“At long last, we will see an end to combat operations in Iraq. We can never sufficiently thank or adequately repay all those men and women, and their families, who sacrificed so much in support of this mission, but it is high time these brave soldiers returned home. To the families whose fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives did not return, we humbly offer the thanks of a grateful nation and the solemn pledge that we will never forget."