Hi, everybody.On Friday, I visited Fort Bliss in Texas, where I met with some of our extraordinary men and women in uniform to mark the second anniversary of the end of major combat in Iraq.It was a chance to thank our troops for the outstanding work they've done over the last decade.Fort Bliss is home to soldiers who took part in every major phase of the Iraq War―from the initial assault on Baghdad; to the years of fighting block by block; to the partnership with the Iraqi people that helped give them a chance to forge their own destiny.And while the war itself remains a source of controversy here at home, one thing will never be in doubt ―the members of our armed forces are patriots in every sense of the word.They met every mission and performed every task that was asked of them with precision, commitment and skill.And now, with no Americans fighting in Iraq, it's my privilege on behalf of a grateful nation to once again congratulate these men and women on a job well done.This anniversary is a chance to appreciate how far we've come.But it's also a reminder that there is still difficult work ahead of us in Afghanistan.Some of the soldiers I met at Fort Bliss had just come home from the battlefield, and others are getting ready to ship out.We've broken the Taliban's momentum in Afghanistan, and begun the transition to an Afghan lead.Next month, the last of the troops I ordered as part of the surge against the Taliban will come home, and by 2014, the transition to Afghan lead will be complete.
