English subtitles for clip: File:Combatant Commanders and Joint Chiefs of Staff.webm

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The President: Well, Happy
New Year, everybody.

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Let me begin by thanking Ash
Carter, our Secretary of

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Defense; General Joe
Dunford; Vice Chair Paul

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Selva; and all of
our commanders here.

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The purpose of this meeting
-- something I do on a

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regular basis, is to allow
me to hear directly from

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those who are charged
with the most solemn

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responsibility of
maintaining the finest

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fighting force the world has
ever know and keeping the

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American people safe.

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It is in these meetings that
we have been able to set

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broad strategy, identify
areas where we have to

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improve, address the health
of the force -- and I can

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say to the American
people that they are

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extraordinarily lucky, and I
am extraordinarily lucky to

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be served by such
extraordinary patriots.

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This will be my last meeting
with them, and so part of my

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goal here is just to say
thank you and let them know

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how much I appreciate the
counsel, the advice, the

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leadership that they
have consistently shown

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throughout my
time in office.

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But, in addition to saying
thank you, I will get their

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views on the fact that we
still have a lot of active

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threats around the world,
and we still have men and

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women in harm's way around
the world who are busy

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protecting our homeland and
our vital interests and

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our allies.

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And we've got to make sure
that during this transition

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period, that there is a
seamless passing of the baton.

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That there's continuity, and
that any issues that still

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remain -- and obviously, you
know, we still have major

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fights against ISIS
in Mosul and in Syria.

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Afghanistan is still active.

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That in all of these areas,
we are doing everything we

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can to make sure that the
next President will benefit

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from the same kinds of
outstanding advice and

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service that these people
around the table have

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provided me.

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So, it has been, as I've
said repeatedly, one of the

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greatest honors and
privileges of being

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President -- serving as
Commander-in-Chief to such

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outstanding people.

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And I couldn't have done
it without all of you.

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And I know that my optimism
about America going forward

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is in part because we have
such an amazing military.

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Not only one that knows how
to fight, but also knows how

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to uphold the values of rule
of law and professionalism

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and integrity.

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And recognizes of
Constitutional structure and

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maintains strict adherence
and respect for civilian

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authority and democratic
practices in determining how

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we use the awesome force
of the American military.

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So, I just want to say thank
you to all of you, and with

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that, we've got to do
some work, alright?

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Thank you so much.