First Lady Thanks Troops in Germany

[Rose Siding]

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany Feb 22, 2005 — First lady Laura Bush on Tuesday thanked U.S. soldiers for giving up their safety and the comforts of home to fight for democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Each of you has a greater impact than you can ever imagine on people that you will only know for a brief time," she told troops and their families in an aircraft hangar.

"All of you are delivering the greatest gift they'll ever receive by sacrificing your own comfort, your own safety and your own lives so that others might know freedom."

Mrs. Bush, who also visited about 20 wounded soldiers at nearby Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, flew to Germany a day ahead of the president, who was attending meetings with NATO leaders in Brussels, Belgium. Ramstein Air Base has been heavily used in support of post-Sept. 11 U.S. military campaigns.

While Germany's government and most of the population oppose the war in Iraq, the two sprawling facilities remain symbols of U.S.-German ties built up after World War II. Ramstein has been the place where planes carrying the wounded land and also a more somber way station for the return of the bodies of U.S. troops killed in action.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=520931&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[lebkuchen]

1. "Safety and comforts of home" ain't the half of it, lady

How would you like to miss over a year of your children's lives, on a year-long-plus alternating basis making pennies to what the Vice pResident's Halliburton folks are making, living the life of an absentee spouse, with the strong chance of returning home severely physically injured, mentally incapacitated, or draped in the flag?

Could Laura be dumber than her husband??

[anarchy1999]

6. Absolutely no doubt about it. "Stepford Wife Syndrome"

Many drugs consumed to maintain the lovely demeanor. Brain Dead.

[Virginian]

2. What about our Gangs?

She is supposed to be fixing our problems with gangs. What is she doing in Germany? Why isn't she at work?

Our gang problem is getting worse and worse every day.

[TahitiNut]

3. They're waiting for her.

[Rose Siding]

4. funny

you!

[Virginian]

7. Maybe those are the gangs Bush was thinking of.

Thanks for the humor.

[Rose Siding]

5. In the news, gangs seem to be morphing into terrorist orgs,

with int'l connections. I'd guess that Homeland Security or the DoD will handle them before Pickles can make an impression.