Jim Garamone at the DoD News offers the below report:
WASHINGTON, March 1, 2017 — President Donald J. Trump
told a joint session of Congress last night that the United States will work
with a coalition to “extinguish” the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria from the
planet.
Trump also told Congress he will forward a fiscal 2018
budget request that will increase defense spending by $54 billion and eliminate
sequestration.
Carryn Owens, the widow of fallen Navy SEAL Senior Chief
Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens, received a standing ovation from
Congress. Carryn sat in the gallery with First Lady Melania Trump.
“Ryan died as he lived: a warrior, and a hero --
battling against terrorism and securing our nation,” Trump said during his
address. The nation will never forget Owens’ sacrifice for the United States as
he fought terrorists in Yemen, the president said.
Trump listed what he has done since taking office just
over a month ago. This includes directing the Defense Department to work with
other agencies to develop a plan to destroy ISIS. Defense officials delivered
that plan to the White House this week.
The president also imposed new sanctions on entities
and individuals who support Iran’s ballistic missile program, ordered a review
of military readiness and pledged to rebuild the armed forces.
Fight, Win
“To keep America safe we must provide the men and
women of the United States military with the tools they need to prevent war and
-- if they must -- to fight and to win,” Trump said.
The fiscal 2018 defense budget request will rebuild
the military and eliminate sequester, he said. It will contain one of the
largest defense spending increases in American history, Trump said.
“The challenges we face as a nation are great, but our
people are even greater,” he said. “And none are greater or braver than those
who fight for America in uniform. To those allies who wonder what kind of
friend America will be, look no further than the heroes who wear our uniform.”
America will lead based on the vital national
interests of the United States and its partners around the world, Trump said.
“Our foreign policy calls for a direct, robust and
meaningful engagement with the world,” he said.
Supports NATO
The United States strongly supports the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization and other allies in the Middle East and the Pacific, the
president said.
“But our partners must meet their financial
obligations,” he added.
“We expect our partners … to take a direct and
meaningful role in both strategic and military operations, and pay their fair
share of the cost,” Trump said. “We will respect historic institutions, but we
will also respect the sovereign rights of nations.”
The United States will reach out to other nations to
find new friends and forge new partnerships, the president said. “We want
harmony and stability, not war and conflict,” he said. “We want peace, wherever
peace can be found.”
Trump noted that Germany and Japan -- now among
America’s closest allies -- fought the United States during World War II.
“This history should give us all faith in the
possibilities for a better world,” the president said. “Hopefully, the 250th
year for America will see a world that is more peaceful, more just, and more
free.”
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