Text of President Obama's speech at the American Legion convention, August 26, 2014

http://www.stripes.com/news/text-of-president-obama-s-speech-at-the-american-legion-convention-august-26-2014-1.300031

Text of President Obama's speech at the American Legion convention, August 26, 2014

Stars and Stripes
Published: August 26, 2014

The full text of President Barack Obama's speech at the American Legion convention at Charlotte, N.C., August 26, 2014, as provided by the White House:
(snip) (long)

(After) incredible sacrifice by so many of our men and women in uniform, we removed more than 140,000 troops from Iraq and welcomed those troops home. It was the right thing to do. It's why we refocused our efforts in Afghanistan and went after al Qaeda's leadership in the tribal regions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, driving the Taliban out of its strongholds, and training Afghan forces, which are now in the lead for their own security. In just four months, we will complete our combat mission in Afghanistan and America's longest war will come to a responsible end. And we honor every American who served to make this progress possible — (applause) — every single one, especially the more than 2,200 American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan to keep us safe.
(snip)

Now, as I've always made clear, the blows we've struck against al Qaeda's leadership don’t mean the end to the terrorist threat. Al Qaeda affiliates still target our homeland — we've seen that in Yemen. Other extremists threaten our citizens abroad, as we've seen most recently in Iraq and Syria. As Commander-in-Chief, the security of the American people is my highest priority, and that's why, with the brutal terrorist group ISIL advancing in Iraq, I have authorized targeted strikes to protect our diplomats and military advisors who are there. (Applause.)

And let me say it again: American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq. I will not allow the United States to be dragged back into another ground war in Iraq. Because ultimately, it is up to the Iraqis to bridge their differences and secure themselves.
(snip)

When I was here at the Legion three years ago, I said that the bond between our forces and our citizens has to be a sacred trust, and that for me, for my administration, upholding our trust with our veterans is not just a matter of policy, it is a moral obligation.
(snip)

But what we’ve come to learn is that the misconduct we've seen at too many facilities — with long wait times, and veterans denied care, and folks cooking the books — is outrageous and inexcusable.
(snip)

We’re going to have to stay focused on the five priorities that I outlined last year. And I just want to reiterate them for you just so you know what it is that we’re committing to.

Number one, we need to make sure our veterans have the resources you deserve.
(snip)

Second, we need to make sure veterans are actually getting the health care you need when you need it.
(snip) And we have to end this tragedy of suicide among our troops and veterans.
(snip)
Our third priority: We have to keep attacking the disability claims backlog.
(snip)
Number four: We need to uphold the dignity and rights of every veteran, and that includes ending the tragedy of homelessness among veterans.
(snip)
And finally, we need to make sure our troops and veterans have every opportunity to pursue the American Dream. That includes a home of their own.
(snip)

We're also going to keep helping our troops transition to civilian life. (snip) If you can do the kinds of jobs so many of you have done in the most extreme circumstances, I’m pretty confident you can do that job right here at home.
(snip)

To help our troops and veterans pursue their education, we worked with loan servicers to automatically cap interest rates on student loans to our servicemembers at 6 percent. For veterans going back to school under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, we'll keep standing up against dishonest recruiting and predatory practices that target and prey on you and your families.
(snip)

And we're going to keep helping our veterans find those private sector jobs worthy of your incredible talents. Our new online Veterans Employment Center is a single one-stop shop connecting veterans and their spouses to more than 1.5 million jobs that are open right now.
(snip)