Monk, certainly experienced his share of hard times in the military at the hands of our government. And another person who should be up here with us is Navy Chaplain wes modder, who i have the privilege and honor of representing as well. And i know that chaplain would love to be here himself to tell you his story. Unfortunately he cant do that. But what i am pleased to share with you all that chaplain modder is sitting here in the audience, right here in the first row. And chaplain modder, will you please stand up. [ applause ] these two men put everything professionally on the line. Both had over 19 years of service in the military. Both risked all of that because of what they believe in. And to do the right thing. And you know, two last points i want to make on this, travis, is first of all, there is a lot of misinformation out there about what rights we give up when we join the military, when we swear the oath of allegiance to the constitution. We dont swear an oath to the president or to the commanding officer, we swear to uphold the constitution of this nation. [ applause ] and second, we cannot forget why our military exists, which is to defend this nation. But i want to remind everybody that right on the heels of world war ii, we had just declared victory on world war ii and our nation was facing a new threat. A threat different than what we had seen before. And it was a war of ideas. And president truman commissioned a committee to do a study on the need whether there was a need to have chaplains in the military. What purpose did chaplains or religion serve in the military and this committee submitted a report back to president truman saying our troops need to be ideologically prepared for battle every bit as much as they are physically prepared for battle because were in a war of roid yeahs and that is why it is so vitally important that we protect and enable our Service Members to be able to be ideologically prepared for battle. And that is part of our mission at liberty institute. So thank you for allowing me to share. [ applause ] thank you. And well come back to more of that shortly. For now i would like to Master Sergeant monk to share his story of how hes been effected living out his faith in the military quite recently. So Master Sergeant, please share. Sure. Um, you know, through my experience, ive ive been so close to god. That is how ive been impacted by this. But id like to point out, you know, in the military right now there was a saying that says you can serve god and country. But never before like its going on right now, the men and women that are serving this great nation are asking themselves, do i serve god or country . If chaplain modder cant speak about biblical principles, what chance does airmen, marine, soldier have. His case has sent a Chilling Effect across our services. And ill tell you what, hes been an example to me, and to many others. Because when you stand up and you fight back, you win. [ applause ] and i would just say this. You have to understand that when you sign up and you serve this great nation in our military, you basically are signing a blank check to old uncle sam. And it is payable it is a blank check payable up to your life. Okay. And guess what . Uncle sam has got no business coming between you and the great i am. [ applause ] when our servicemen and women and deploy overseas and fight for their freedoms, when they come home, they deserve to be able to exercise the very freedoms they risk their lives for. Our men and women, when they report back to the base, they are not going to check god at the gate. [ applause ] so id like to follow up with you, just real quick and then well move on. But as you walk through what happened to you in the military and feel free to share what you like to with that, how was your faith effected and through your interactions with military and everyone that came into your life as a result of standing for your faith . Well, i will tell you, you know, ive been talking to chaplain modder and many of you around here, and you know, when you go through Something Like this, god comes right up to your front door and says hello. You know what i mean. He gets right in your face and lets you know that hes got it. And we had friends call and email and they would call the house and say, hey, i know you must be upset, you must be really freaked out about all of this. And i would say no, what is going on. And they would say, how can you be so calm. Well, how can i not be calm when the creator of the world is working in my life. And i can see it so apparently. And so never more have i been so committed and so close to god at this point. So he has strengthened me and my family and hes he has just given me a resolve to take this fight and reclaim religious freedom for our military members. [ applause ] next, im going to ask aaron and Melissa Klein to share they are seated at the end of the table. In doubt, you have heard of their situation, what happened to them. They are a business. Sweet cakes by mel issa out in oregon. They sought to serve the lord through their business and not separate their desire to make a living and support their family. Yet because of this they drew the ire of a number of activists and those who were opposed to their world view. They sought to live out their faith through the Business Service weddings and cakes, but couldnt violate their conscious but supporting a samesex wedding. As a result they were sued and their case has wound its way through the courts. It is now before the oregon court of appeals and one of a number of cases involving wending vendors in which they are seeking to vindicate their statutory rights to religious freedom. These are important cases playing out these days and are the stories of these, they are documented on free to believe. Com. But the kleins are at the heart of one of the stories well see what the legal system has for them. But weigh want to hear we want to hear from them personally and hear about how their faith has been strengthened, regardless of what happened in the courts, but are only ruling against them because of a biased of many playing part in the system in which their case is winding its way through. They are reaching an end due to a predetermined world view and using the law to do that. It is very clear. But at the heart of this is spiritual matters, the people in the system who are ruling against the kleins, worship certain ends. The kleins worship god and want to stand for him and that is what we want to hear from you all tonight and just share a little bit about how your faith has been effected through this experience and why it is important to show your faith through your work and your business serving those who want to celebrate a marriage. Um, well, i would definitely say that for me, its kind of hard to admit this, but before this all happened, i really struggled with my trust in the lord. And when this all happened, god completely rocked my world. And he showed up like philip said, showed up at my doorstep pretty much. And i saw the hand of god move in my life like ive never seen. And my faith in him and my trust has just absolutely sky rocketed. And i get a lot of people that will say, im so sorry that you guys are going through this. And all i can do is think to say to people, please dont be sorry because for me, like, ive had the most awesome experience of seeing god move in my life. And i wouldnt trade that for the world. And i go through this over and over again for that. God, to me, is hes my life. [ applause ] you know, when we opened up our shop, right before we opened, you know, like i said, he was my life and our life. And in our family. And we decided we were going to dedicate our shop we had our pastor come out and we dedicated our shop and i wanted to i wanted everything that i did in my shop to glorify god. Because i felt like god gave that to me. He blessed that to me and to us. And so i just wanted to give everything back to him. And so we did, we dedicated our shop. And i get a lot of people too that tell us that, you know, youre in business. You cant do business and have your religion or your faith at your workplace. And to me, i sit there and i say my religion and my faith is my life and it will go everywhere with me, its going to go to work, its go to go to church, its going to go to the store its going to go [ applause ] i dont believe god on a coffee table at home. He goes everywhere with us. And ill let you share your part. For me, the whole idea that the state is going to tell me i have to choose between my faith and making a living to support my family, that is an atrocity. [ applause ] but going through this, i can say this, i hold on to the scripture. Romans chapter 5 said that suffering breeds perseverance and perseverance faith, and faith character and character hope. And that hope is the hope we have in jesus christ. And that hope has gotten us through this, with a mile on hur face because we know that we serve the one true god. [ applause ] and there is no bureau crattic court or no court in this nation that will ever take that away from me. Thanks guys. Well back to you more shortly. For now i want to get to our last panelist, matt shlack. He is the chairman of the american conservative union. He has had a long history here in washington, d. C. He served with president george w. Bush in his white house. Hes worked on capitol hill. Featured in many news media and generally had extensive experience here in washington, d. C. So ill ask matt to share his observation on some of the issues awe develop policy and protections for people seeking to live out their faith. Weve heard those effected, like those of us at frc, we dont want to face these continuing to occur. And matt, how do you see the religious freedom protections developing in terms of who should be able to support them . Shouldnt people who dont necessarily agree with someone asserting religious freedom claim be able to say i support the idea of this persons individual rights and i want them to be protected. What are your thoughts on that . Well, first of all, i wod like to hear more from all of you. I feel unworthy to be sitting up here. But the fact is this im going to Say Something that is controversial and i dont mean to be offensive but i dont think this is an issue of faith. Im a person of deep faith. But i think this is about america. No matter what your creed is, no matter what your politics are, america is bigger and better than what were seeing. Were seeing a system that is based on the constitution that has run off the tracks. And the strong arm of the federal government, when it gets off those tracks, destroys peoples lives. And we heard from the president that you didnt build it and i guess now he wants to destroy it. But we can we have to stand up and reorient ourselves and not be pushed back. Theyre going to tell you that you are intolerant and using your faith in a way that is against the american tradition of the constitution. And that is just quite simply wrong. And you know that from even your high school civics. That that is wrong. In america we balance our rights there are a lot of people in america who have no faith. They have the right to exercise or not exercise the religion they choose. Christians, all of us who are christians, have the right to express our religion. And things have changed in our culure very quickly. So travis, not too many years ago it would have been liberals in congress. And on the bench. Who would have said we need religious protection for minority religions, maybe religions we dont know very much about because in america were pluralistic and people have the right to practice these religions. Sometimes they include practices that a lot of us thought were know very did not comport with our religious views. But in america we did that. Look at how things changed. You have conservative judges saying i dont know if we need these religious laws. But now the faith that the founders professed and the religion that people came to this land to practice, now all of a sudden were being told that is not consistent with the constitution. And i think it is a dark time and i think we all have to get educated on the laws. There are laws, bills proposed, in the senate and the house and we all need to get educated and advocate. But we need to be hopeful. And we need to be tolerant and be accepting. We need to show them that we are not the ones, we are not the ones who are trying to change the very nature of our country. Were actually trying to take our country back and put it back where it needs to be. So i ken aurth you all to get engaged and help in this battle. [ applause ] just to follow up real quickly with you before we come back around again. But could you talk a little more about maybe who else could see could we see supporting these types of laws and who should support individual First Amendment rights . Well, First Amendment rights should be accepted by everybody in this room and i know they are and everybody across this land. As a matter of fact, if you have a problem with the very First Amendment to the constitution, i dont know why you want to be in america. It is what makes us so unique and so special. Once again i dont think it is an issue of faith, travis, i really dont. I dont think the First Amendment is a christian amendment, i think it is an american amendment. And christians at our founding were openminded enough to say we just want to go to a land where the individual is respected and the individual has rights and those rights are permanent. And let me just say one other thing about amendments. We all know, because we learned in school, amendments have to go through a process, in order to change the constitution, you have to go through a democratic process. That democratic process is great for our country. I havent agreed with every amendment added to the constitution. But that process engages the American People in a conversation about what their country wants to look like. When five justices of the Supreme Court jam a law through the constitution in an undemocratic way, without the country having democratic conversation, can you see what happens. It is harsh and ugly and doesnt get us to the democratic consensus that we need to get to. So i would encourage all of you, i think that is something that liberals and conservatives and people across faith lines, they need to link together and make sure that the religious protections we shouldnt have to pass this law, but because of what the courts had done, we now need to pass this law. And we need everyones help to do it. [ applause ] so to come back around full circle, i would just like to come back to casey. And casey, i would like for you to comment on something which you did not mention in your opening remarks, but i look for you to talk a little bit about what you did in support of kim davis quite recently . Well, travis, a few days before miss davis went to jail, i woke up about 3 00 in the morning and lord had impressed on me to that i wasnt doing enough for her. I needed to do something for this woman that was about to go to jail. And the thought came that to get on my bicycle, on the most eastern portion of kentucky, and ride it across the state to raise awareness of what has about to happen to this lady. And so i, like a lot of us, i guess, i tried to pass that idea off. I cant do that. Im too busy. Ive got to work. I cant. And the longer i tried to get away from that idea, the bigger it got and the more real it got and the more ridiculous it sounded to me not to do it. So i got up on a thursday morning at 4 00 and drove to the eastern most portion of kentucky and started out. And i told kim when it was over with, i said, kim, this was this was something i done completely and totally for you. But i want to you realize that along the way, god has shown me a lot of things that it was as much for me as it was for you. I believe that when we do for others, when we do for others before we do for ourselves, god will always bless us. And there is a thought that came to me and along the trip, and i thought about ive got this dog at home that that he loves to go on a ride with me. No matter what. He wants to go. And hes when i let him go, he never asks me where were going and he never asks me how long were going to be gone or asks me about the dangers along the way or how hes going to get home, he just likes to ride with master. [ applause ] and i believe i believe that we should have that attitude. And instead of telling the lord to move over and let us drive, we should let him drive and just be proud to ride with him. [ applause ] mike, i would like to turn back to you real quick. As we deal with these religious liberty issues in the military, what impact do you think this has on the broader military in terms of morale and issues beyond the simple idea of protecting religious liberty as a principal. We want to do that but are we seeing effects in other areas in the military. Absolutely. I dont think it takes a Rocket Scientist to realize that what is happening on the religious Liberty Front in our military is really having it going to have and will continue to have farreaching impact beyond just this idea that that is Just One Service member and their issue. If you look at the Historical Data in our military, youll see that people in the military identify as people of faith, of all different types of faith. We have a pluralistic and diverse military. And historically people of faith have comprised about 70 to 75 of our military force and that means their the backbone of our military. All right. And as ive gotten involved in these issues and seen what is happening, ive had people from across this country come to me or contact me and say, i served in korea, i served in vietnam, i served in desert storm or iraq and afghanistan and im now a mother or a father and ive got kids and their patriotic and they want to serve. But im telling them no. Im keeping i dont want my kids to join because i dont like what is happening to our military. And so what were seeing is there is a a lack of people of faith who are willing to raise thur right hand and swear an oath of allegiance to the constitution to support and defend it and they are not joining the military. And you are also seeing people who, at a certain point in their career, just like myself, realize maybe the military really isnt somewhere i want to spend the next 20 or 25 years. Maybe it is time for me to get out. And you are seeing this void and this vacuum. And it has to be filled by something, right. As i mention, if people of faith form the backbone, they are not joining the military and getting out of the military and what does that leave us with. A spineless military. And when we have a spineless military, that weakens our nation. So i truly believe that this battle for religious freedom is the canary in the mine shaft and we start to have to look at a National Security issue, a force protection issue. And im not the only one saying this. So i think it is really important that we begin to think about this in terms of the ripple effect, the Chilling Effect that sergeant monk brought up, that this will have across our nation. [ applause ] speaking about impact, sergeant mock, i would like to turn to you again and just ask for to you share a little bit more about what happened to you so folks can understand that and can see how when someone of faith whose a great Service Member as people attempt to force them out of the military, this impacts the over all military morale and ready i yns. I would like for you to share from your experience on that. Sure. So i returned home from a deployment, to my unit, to find a new commander, who happened to be an open lesbian. So in my unit we had a young man that had professed his belief in biblical marriage and he was to be punished. And when i advised our commander to be levelheaded about this, that when we looked at the investigation, there was 47 people that said he did nothing wrong, she was floored that i could not see that giving a biblical account of marriage was not discrimination. And in my head, i just kind of laughed because marriage between a man and a woman, saying man and woman marriage is discrimination. It is not discrimination. That is the truth. [ applause [ applause ] and when that was apparent to my commander and she was not okay with my view point, it turned on me and she backed me in a corner. All right. She wanted to know my views. And i politely told her, i have a religious belief that will not allow me to answer the question the way you want me to. In very short order i found myself in a whole new unit, fired from my position. But you know what, thats okay. Okay. Because what breaks my heart about this and i was just talking to a servicemen who had come back recently from afghanistan, you know weve been fighting overseas for tenplus years. And he came to me and he was like, man, weve been fighting for a long time. And when we fight over there, were fighting to preserve the very freedoms in america that so we can preserve the freedoms in america. That is what were fighting for. Then i come home and ive realized that the real fight for america has been happening right here. And that broke my heart. And ill tell you what. Ill deploy tomorrow, and i know chops is with me here, but if my nation leaves me ill leave this stage right now and ill get on a plane and go right overseas. And i dont care in you are black, white, gray, straight, old or young, i will lay my life down for you and this nation and that is what men and women in the u. S. Military will do and they absolutely need their faith, their freedom to believe so that they can operate down range and protect our freedoms as home. And they need your support because their voices cannot be heard. Chaps is not up here speaking. They need you all to get behind them and speak for them. [ applause ] so i would like to turn to the kleins again and would you like to ask you all, you received a lot of opposition and hate for simply expressing your beliefs and saying we believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. How have you dealt with this and seen gods love work through you in spite of the opposition youve received in. Um, you know, through all of this, we have seen a lot of opposition. I mean pure hatred. Just i mean things that are threatening. But we take that with a grain of salt. Because we know that it is coming from a point of misunderstanding. It is coming from anoy deal that we are an ideal that we are hateful because we dont agree. That is not something that this country was built on. Tolerance is supposed to be a twoway street. I dont have to be hostile with them because they dont share my faith and vice versa. We understand, melissa and i sitting at home, we have children coming up in this world and we see what is going on and if we were to react in kind it would not send the right message to our kids. So instead we lean on god, we lean on the idea that rights walk hand in hand. That in mine fall so does everybody els and we try to get that message out. Weve gone to the extent where we have sent cakes to lbgt groups to say we love you, this isnt about hate and we send the message out to say this is about love, this is about us wanting to show the love of christ and we have the right to do that. And we can hope that the lbgt groups can really understand that. That we dont hate them. That we love them. Were about to conclude this evening but i would like to ask matt the last question here. In terms of thinking about our neighbors, those though dont agree with us off the bat in terms of religious liberty protections who do we say to our neighbor or coworkers why we need to fight for strong First Amendment protections for the future of our country. You know, travis, when they come for your neighbor and you do nothing and they come for your friend and you do nothing and they come for the person you dont like so much and you do nothing, eventually they come for you. And when government, once again, i view this as a basic constitutional question. And when government feels that it can abridge your First Amendment rights so willingly, it is hard to recognize america in that. But here is the great thing about our neighbors. America is only as great this parchment is wonderful. It is great. That our rights are written on. But it is us. At the end of the day, the paper is only good as the people it is written for. And our country is not lost. And our neighborhoods arent lost. And our communities arent lost. And yes, a president who is out of control can do great damage along with some people in black robes. They do great damage. But i have great hope that our institution, that our structure, can weather this. And i have great hope because of people like up here on this panel and people before us that were going to get to a better place on these questions. And were going to get to a better place on these questions because america has always been great because america is good. And people want to people are still knocking down our door to get into this country. Even the people that knock this country. Because they know that this is a very special and unique place. So i have great hope, travis, and i think that were going to navigate away from these things and it is holding on to our democracy that is going to get us there. [ applause ] why dont we thank all of our panelist this is evening again that shared with us. [ applause ] thank you, everyone. All right, folks. As promised were going to start our movie very soon but i have a couple of quick announcements. Hey, where are you going . Where is everybody going . Sit down. No, i know its late. But let me get through a couple of quick announcements. And then we have two guys associated with the film that are going to share briefly about the film and then well start woodlawn. Quick reminders. Straw poll again sorry. They are flashing and being very nasty and flashing. Trust me, it is very funny. I just will move on. All right. Straw poll. Tomorrow from 7 00 to noon. And then were going to have a time of praise and worship tomorrow from 8 30 here in the ballroom led by Lindsay Mccall and then 8 50 with trail life usa which is the alternative to the boy scouts and a power packed morning with bill bennett, mark levine and many more. Tomorrow the Leadership Institute is hosting a job fair from 11 00 30 in the diplomat room with conservative organizations in the nation and so stop by and see what jobs are available. And a book signing is toby perkins is doing a book signing, probably right now, immediately following this. And for others tomorrow at noon there is a book signing. Be sure to get your books ahead of time. Before you leave the summit, fill out the evaluation form in your pact and turn it in at the west Registration Desk where you registered. Speaking of next year, dont forget to sign up for the 50 reg station for vvs 2016 on september 9th11, that is next year. Register on one of the computers upstairs. You will not need to register again. All right. And then we ant you to want to you make plans to join the free to believe simulcast coming up january 16th. That is the National Religious freedom day, at Thomas Jeffersons landmark for religious freedom enacted on january 16th, 1786. And youll hear more about that. And that is my final announcement. Let me just share. The statute that led to freedom of religion for all americans and we want you to encourage your pastor and your church to sign up for this event. Which will be led by tony perkins and feature such powerful speakers as dr. Ronnie floyd, president of the Southern Baptist convention and matt staver, which you have heard and this is a inspiring conference to give churches they need to impact the culture of thur community and beyond. And visit the website, free to believe. Com conference to sign. Again, free to believe conference. And we are about to start our movie. And two men that can share about the project and that is joe knopp and steve warn icky. Would you welcome them as they come now. He said im a reporter for nbc 4. Is this Marion Barrys place. Oh, yeah, he comes in here all of the time. And so i went back to the office and i called him up and i said ive just been to club 55. Dont you realize people are watching what you do, where you go and they say you sit there all of the time and watch naked dancing girls. There was a pause on the phone. And he says, it is nice, isnt it. This sunday night on q a, nbc 4 washington reporter tom sherwood on the political corruption in d. C. , maryland and virginia. I think 44 attorneys general from around the country signed the letter saying they agreed with governor mcdonald that what he did was was politics, not bribery. And these gifts were he should is reported the gifts but he didnt report the gifts. 15,000 for a childs wedding. A 50,000 or a 70,000 loan. But bob mcdonnel has been considered a Vice President ial candidate and he was in over his head when he got into the governors office. This is another case where you are a public figure and you let your messy private life combine together. Sunday night, at 8 00 eastern and pacific on cspans q a. Today Marine Corp GeneralJoseph Dunford became the new chair of the joints chiefs of staff, taking over from general Martin Dempsey who is retiring after a 41 year career in the army. President obama and defense secretary Ashton Carter both spoke at the transition ceremony in arlington, virginia. This is an hour and 40 minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for at rival of the official party and please welcome todays reviewing official, general martin e. Dempsey, the 18th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff accompanied by the host for todays ceremony, the honorable ashton cartier, secretary of defense and joven f. Dunford jr. , incoming general of the joint chiefs of staff. You guys got Nothing Better to do . Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States. Ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing as honors are rendered to general dempsey. Please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, the troops representing Americas Armed forces and participating in todays revue are the United States army band under timothy j. Holton and led by drum major scott little. Elements of the armed forces include the president ial escort platoon from the armys 3rd regiment, the old guard, led by captain michael brunmeyer. The next element on line is the United States marine honor guard led by captain jason rolls and the platoon sergeant leo gingras. The colors have always been one of the most important elements of a military unit at the center of our formation is an Armed Forces Color Guard bearing the National Color and the Service Flags of the army, marine corps, navy, air force and coast guard. Following is an element from the Navy Honor Guard led by lieutenant william maston. The platoon petty officer is petty officer patrick sullivan. The next element on line is comprised of members from the United States air force honor guard led by First Lieutenant kenda guzme. The flights noncommissioned officer is Tech Sergeant michael marr. Following is an element of the United States coast guard honor guard led by lieutenant junior grade Edward Gaylord and platoon petty officer is petty officer mike kaiser. The last element on line dressed in the continental musicians uniform is the old guard fife and drum corps. Musicians wore the reverse colors of their parent infantry unit. The men and women of the old guard drum corps maintain this tradition by wearing red coats instead of the infantry blue. Its led by drum major james hague. To the rear of our formation are the 56 state and territorial flags of the United States led by captain Brendan Wright and the platoon sergeant is sergeant 1st class joseph brown. To the right of the formation is the president ial salute gun battery led by Staff Sergeant ernie winsel. Marching in on the joint staff is army captain alexander triplet, marine captain brian lander, Navy Lieutenant chris da le y, con lottums and corey hoffman. The commander of troops for todays ceremony is colonel johnny k. Davis. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the advancing of the colors and remain standing for the singing of the United States national anthem. Colors, forward. O say, can you see by the dawns early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming . Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight oer the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming . And the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh, say, does that starspangled banner yet wave oer the land of the free and the home of the brave . Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, general dunford will be sworn in as the 19th joint chiefs of staff. Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I state your full name. I Joseph Dunford jr. Having been appointed the 19th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, 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 and domestic. That i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. And that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. And that i will well and faithfully discharge the duties. Of the office upon which i am about to enter. So help me god. Congratulations. Thanks. [ applause ] the Defense Distinguished Service medal is awarded to general martin e. Dempsey. General Martin Dempsey, United States army distinguished himself as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff from october 2011 to september 2015. Throughout this period, general dempsey provided trusted and insightful guidance to the president , secretary of defense, National Security council and other senior governmental leaders on a vast array of complex military and National Security issues. He teamed with the joint chiefs to build a joint force with the right capabilities, capacity and readiness and with Combatant Commanders to protect our National Security interests. General dempseys wise counsel, unwavering integrity reflected great credit upon himself and were in keep with the highest traditions of the United States arm and the department of defense. General dempsey is receiving the distinguished Service Medals of the army, navy, air force and coast guard. [ applause ] at this time general dempseys son major Chris Dempsey will read his fathers retirement order. Attention to orders. Headquarters department of the army, order number 11002 the following general officer is retired. Dempsey, martin e. , rank of general, signed mark a. Millie chief of staff, United States army. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. At this time, secretary carter is presenting the United States flag to general dempsey for his faithful service to his country. This flag was flown over the pentagon and Arlington National cemetery in honor of his retirement and distinguished service to the nation. The distinguished Public Service award is being presented to deenie dempsey for distinguished Public Service in the succession of voluntary initiatives to the Service Members and families of the United States armed forces from october 2011 to september 2015. During this period, mrs. Deenie dempseys patriotism and sincere personal involvement in the welfare of the members of the military community have earned her deep respect from all with whom she has come in contact. As a devoted ambassador of good will and a model example for the spouses of all soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen. She was an untiring advocate for the improvement of their quality of life. Mrs. Dempseys presence on numerous trips to visit our stateside bases and overseas deployment areas served as a constant reminder of the stid fast commitment to our personnel and reflected her total devotion to the values we cherish within the military community. The distinctive accomplishes reflect great credit upon herself, the joint staff and department of defense and our nation. [ applause ] the department of the Army Certificate of appreciation is also being presented to mrs. Deenie dempsey on the occasion of the retirement of your spouse from the United States army. You have earned grateful appreciation for your unselfish, faithful and devoted service. Your unfailing support and understanding helped make possible your spouses lasting contribution to the nation. Honor guard, attention. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the posting of the colors. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, secretary carter. Pause a moment, all of us. Pause, behold this sight in front of you. So magnificent, so proud. They out on that field represent the millions of men and women who make americas military the finest fighting force the world has ever known. [ applause ] president obama, so many distinguished guests and elected officials, your presence with us here today signifies the awesome responsibility reposed in the office of the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff which were about to transfer from general Marty Dempsey to general joe dunford. The current chairman shares with me the duty to love and respect those who defend this country. To advise the commander in chief with candor, carry out his orders with excellence and share just a bit of the enormous weight he bears. And to help this great nation to make a better world. Marty dempsey was nominated to be chairman at the same time i was nominated to be deputy secretary of defense. He and deanie and stephanie and i sat down for dinner together and talked about what we wanted to accomplish and how we wanted to conduct ourselves. In him, i saw dedication to hard work, devotion to the force and the country and the civility to all that i hoped to have. Marty had already shown all these traits and more for 37 long years of service. He had led the 1st Armored Division during difficult days, returned to reconstitute the iraqi army, and had been chief of staff of the army. Three and a half years later, i became secretary of defense, and once again turned to marty for inspiration and brotherhood. Theres so much i could say about what marty has done to make sure tomorrows force is as superb as todays to drive forward in new domains like cyber and space and to manage as well as possible through unconscionable budget turbulence. But since president obama is present, i would like to alight for a moment upon the benefit i immediately observed marty bringing to the president s decisionmaking. In the situation room, all listen attentively when marty offered his advice from the military leadership. As a physicist by train, im partial to one way marty describes leadership. The challenge is not unlike hig heisenbergs uncertainty. When you touch it, you change it. Im not going to quibble with martys physics here, but im certain hes exactly right about this. Every decision the military leader makes, large or small, touches the lives of our troops. It touches the lives of countless families. It changes the nature of our world and the destiny of our country. For men and women who operate every day during time of rapid change and uncertainty, this is the constant weight and responsibility of leadership. In those counsels, Marty Dempsey speaks with the concision of the english student he once was and with a little bit of a sparkle of the irish man he will always be. He lives by the words of his favorite irish poet yates that every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than before. Im confident in telling you, marty, you will be missed. Marty has also said the best leaders make us want to be better versions of who we are. And, of course, we know one remarkable woman who has done that for marty and thats his wife deanie. So when marty heard, for example, Time Magazine named him one of the worlds most influential people, it caught him by surprise. He said he didnt even know he was the most influential person in his family. Marty and deanie make a wonderful team. Over the years, no one has attended more memorials, wakes or weddings. For the dempeys there are truly no strangers in our military family. To quote yates yet again, they are only friends they havent yet. So deanie, we thank you for finding marty during your days at goshon high school and sharing with him the blessings of three children, all of whom answered the call to serve, and no fewer than nine grandchildren. An irishman indeed. Now on to the other irishman joe dunford. Since not a lot of you were able to be present yesterday at the Marine Barracks when we retired joe dunford from the job, every marine considers the best job in the military commandant of the marine corps, it bears repeating. But first, and foremost to ellen. Ellen has been joes rocksolid foundation for more than three decades. Her support for military families and Wounded Warriors is much more than dutiful. Its personal. The rest of joes family, three children, joseph, pat and kathleen and parents mr. And mrs. Dunford, have supported joe and ellen in providing that support. And i want to give ellen a special word of appreciation. And heres why. She was just settling in joyfully to her duties as the commandants wife and enjoying having joe home from afghanistan when a different calling came. Joe was the clear choice to be the president s next chairman of the joint chiefs, but he wasnt ellens. Ellen, thanks from all of us for going one more measure of devotion. Now to why joe is the right man for the job. Joe du nford is the kind of officer marines want to follow. In the early years of the iraq war, joe commanded the 5th marine regiment. He refuse inserts in his flak jacket until every marine was issued a pair. That story says more than any of us ever could about the character and leadership of this great man. Humble, strong, centered. Always faithful to his people and mission. Wielding the operational acuity of a battlehardened commander and the strategic wisdom of a statesman. We saw that clearly during joes time leading u. S. And allied troops as the nato isaf commander. We saw his compassion in handwritten condolences sent to families of the fallen. We saw his tenacity in the way he managed dealing with president karzai. And we saw his skillfulness in transitioning security responsibility to afghan forces. During that time, all that time, and over the past 14 years, in two complex allconsuming wars in iraq and afghanistan, our marines and all our Service Members performed spectacularly. Today the marine corps is at the center of a great strategic transition in our military. Emerging from 15 years of counterinsurgency and strength and presence to preparing for a full spectrum of threats where we remain overwhelmingly strong in posture and not only presence. In a way, thats what marines have always done. Answering the call across the full range of military operations. No one understands thats better than joe. As the 19th chairman of the joint chiefs, joe answers the president s call. Joe will provide him critical counsel and serve as a critical bridge between military and civilian leadership and also between two administrations. Between 14 years of war at a time of strategic transition for our force. Once again, we thank ellen and their family for sharing joe with our country. The chairman will soon change, but the quality of counsel they provide to the president and the caliber of their leadershipill endure. The characteristics that marty and joe so excellently demonstrate. Flexibility and creativity. The ability to act courageously and decisively. These are the attributes of our greatest leaders. These are the qualities they share with our commander in chief. So as we say farewell to marty and welcome joe as chairman, we also thank the president for his leadership and constancy. For his deep commitment to the safety, welfare and dignity of our men and women in uniform. The example and commitment of these three leaders has indeed made each of us nobler and stronger. And because of their unwavering service to country and commitment to our military, our nation is nobler and stronger and will be forevermore. Thank you. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, president obama. [ applause ] 45 years ago, in june of 1970, a telegram arrived in upstate new york at the home of 18yearold Marty Dempsey. Congr congratulations, it read. You are appointed to the west point class of 1974. [ cheers ] marty was honored. He had just finished high school and he wasnt entirely sure he wanted to head off to the academy. His mother, im told, thought different. She urged him to give it a try for the summer, which sounds like these barracks meet sleepaway camp. Sound advice with a little irish charm runs in the dempsey family. Over the decades that followed, he patrolled the iron curtain, commanded the visions on desert battlefields and led americas soldiers. And more than a few times he burst into song. Over these last four years, martys wisdom, his vision and his character have helped lead the greatest fighting force the world has ever known. Secretary carter, deputy secretary, members of congress and the joint chiefs, Service Secretaries, men and women of the defense department, our armed forces and our military families. It is a deep honor to join you as we pay tribute to a singular leader for our military and nation and one of the finest men that i know, general Martin Dempsey. [ applause ] a little over four years ago i tapped marty to serve as chief of staff of the army. We let him enjoy it for one day. Then i asked him to be chairman. So let me say, marty, and more importantly deanie, this time i promise, no surprises tomorrow. I chose marty for these leadership roles because of his moral fiber and his deep commitment to american strength and american values. I chose him because of his vision for our military as a more versatile and responsive force. I chose him because he had the steady hand we needed in this moment of transition as we tackle emerging threats and support so many of our troops as we transfer to civilian life. Ive watched marty manage each of these challenges with integrity and foresight and care. Perhaps most of all, i chose marty because hes a leader you can trust. Marty, youve always given it to me straight. I cant tell you how much ive appreciated your candor and your counsel. And ive seen you build that trust not just with me but across our military with our troops and their families, with congress and our allies abroad. And with the American People. Today, thanks in no small measure to martys leadership, america has reassured allies from europe to the asia pacific. We ended our combat mission in afghanistan and brought americas longest war to a responsible end. We forged new partnerships from south asia to meet terrorist threats. We built a coalition thats combating isil in iraq and syria. We have bolstered our cyberdefenses. We helped halt the spread of ebola in west africa. None of this would have been possible without martys guidance and leadership. And what makes it more remarkable is that hes guided our forces through a time of reckless budget cuts. In less than a week before Congress Needs to pass a budget to keep the government open, let me just say, now is not the time for games that lock in sequester. Its not good for our military readiness, its not good for our troops, our family, and its not good for our country. As commander in chief, i believe we should invest in america and in our National Security and not short change it. And yet, even in these tough fiscal times, marty has made sure we maintain our military superiority. And no one can match our services because no one can match our Service Members. Our sons and daughters who hes cared for like his own. And then he sees the west point classmates of his youth. He sees those he commanded. He sees their families and in them he sees his own. Theres deanie, of course, his high school sweetheart, lifelong better half whose grace and resilience and good cheer embody the military spouses she fights so fiercely for. Chris, megan and katlyn who followed in their fathers footsteps to wear our nations cloth. Martys mother sarah who we thank for making him give the military a try for the summer, and there are his nine grandchildren who we can be confident will mark this nation in so many positive ways in the future. On behalf of the American People, i want to thank the entire dempsey family for their service to our nation. [ applause ] marty would be the first to tell you that he couldnt have done his job without his outstanding vice chair. And i, too, have depended on the advice and experience of admiral sandy wennefeld. Thank you, sandy, for your outstanding service. [ applause ] and general joe dunford and two of the most respected officers in our military, we have tested leaders ready to carry on marty and sandys work. I could not be prouder of them and the service theyve already rendered this great nation. I could not be more confident in the advice and counsel that theyll provide me. Thank you to them. Thank you, ellen. Thank you so much for everything that youve done. [ applause ] were going to have a lot of work to do long after not just marty is gone but im gone from the stage. There are always new threats. There are always new challenges in this everchanging world. We have to degrade and ultimately destroy isil, the remnants of al qaeda, Terror Networks around the world. We have to adapt our defenses for the 21st century. We have to give our troops the support they need to meet their missions. We have to make sure that our forces and our families receive the pay and the benefits and the quality of life that they have earned. That is how we maintain a military that is second to none. Im confident that we are up to the task. Im told that on martys desk theres a box. Its a cigar box with 132 cards. Each one with the name, picture and story of every one of the 132 soldiers who gave their lives under his command in iraq. And on top of the box are three words. Make it matter. Make it matter. And every morning, marty places three of those cards in his pocket so that every moment as chairman, every meet, every trip, every decision, every troop review, every moment of every day, some of those Fallen Heroes are with him. Those cards were with him a few years back when for the first time as chairman marty spoke to a group of military children who had lost a parent. And that day, as he walked through the crowd, some 600 gold star kids, young and so full of hope, he began to think about their lives and how each of them would have to make their way without a father or a mother. And marty had planned to speak, but he couldnt. So he did one of those things that he does best. He began to sing. And in that moment the highest ranking military leader in our nation forged a bond with those children. Boys and girls who at such a tender age had given up so much in a way that perhaps nobody else could. And year after year, theyve invited him back because they know Marty Dempsey will always give them everything he has. His voice, but even more, his full heart and soul. This is the man we honor today. A friend to so many troops and families across our military. A patriot with a profound love for our country and those who sacrifice for it. A trusted leader who in a time of great change made it matter. All the time. I am extraordinarily grateful to have had him by my side through the bulk of my presidency and i am extraordinarily proud to call him my friend. Marty, for your lifetime of extraordinary service, you have the deepest thanks of a grateful nation. God bless you, and god bless our men and women in uniform. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, general dunford. [ applause ] good afternoon distinguished guests, family and friends. Once again, thank you for joining us today. Mr. President , secretary carter, thank you for those kind words but more importantly, thank you for your leadership and trust in me and selecting me as your principal military adviser. Before i begin ides like to draw your attention to the men and women in formation today. They not only look superb but as secretary carter said, they represent more than 2 million members of our total joint force. Many of oured soiers, sailors, airmen and marines are forward deployed. Some are in harms way. And as we enjoy todays ceremony id ask you to keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers as well. In addition to the many special guests and senior officials who were mentioned by name as the ceremony began, id like to thank our family and friends for milwauk making the effort to join us. Im appreciative my brother and his families are here and ellens families. Id also like to single out my mom and dad who are here. I became a marine because of my dad. And any success in uniform was because of my mothers discipline and exacting standards. So mom and dad, thank you. [ applause ] more importantly, i want to recognize my wife ellen and our children, joseph, patrick and kathleen. Without their love and support throughout the years, i couldnt be standing here today. Ellen, thanks for your willingness to continue to serve our men and women in uniform and their families. Mr. President , i know i have big shoes to fill. Bier all indebted to general Marty Dempsey for his extraordinary leadership, commitment and service. On a personal note for many years hes been a great friend, mentor and role model. Deanie has been with him every step of the way and shes been a tireless advocate for military families even as she raised three soldiers of her own. The dempseys with wellearned admir augs, appreciation and affection from all soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines to include the dunfords. Marty and deanie, thank you for what youve meant to those of us in uniform and our families. You are what winning looks like. Its a deep privilege to have the honor to continue that. And to follow in the steps of those who on their watch demonstrated decisive leadership, extraordinary commitment and a strong moral compass. In the days ahead, ill draw strength from their example. And i look forward to serving with my fellow joint chiefs, Combatant Commanders and other Senior Leaders in our government as we tackle the challenges on our watch. I see several chiefs of defense from around the world here today. I look forward to working with you and further developing our relationships. Its customary for the incoming officer at events like this to be brief so ill close by saying how humbled i am for the opportunity to represent our men and women in uniform. They are a True National treasure. My focus in the coming days will be to provide them with the leadership and support that they deserve. God bless you all, and semper fidelis. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, by special request, lizzie yagi will introduce general dempey. Ladies and gentlemen, the 18th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and my friend general dempsey. [ applause ] thanks, lizzie. Being your friend and lead vocalist of the taps kids will always be among my most Cherished Memories in my time as chairman. For everybody here today. I want everybody to know that thats the first time the president ever made me cry. So unless you think weve had this kind of back and forth over the course of time. Thats a first. And whoever had the over and under on how long it would take me to cry, it was when my son read my retirement letter. I think my classmates probably have had a few side bets going. Let me begin by thanking everyone for the kind words and recognition. To tell you the truth, it rubs a bit uncomfortable against my conviction that duty is its own reward and those called to serve should seek no recognition for simply doing their duty. We all owe this great country our very best and our fellow citizens our very best. It was humbling to accept this job four years ago, and its humbling to relinquish it today. Mr. President , thanks for being here and for allowing me to advise you. Ive been honored to work with you and your National Security team. I know this is a very busy and very important week for you. But then again, they are all very busy and important weeks for the president of the United States. I also want to thank you in particular for allowing me to release my inner leprechaun from time to time dearing National SecurityCouncil Meetings and for allowing two dempseys into the situation room at the same time. I should have included this in my chairmans risk assessment. By the way, i hope you were able to get that good word in for me with the pope. I also want to thank the 22nd, the 23rd, the 24th and the 25th secretaries of defense with whom ive served over the last five years. Seriously . I really do appreciate them for their service to the nation, for their support to men and women in uniform and their families and for teaming with the joint chiefs to protect this nation. You are all great patriots and predigguous leaders. There is no way i can explain what the past 41 years have meant to me in the next few minutes and the next four years will be ably led by the 19th chairman. So ill focus on the moment right here, right now, surrounded by so many family and friends. Let me start by thanking the old guard, the joint honor guard and great military fans. I will continue to be your biggest fan and strongest advocate. You set the cadence of our march into the future. You are outstanding soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen serving right here in our nations capital. You inspire us. Thank you for providing the images and sounds that will eninsure well always remember this day. Please join me in thanking them. [ applause ] i note with great esteem the presence of our service chiefs, our Combatant Commanders, senior enlisted advisers, directors of the joint staff, my senior enlisted adviser, and as well some of the spouses of our closest allies and military leaders. Few know the burdens you bear. Willingly and even enthusiastically for our countries. Deanie joins me in thanking you for your service and sacrifice and, most of all, for ensuring the readiness of the young men and women we send into harms way in the name of freedom. Im honored by the presence of civilian leaders. I thank my teammates from the department of defense, the Service Secretaries and the National Security council staff. I will tell you that the glamour of working issues at this level wears off quickly. But i will always remember with fondness the camaraderie forged in the difficult work of National Security. I also think youd agree that the Protocol Team today has done an extraordinary job, as they do every day. They are Quiet Professionals whose lot in life means they get only an a or an f. Mark this down as another a. I wish i could introduce you to my personal staff. In a job like this at such a frenetic pace and with so much travel, we have become a family. Deanie and i have said goodbye to them privately but ill add another thank you. You left an indelible mark in our hearts. In the audience are friends from Elementary School and high school, the west point class of 1974, pride of the corps. From the National War College and even from my capstone class, apparently i made the right decision when i decided not to study too hard so i could make a lot of friends. I have both mentors and proteges here. As ive become older, i realize the distinction between them blurs. Weve learned from each other. Ill tell you this. Deanie and i came into the military for each other but we stayed in the military because of you. I admire you all. There are friends here from the storied fighting 69th new York Army National guard and from usa basketball. Stars from the worlds of entertainment and professional sports who have traveled with us around the world and superstars from the many private organizations dedicated to support our military, their families, the wounded and our veterans. Youve all touched our hearts, filled our souls, inspired us and made it an extraordinary four years. Bee are privileged to call you friends. Another yates quote. Think where mans glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was i had such friends. I know in my heart that Martin Joseph dempsey, Thomas Joseph sullivan and bridget barber are all proudly looking down on us today. And they are probably up there whispering far too loudly for gods sake, i just hope he doesnt start singing. My mom is sitting right over there thinking to herself, i told you so. If theres a more softspoken, respectful, humble woman on the face of the earth, id like to meet her. Thanks for inspiring us to be humble, to always give just a little more than an honest days work, to have courage and to live a life of fauith. Bee love you, mom. [ applause ] Marjorie Sullivan is sitting at home in florida a little too frail to be with us here today, but she has been an unwavering champion and safety net on more than one occasion for our family throughoutor career. We love you, too. I have a big family. Remember what i said about protocol, earning their a. Kind and loving aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, inlaws and outlaws. Far too many to single out. Though i havent seen much of you through the years, its pretty darn remarkable how little weve changed. Thanks for all the support. I said i wouldnt reminisce but im going to make an exception. About this time in september 1974, i reported as a 2nd lieutenant to the armor school at ft. Knox kentucky. In preparing my remarks today, i was struck by how much my emotions today remind me of my emotions then. In september 1974, just like today, i was a little nervous, i was humbled to wear the uniform of an army officer. I was eager to get started on a new career, and i was in love pardon me and i was in love with a girl named deanie. [ applause ] i fell in love with deanie when she was 15. It took her a few years to come around to the idea. But i was sure that whatever life brought my way, i wanted to experience it with her. Heres the thing about deanie. Shes the only one more passionate than me about the military and their families. Shes a better leader than i am. She has far more energy than einstein predicted could be packed into a 52 body, and she has shown an amazing patience during the trials that accompany a military life. In every way, shes made me a better person. Because this has been her career, just as much as mine, its fitting and proper to say that we are both retiring today. Congratulations, deanie sullivan dempsey. [ applause ] so im almost out of water to choke back the emotion, which means i must be near the end. What were really doing today is transferring our passion for the standard u. S. Army nineman infantry squad to our own squad of nine adorable talented and exceptional grandchildren. They are kayla, mckenna, luke, alexander, hunter, finley, braden, samuel and david. Now, if you want to know what our principle goal in retirement will be . Its to be the best grand parents we can be. Now unless they think weve forgotten them, we have our own grandchildren. We have made 20 moves, most of them with the kids. They have been adaptive, resilient and willing to share their parents with a larger military family. Its been a joy watching them grow up, until recently, we had some difficulty convincing them that the mayflower wasnt a moving van. Im very happy that the j3 allowed my son kris to escape to attend the military ceremony, and meagan and katie have also served. And we have the best trio of inlaws we could ever imagine. I know a little bit about leadership, and you have it all as many as other extraordinary qualities that make you great couples, great parents and great patriots. We look forward to seeing more of you, and we hope the feeling is mutual. Who stands for freedom goes with joyful tread. Joyce kilmer, it has been my honor to walk with joyful tread alongside airman, marines, army for the last four years. They are truly the best at what they do. They are our nations most precious treasure. They and their families inspire us. Today we entrust them to our new chairman. The irish are stingy with compliments. When irishman truly respect someone, they say simply, youre a good man. Well, youre a good man, joe dunford. I depart with the confidence that you are the right man for the right time for our nation. There is a sense today that americas future is fraught with uncertainty and that the fabric that binds us is be mightily tested. However i leave with absolute confidence in who we are and what we stand for. Our nation and its armed forces remain the worlds foremost symbols of strength, of hope and of freedom. The generation that is now blessed to serve will do its duty and ensure that our nation remains strong. I thank god for sustaining me through these 41 years, and i pray that he keeps us all strong. It has been my privilege to wear the cloth of our nation. To all who will continue to serve after me, i ask only this in parting. Make it matter. [ applause ] kxz [ applause ] [ applause ] [ applause ] [ applause ] [ applause ] [ applause ]