i realized he only assumed that position last month. marty, your tenure as chief may go down as one of the shortest in army history. but it's your lifetime of accomplishment that brings us here today. and i thank you for your willingness to take on this new assignment along with your wife dini and your three children, all of whom have served in the army. today i want every one of our men and women in uniform to hear the words that you spoke to your soldiers on your first day as chief. because it's our shared message to all who serve, especially our troops in harm's way. we will provide whatever it takes to chief our objectives in the current fight. as vice chairman admiral winitpeld will draw on 30 years of distinguished service. under his command fighters from the aircraft carrier uss enterprise pounded taliban positions in the weeks after 9/11 and carried a strike group played a critical role in air