"They have been in the thick of battle against the jihads, fighting in some of the toughest campaigns and doing some of the most difficult work to bring stability and reconstruction to fledgling democracies in Afghanistan and Iraq."
One day after he spoke those words to the Killeen Chamber of Commerce, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates shook hands with the men and women of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, who are preparing to be deployed.
Gates began the day at a breakfast with the soldiers. Next he met with a group of soldiers' wives, who came armed with questions.
"I was concerned why the Army gets extended when the Marines, the Air Force, and the Navy get shortened deployments. I just don't think that's so fair, and I just want to know what the reasoning is behind that," soldier's wife Lisa Fierro said.
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Official visit
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates spoke with soldiers and presented Purple Heart medals in Fort Hood.
 
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After fielding questions from the spouses, Gates was ushered into a Purple Heart ceremony. Gates presented the medal to soldiers wounded in the line of duty. Each solider with a story to tell.
"I was driving a HumVee and an IED exploded under my feet. They had to amputate my left leg below the knee," Lt. Dandy Wilson said.
Monday night, Gates addressed the ongoing conflict in Iraq.
"Appreciation is real, it is sincere and it bridges any political divide. No one can tell what lies ahead for our nation in the conflicts in which we are engaged but we do know great challenges remain," he said.
Gates, the nation's 22nd Secretary of Defense, is also the former president of Texas A&M University. He also worked for the CIA, serving under six Presidents.
