 39 years of exceptional service and to welcome mark and hollyann milley i'll tell you i'm up here representing two groups one the joint chiefs of staff and the other the former chiefs of staff of the army and i would like to begin by expressing the most profound compliment that professional military officers can share with each other and that is simply well done linda it's appropriate to begin by thanking you for your strength and compassion for soldiers and their families and for being a rock for ray beginning of course with your high school days in new jersey and especially through those 50 long months more than four years in iraq and for so much more the grand arc of your beautifully military family represents to deni and i everything that's great about being part of this military and about part of being a military family and i want to thank tony katie mic and you for your incredible sacrifice and service and for your resilience our nation throughout its history has looked to its generals to lead soldiers during life and death struggles in the defense of the united states and in support of the principles we cherish we're especially fortunate when history aligns leaders of talent passion and courage with our nation's greatest challenges which is certainly the case during your tenure ray odierno the west point class of 1976 is alleged to be well represented here today you ever noticed they always put them off way on the side so they can't get into any mischief yeah from ray's days on the fields of friendly strife from his days on the fields of friendly strife ray has been a soldier of the highest character respected up and down the ranks for his relentless drive his sharp strategic mind and most of all his complete devotion to putting first our men and women in uniform in their families he's always believed that developing them into tomorrow's leaders is our greatest strength and our best investment in the future and whatever the challenge ray's always raised a passionate voice on their behalf and he's given it to us straight sometimes in words that i can't repeat in this setting ray you stand among the giants quite literally of our army's history and you've cast a long and lasting shadow across the army and the joint force you leave behind an institution full of exceptional leaders capable of confronting the most complex challenges we face ahead and i thank you deeply for all you've done for our beloved army and for building the bench behind you your mark is not only in the history books as the 38th chief of staff but also in the hearts and souls of thousands of lives you've touched in iraq and across the globe so first a b-52 and now a c-17 they must like you deanie and i wish you linda and your entire family the best in an extraordinarily well-deserved retirement personally we look forward to seeing you in north carolina at the rpl which is code for the retired pentagon location and this reminds me that it's a good time to end my remarks because nothing i say can compare to the to the symbolism and image you see before you i'll end this way mark now it's your turn as an army will continue to learn and adapt smaller than at any time in our lifetimes different certainly the best in the world you better believe it doing what the nation asks absolutely in doing so there's no more important mission than ensuring america's sons and daughters are ready the best led the best equipped and the best trained force on the planet i know you understand that and deanie and i thank you and holly and holly and your family for taking on the task our nation has placed its trust in you both and so have we you're an inspired choice to lead our army into the future and you're going to be terrific army strong ladies and gentlemen general odierno well thank you very much thank you thank you the best gift i can give to our soldiers i'll try to make this short first i want to thank uh mr secretary secretary carter thank you very much now i'd be remiss if i did not thank secretary gates panetta hagel who all i served under either in combat or uh here in the pentagon secretary me q almost six years now secretary of the army incredible dedication great partner thank you sir and general demsey chairman i can't thank you enough your incredible leadership uh thank thank you very much to my fellow joint chiefs uh great friends incredible leaders who we've had a lot of tough issues we would face and there's a lot of people who try to make a story about lots of infighting and there's not we understand the mission we go forward together we try to build the best force and it's been an absolute pleasure of mine to work with these true professionals and i want to thank our combatant commanders who are out there on the front lines every day ensuring that our nation's security remains the same so thank you all for what you do thank you for being here today i also want to thank we all the retired general officers almost all of them who are mentors of mine i want to thank all the sard majors that are here backbone of our army and i want to thank all of our civilian guests who really decided to come today so thank you so much but i'd be remiss if i did not mention my classmates from the spirit of 76 43 years ago 43 years ago we were two weeks from getting through beast barracks and probably many of us weren't sure we'd make it but the point i really want to make about this class so we entered the academy in 1972 it was not the most popular place to go and it took people of extraordinary character and commitment in order to sign up at that time and i think that's been something special about our class that has held out through the years and we remain incredibly close and i want to thank all of you for supporting me and continuing to support our army so god bless all of you beat navy the soldiers on the field represent all of our soldiers and why do i say that because whether it's perzing zone whether it's the old guard what's a fight old guard what's a fight from drum corps they represent excellence they represent the best of who we are and as i look at their confidence commitment and character what i think about right now are the soldiers in iraq who are the best who we have attempting to train and advise iraqi security forces i think of our soldiers in afghanistan continuing to build an afghan army i think of our soldiers in eastern europe reassuring our allies by the way a soldier was a man of the year in luthuania last year that's who our soldiers are they're in the republic of korea supporting our allies they're fighting the global war on terror around the world that's why i've stayed in this uniform for so long it's because of our soldiers their dedication and their commitment to this nation i want to just take a minute to talk about our non-commission officer core what makes us different than any other army in the world are our non-commission officers they are our standard bearers they are what changed our army over the last 40 years that i've had the opportunity to serve it's been the changing nature of our non-commission officers that has transformed our army and they continue to do that today and i think back 39 years ago to sardin first class christiansen sardin first class brown and first sardin brooks the first three nco's that wasn't for them i would not be standing here today and it's those non-commission officers that continue to stand up and lead our young men and women no matter how the difficult task it is to our officer corps i truly believe i truly mean this when i say this i have never had a bad boss maybe i was lucky since i've been in the army i had the i had the opportunity to work incredible for incredible leaders who took the time to mentor me who took the time to train me who who underwrote the risk and the mistakes that i made growing up they've always been there for me and they've continued to be here today and because of them in my opinion we've developed an officer corps like no other and today as we stand here we have the finest officer corps in my opinion in our nation's history battle tested adaptive flexible innovative able to accomplish any mission i have complete confidence in the officers that we have in our army today and their ability to lead us to our uncertain future that's what makes me proud to be in the army i'd be remiss if i did not thank my family i come from a strong rooted family of Italian descent the odierno family but also linda's family the bookarth family who supported me for so long they grounded me in all the right principles they told me about it's about family it's about closeness it's about moral and ethical values but the most important thing that they embedded in me was love of country my father-in-law drew the first landing crew one of the first landing craft in normandy my father served in hawaii during the attack they ingrained in me what it was about serving your nation i'm an ever i'm ever indebted to them to my children tony katie and mike i can't thank you enough for the sacrifices you've endured four different high schools three different high schools moving all around the world never wavering and always they're supporting me to this day tell me how proud they are that they had the opportunity to grow up in the army but what makes me feel great is they're good people they're grounded they continue to live good lives they continue to contribute and that's what makes me most proud i'm very proud of all three of you thank you so much for everything to my life to my wife linda 43 years we've known each other through west point through 39 years in the army she's always been by my side when i graduated from west point i told her we're going to stay five years and get out linda our five years are up she is the epitome of selfless service she always put others before herself she's always been by my side through the good and the bad she's always been the strength of our family she's been the role model for so many spouses throughout the army and the reason is because she always treated everyone with dignity respect and with a little touch of love she sacrificed her entire life for me i can never repay her for that it's often hard for me to stand up here and make other people understand how much our spouse is sacrificed if you don't understand you don't understand everything that they do every day in order to make us a better army i don't believe there's any other profession that we count on our spouses to do so many things and linda is the epitome of that and i i just one fact with the last 15 years linda has attended over 500 memorial services i just want you to think about that for a minute there for our families most of time i was not there because i was deployed but she was there for our families her dedication to our wounded warriors and everything that she's done i simply can never repay you honey i love you with all my heart and you've made me a better man thank you very much to everyone out there who are wondering about mark and holly and milley i'll just say three things mark milley is an incredible soldier holly and has an incredible heart and they love the army more than anything that's all you need to know about the millies this army is in great hands mark and holly and linda and i are so proud of both you we know you'll do terrific work so congratulations to you in closing thank you in closing being a yankee fan and by the way that's three to two up here yankee fans versus red sox fans i just want to point that out i am going to i'm going to paraphrase a quote from lou garig when he said i'm the luckiest man in the world i feel like i've been the luckiest man in the world to serve the army for 39 years alongside incredible soldiers of tremendous courage dedication and commitment that's been my honor for 39 years and i will never never forget it our army has admired and deeply respected by our allies our army is feared by our adversaries our army is an essential part of the joint force and one that will continue to be critical to our nation's future and i know that they will continue to do whatever they're asked wherever they might be asked to do it they will be there prepared the strength of our nation's army the strength of our army is our soldiers the strength of our soldiers our families that's what makes us army strong god bless all of you thank you very much ladies and gentlemen the 39th chief of staff of the united states army general milley it's incredible that i can actually call him ray now after so many years of sir and chief and for the class of 76 thanks for being here uh but there's some class of 80 out of princeton here too so let's hear you sound off oh wow that was not very good okay all right hey just for the record too it's three to two right now but it's only the second inning because i heard that nela richison and dunford are showing up shortly and they're all card-carrying members of the red sox nation hey good morning and uh welcome to all distinguished guests and family and friends and thank you all for being here and for your unwavering support to the united states army the entire milley family and really the entire army is deeply honored by your presence and for the old guard uh you'll be done here in just a few minutes so hang in there and we'll be passing a review shortly i first want to start by thanking general ray odierno and his gracious wife linda as you had heard for 39 consecutive years of selfless service in both peace and war to our nation and for linda you have been such an incredible light of leadership to all of us to not only spouses and families but for those of us in uniform as well and she's such an incredible example a positive example of resilience she embodies what it really means to be army strong for all army families to include all of those of us in uniform and chief you are in fact the giant of a man but more importantly to being a physical giant you're a moral giant who have incredible moral courage and you've led our army through difficult times and you've done that with enormous grace and enormous distinction and your legacy will absolutely live on in the years to come and in a personal note ray and i can repeat it sounds pretty cool to call that ray i haven't quite figured out marty yet or loyde rod's always rod but that'll come but as many of you know it's been a real struggle for ray over the last couple of weeks maybe a month or so very difficult for him to give up the range of chief of staff of the united states army why it's because i'm a red sox fan but my son was born in min hatton i lived two years in new york city and ray i want you to know that i have a very special place in my heart for the new york yankees and that would be second place and the secretary carter i want to especially thank you for your confidence of me to become the 39th chief of staff of america's army i've known you for many years now and have seen your leadership in action and you are exactly the right man to lead the entire defense of the united states into a complex and uncertain future i commit to you that i am the entire army will give you 110 percent in everything we do and we will never fail and the secretary mcqueen thank you as previously noted for almost six consecutive years as our army secretary and i am keenly aware that i am the last in a long line of chiefs of staff that have stood by your side and i am more even even more keenly aware that you too are a diehard yankees fan at least publicly but i want you to know full well and for the record that northern new york really was part of the red sox nation during the times of the massachusetts bay colony it was part of that great bay state and i will always to my grave keep as a closely guarded secret that you one time admitted to me at fort drum new york in in the closest of privacy that you are indeed a closeted member of the red sox nation so the score is really three to two chief but i fully understand that as a former congressman from northern new york and upstate you can never actually admit that but i thank you nonetheless for your confidence in your support in general dempsi yes yet another yankees fan an irish meant to boot though so he gets some points for that but thank you for your great leadership sir and thank you for being a great chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and i look forward to serving with you in the months and years ahead and for the fellow service chiefs and all fellow generals and sergeants majors and all the representatives of our partner nations all distinguished guests thank you all for being here thanks for supporting the army i want to single out sergeant major daily i want to thank him on behalf of me and the entire army for being an outstanding non-commissioned officer and with him today is also master sergeant hank beck who is my first sergeant both of them from start to finish represent all that is good about our army and they represent the incredible non-commissioned officer corps of this united states army so thank you all for coming and i'm very grateful to see many friends and colleagues and mentors here each of you have had a profound impact on my personal professional life many of you flew in from all over the world as high school classmates here high school hockey coach the princeton hockey team is here flying from canada and england and all over the world none of us did make the pros but a lot of us tried my college roommates of yesteryear and and all of them are really not here to celebrate they're really here to just confirm that they actually eventually graduated and friends from the tenth mountain in the 82nd 101st fort hood three core fellow company commanders from the seventh division and fifth group and so many others thank you all for being here and as the chief and others have mentioned before you are representatives of our army the third united states infantry the oldest unit in the army and what a remarkable job they do every day every week weekend week out all year long and how about one more round of applause for the old guard most importantly i want to thank my family as the chief has said jillow has said i guess i'm the chief no i don't call him chief anymore as re has said our families are our strength and so it is with me for the last 35 years and both my mother and my father have passed but they were members of our nation's greatest generation and proudly served in uniform in world war two with my mother at a hospital in washington state tending to the wounded from the pacific and my father with the fourth marine division slugging it out in the bloody campaigns and making the assault landings at coaguline syphon tinien and finally iwo jima though not here physically they like all of us in uniform all of our parents have shaped us in ways that will be with all of us forever both my brother sandy and my sister mary k are here with us today and i want to publicly thank them for their unwavering support to me our army in our nation and i'm unbelievably lucky to have by my side an incredible woman in holly and she has been my guiding light my inner strength that has kept me going through the toughest of times and she has been a constant source of inspiration and love and like many other army families so many army spouses she had to be a single parent during multiple deployments to iraq afghanistan and many other places and through countless days and hours of relentless training she has just completed this past week 96 hours ago her 30th move by driving a u-haul from fort bragg to fort mire and that is representative of army strong and most importantly she raised our two wonderful children our daughter mary margaret and our son peter and i want to thank both of them for their love their support and their sacrifice throughout so many years and i'm so proud of the both of them for it is our children our children are the real reason that we in uniform all serve some say it's education some say it's money or for a variety of other reasons no it's for others we serve for others and most importantly we serve for our children and as citizens of these united states we were granted a gift the most precious gift of all the gift of freedom and that is a very very very expensive gift for it's paid for in the sacrifice in the blood from those who came before us and it is our responsibility the responsibility of the living to pass that gift along and pay it forward to the next generation to the next group of children and today that gift is being paid for all over the world by soldiers sailors airmen and marines and soldiers of the united states army at this moment great soldiers are deployed and engaged in combat operations across the globe they are simultaneously deterring adversaries and assuring allies building increased partner capacity and responding to regional challenges providing humanitarian support and disrupting terrorist networks wherever they are america's soldiers are displaying courage commitment and character they're demonstrating unparalleled competence and agility and no matter the challenge no matter how complex the environment or how dangerous the situation our soldiers win and just a very short distance from here just a hundred yards or so there are so many lying in perpetual rest that are given that last full measure of devotion to ensure that we remain free and enjoy life liberty and the pursuit of happiness those soldiers those sailors those marines those airmen are all forever soldiers of freedom and it is our job now to carry the torch into the future we are in fact the best equipped best trained and best led army in the world and we must stay that way if we want to remain a free people we will adapt we will change and that's given for our army we are an organization that's changed to meet the challenges for over 240 years and we will change yet again to meet the challenges of the future but there is no cheap way to change and more importantly there is no cheap way to buy freedom the only thing more expensive than fighting and winning a war is fighting and losing a war and winning wars is what the united states army is all about there are many who think wars can be one only from great distances and from space and from the air and from the sea unfortunately those views are very very wrong war is an act of politics where one side tries to impose its political will on the other and politics is all about people and people live on the ground we may wish it were otherwise but it is not wars are ultimately decided on the ground where people live and it is on the ground where the united states army the united states marine corps and the united states special operations forces must never ever fail and to succeed in that unforgiving environment of ground combat we must have forces that have both capacity and capability both size and skill they must be man they have to be equipped and they better be trained and they will be well led and we must adapt to combat as america we have no luxury of a single opponent we have to be able to fight guerrillas and terrorists all the way up through nation state militaries if we do not maintain our commitment to remain strong in the air on the sea and yes on the ground that we will pay the butcher's bill in blood and we will forever lose the precious gift of our freedom as your chief of staff i will ensure that we remain ready as the world's premier combat force readiness to fight and win in ground combat is and will remain the united states army's number one priority and there will be no other number one we will always be ready to fight today we will always prepare to fight tomorrow thank you and may god bless those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and given their tomorrow's for our today's army strong army song count the bread out of all we have done fighting till the battle's won and the army goes rolling armies on its way count up the cater's loud and store glutes today's ceremony guests are welcome to join general and mrs odierno for a receiving line in front of the reviewing stand immediately following the ceremony thank you for your attendance and enjoy the rest of your