This is cool. I remember going to AP Hill when I was a young Boy Scout for a Jamboree and it was quite the experience. But we definitely did not have a guy like Secretary Gates speaking at our Jamboree.
So with that said, here is the speech he gave at this year’s Jamboree. It is a fantastic speech and I agree with everything he said. All I have to say is that if you have boys in your family and you are looking for a way to prepare them for life and for being excellent citizens/leaders, I highly recommend the Scouting Program. –Matt
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Boy Scout Jamboree
As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates,
Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia,
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Good morning jamboree! Do you all want to sit down? Thank you Anthony, for that kind introduction.
It is an honor to be with you here today and to have the chance to share a few thoughts about scouting with you. I know how much you enjoy sitting in the sun, so I won’t take too long.
First, as you know, at this moment, there are hundreds of thousands of men and women in our military all over the world – but especially in Iraq and Afghanistan – who are putting their lives on the line to defend you, your families and our freedom. They have put their dreams aside to protect your dreams. Many of them are members of your families. So, would every Scout who has a mom or a dad or a brother or a sister or an uncle or an aunt in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard please stand? That’s what I figured. Please tell your family member from me thank you for their sacrifice – and thank you and your families for supporting them. You can sit down again.
As the introduction made clear, scouting has been a big part of my life and my family’s life. Of course my family’s life – and our kid’s lives – have been a bit unusual, in no small part because I have had armed body guards for so much of my professional career.
