Obama Thanks Troops For Serving In Iraq, Acknowledges Remaining Work

During remarks from Ft. Bliss in Texas Tuesday, President Barack Obama thanked a room full of U.S. troops for serving in Iraq, but also acknowledged that critical work remains in the nation seven years after the conflict began.

“We’ve worked too hard to neglect the continuing work that has to be done by our civilians and by those transitional forces,” Obama told a crowd of approximately 170 in the fort’s dining facility.

The President’s appearance at the military installation precedes an Oval Office address scheduled for 8pm Tuesday night on the end of combat operations in Iraq. Obama told the troops that aside from using the address to applaud their service, he will also discuss the need for improved care for veterans and the future of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. 

One thing the President said the address will not include is self-congratulation.

“It is not going to be a victory lap,” the President remarked.

The drawdown in Iraq represents a transition from a combat mission to one that will primarily focus on diplomacy. A residual force of 50,000 tasked with training Iraqi security forces will remain in the country until late next year.

“[Iraqis are] still learning to secure the country the way they need to,” Obama said. “They’ve  made enormous strides thanks to the training they’ve already received, but there’s still more work to do there.”

Obama completed his remarks by telling the soldiers he would like to shake their hands personally. He also said he would be speaking with troops deploying for Iraq later in the day to join the residual force.

Over 4,000 Americans died since Operation Iraqi Freedom began in 2003. The new diplomatic approach has been dubbed Operation New Dawn.