VP Vance delivers message of standards, gratitude at Fort Campbell | News

Speaking to the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles, the vice president acknowledged the two West Virginia National Guardsmen who were shot earlier Wednesday in Washington, D.C., and called for prayers for their recovery.

“I want everybody who’s a person of faith to say a prayer for those two National Guardsmen that they’re able to spend Thanksgiving with their families instead of losing their lives,” Vance said. “I think it’s a somber reminder that soldiers — whether they’re active duty, reserve or National Guard — our soldiers are the sword and the shield of the United States of America. And as a person who goes into work every single day in that building and knows that there are a lot of people who wear the uniform of the United States Army, let me just say very personally, thank them for what they’re doing. We’re grateful to them, and we’re praying that they’re going to be safe, and they’re going to spend Thanksgiving with their families. God bless them.”

Thanking guests at the event — who included Gen. Travis McIntosh, Command Sgt. Maj. Charles Walker, Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn, and Tennessee Congressman John Rose, along with other army leaders — Vance called on the crowd to recognize their efforts for servicemembers.

A special guest received an extended shoutout.

“I’ve got to, of course, thank my dear friend Bob Richie. You better know him as Kid Rock,” Vance said. “I want to say to my staff, I gave them one instruction, and that’s that I don’t have to follow a literal rock star before I give a speech. And they screwed that up the day before Thanksgiving, so every single one of them are fired. But thank you to Bob Richie, Kid Rock, because he’s not just a great musician. He’s not just a great American. He is a person who loves the soldiers of the United States Army, and we are proud and grateful for Kid Rock.”

As he decried the “freezing cold,” Vance praised the 101st Airborne and the Strike and Destiny brigades at Fort Campbell for their work to uphold the military’s standards. He turned to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s remarks at Quantico, Virginia, in September.

He highlighted Hegseth’s comments about war preparedness and echoed his support for the highest standards and training possible for military members.

“[Hegseth] said — and I’m going to quote here from his speech — the new War Department grow and rule is this: ‘Do unto your unit as you would have done unto your own child’s unit,’” Vance said. “Would you want him serving with fat, or unfit, or undertrained troops, or alongside people who can’t meet basic standards? He was talking about the importance of bringing the highest standards possible to the United States Army. And I hear Pete saying that, and I’m like, ‘Hell yeah. That’s exactly what we want out of the United States Army.’”

Vance affirmed his support and belief in Hegseth’s vision for the U.S. military and urged his listeners to consider each other as the best soldiers the nation has to offer.

“We should seek to exceed the standard, to push the envelope, to compete,” he said. “We must restore a ruthless, dispassionate and common-sense application of standards. And I’m like, ‘Man, this is awesome.’ We’re talking about bringing the highest standards in the world to the very best United States Army. I’m ready to run through a wall with this guy. And then Pete goes, ‘No more beardoes.’ I’m like, ‘What the hell is that all about?’ He’s talking about me.”

“We don’t just want people who mindlessly follow orders,” Vance continued. “We want people who think. Because we know that the most powerful weapon in the United States arsenal, the most powerful weapon anywhere in the world. It’s not a rifle, it’s not a tank, it’s not a helicopter or an airplane. The most dangerous and lethal weapon anywhere in the world is a United States soldier, and we’re proud of you, and we’re going to stand behind you every step of the way.”

He brought up the evolving nature of war, saying that preparing soldiers to use tools like drones, cyber warfare and satellites plays as large a role now as rifles, tanks or planes did historically.

Vance reiterated the administration’s goal of committing to high standards and the appearance of strength on the global stage, sharing his belief that the previous administration did not show the same support.

“Why do we care so much about high standards? Not just because we think that standards got a little lax in the last administration,” he said. “We care about high standards because if, God forbid, the president of the United States asks you to go to war, we want to make sure that the people that you’re fighting with are the very best. We owe it to your moms and dads, your grandmas and grandpas, to only send the very best people off to foreign conflicts, and that is why we care so much about standards.”

He acknowledged a major mistake he believes both Republicans and Democrats have made in the past in sending troops to war without clear objectives. Praising the soldiers’ commitment to their country, he assured listeners that President Donald Trump and his administration would only make demands of soldiers with “a clear mission and clear guidelines.”

“We’re going to give you the tools necessary. We’re going to give you the resources necessary,” he said, “And we are going to empower you to do a very simple thing, which is kick the enemy’s ass and come home safely. That’s what the United States wants from its soldiers, and that’s what the president of the United States asks of each and every one of you.”

Turning to the reason for the upcoming holiday season, Vance called Thanksgiving his favorite American holiday. He nodded to his Christian faith, noting that while 1.8 billion Christians celebrate Christmas worldwide, Thanksgiving is “the most uniquely American holiday.”

He expressed his taste for the traditional dish of the holiday.

“Turkey. Think about turkey. Who really likes — be honest with yourself — who really likes turkey? You’re all full of s—,” the vice president said to his audience. “Here’s how I know that every single one of you who raised your hand is lying to me. How many times do you roast an 18-pound turkey? Just randomly, just, you know, a nice summer afternoon, ‘We’re going to go get an 18-pound turkey.”

He then turned his remarks on Americans’ taste for turkey into a parallel for the true meaning of the holiday: gratitude.

“Turkey doesn’t actually taste that good,” Vance said. “But on Thanksgiving, on the most American holiday, we’re going to cook a turkey, by God, because that’s what Americans do. We cook this gigantic American bird, and we do all kinds of crazy things to make it taste good.”

“I talked to a soldier today who she said she’s going to deep fry a turkey — and I’m actually going to deep-fry a turkey myself tomorrow,” he continued. “And look, here’s the thing, if you’ve got to deep fry something to make it taste good, it probably isn’t that good! That’s a pretty good rule of thumb when it comes to food. Chicken is good all the time. Chicken is good when you deep fry it, but it’s also good outside of it — but here’s the thing about Thanksgiving, it is so American, because at the heart of it is the spirit of gratitude.”

He offered advice to soldiers to live their lives “with the spirit of gratitude,” saying the life of service and sacrifice required of a soldier is the “greatest blessing.” He advised that they honor the people who loved and cared for them who allowed them the opportunity to wear the uniform of an American soldier.

He acknowledged the sacrifices of soldiers and audience members unable to spend time with their families for the upcoming holiday.

Reflecting personally, Vance concluded that he considered the opportunity to serve as vice president as a blessing and thanked soldiers for their service and dedication.