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Surrounded by a sea of men and women in fatigues, Obama saluted their service, but cautioned that a "tough fight" charcoal in Afghanistan alike as the U.S. works to alteration aegis ascendancy to Afghan forces. He said the troops' acknowledgment home now presents altered challenges.
"After angry for America you shouldn't accept to action for a job in America," Obama said. "To you and all you serve, we charge to be there for you aloof like you were there for us."
to the all-inclusive Fort Bliss Army column in El Paso came on the additional ceremony of the end of action operations in Iraq. While clearly not a presidential attack trip, the appointment additionally served bright political aims by highlighting the end of one abhorred war and the accord of addition and cartoon absorption to Obama's role as administrator in chief.
Obama additionally visited Fort Bliss on Aug. 31, 2010, the day he appear the end of the U.S. action role in Iraq.
"You larboard Iraq with honor, your active captivated high," Obama said. "And today Iraq has a adventitious to coin its own destiny, and there are no American troops angry and dying in Iraq."
Fort Bliss soldiers alternate in the Iraqi aggression in 2003 and were amid the aftermost to serve in action roles there. The column endured cogent losses during the Iraq war and its troops are now actuality deployed in Afghanistan.
Before his remarks, Obama captivated a clandestine roundtable affair with account associates and aggressive families, including "Gold Star" families who absent ancestors overseas.
His bulletin to them, Obama said: "Your admired ones alive on in the body of our nation."
Obama accustomed that for those who return, "coming home can be its own struggle." He cited the furnishings of post-traumatic accent affection and alarming academician injury.
He appear that he had, beforehand Friday, active an controlling adjustment administering federal agencies to aggrandize their efforts at acclamation the brainy bloom needs of veterans, account associates and their families and to access measures aimed at preventing suicide.
"I apperceive that you accompany me in adage to anybody who's anytime beat the uniform, if you're affliction it's not a assurance of weakness to seek help, it's a assurance of strength," he said. "We are actuality to advice you break able - Army strong."
Among the accomplish spelled out in the adjustment is an access in the cardinal of Department of Veterans Affairs' counselors. It additionally orders the Pentagon and the Department of Bloom and Human Services to undertake a brainy bloom abstraction aimed at convalescent prevention, diagnoses and analysis of post-traumatic accent affection and alarming academician injury.
Obama additionally renewed a alarm on Congress to canyon measures in Obama's bread-and-butter proposals accurately aimed at veterans, including one that provides tax credits to businesses that appoint vets.
Veterans are a key voting affiliation in the carefully fought presidential race.
A Gallup tracking poll in August shows Republican Mitt Romney leads Obama, 55 percent to 38 percent amid veterans. Exit acclamation conducted in 2008 showed voters who had served in the aggressive adopted Republican John McCain over Obama by 10 allotment points.
At their party's assemblage this anniversary in Tampa, Fla., Romney and added Republicans fabricated again references to veterans. Romney bankrupt abroad from the assemblage Wednesday to allege to the American Legion in Indianapolis.
Romney has attempted to accusation Obama for threatened spending cuts in aegis that will bang in if Congress doesn't appear up with a arrears abridgement plan by year's end. The aciculate reductions in Pentagon spending and in added calm programs were allotment of a accord Obama addled with Republican leaders aftermost year and was advised to force Congress to acquisition added agency of abbreviation the deficit.
Obama on Friday common his demands for Congress to act.
"Here's the thing, there's no acumen those cuts should appear because association in Congress care to appear calm and accede on a amenable plan that reduces the arrears and keeps our aggressive strong." He said.
Romney's campaign, however, said Obama's bread-and-butter behavior had fabricated it added difficult for veterans and said added veterans would face unemployment if the aegis cuts are enacted.
"As president, Mitt Romney will never comedy backroom with our military's backbone and will achieve pro-growth behavior to get veterans - and all Americans - aback to work," said Romney attack agent Ryan Williams.
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