Gov. Gregoire addresses the Farewell Ceremony of the Farewell to the Washington Army National Guard 81st Brigade

August 19, 2008

*AS WRITTEN*

Good morning, and thank you Colonel Kapral.

I�m truly honored to be here in the presence of the finest men and women our state has to offer � citizen soldiers about to embark on a second tour of Iraq.

I�m also honored to be here on behalf of all Washingtonians to personally thank your loved ones � husbands and wives � parents and children � uncles and aunts � and your dear friends for their love and support.

I want our soldiers and all here today who love you to know � I�m very proud of you, and I can say without a shred of doubt, so are all Washingtonians.

You serve the people of our state in so many real and concrete ways.

You have responded to floods, to snow storms and to fires. You have responded to calls for help not only here in Washington, but across the nation. And now again, across the world.

As I said when I spoke to the 81st Brigade a few weeks ago in Yakima, with my husband, Mike, who was an artillery officer in Vietnam:

The people of Washington state honor, respect and support our troops! And we try to show it in every way we can.

We know you have a tough job ahead. We know it is dangerous.

Rest assured that we will do our part to support your families in very real ways.

We have put in place a whole lot of programs and funding to help veterans and families in need.

I have many partners dedicated to this
Mission -- The National Guard Family Programs Office and The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs to name just two.

Both organizations are staffed with caring people who will support families in need every day until you return. It is our duty, and it is the least we can do.

I urge family members to let us know what you might need in the months to come. If you don�t know where to start � just call our office and I�ll make sure you are plugged into the right people.

Most of all, please rest assured that we all will be praying for the safe return of our soldiers.

�Godspeed! We are so proud of you!

God Bless You All.

And God Bless America!