Hello Legionnaires! It is wonderful to see all of you. Let me, first of all, thank Commander Foster for your introduction and for your lifetime of service to your fellow Marines, soldiers and veterans. On behalf of us all, I want to thank Jimmie and I want to thank your entire leadership team for welcoming me here today. Thank you very much. 退伍军人们，大家好！看到你们所有人真是太好了。首先，我要感谢福斯特指挥官的介绍以及你对战友、士兵和退伍军人毕生的服务。我代表大家，感谢吉米和你们整个领导团队今天在这里欢迎我。非常感谢。
Your National Adjutant, Dan Wheeler; your Executive Director, your voice in Washington, Peter Gaytan, who does just an extraordinary job; and the President of the American Legion Auxiliary, Carlene Ashworth -- thank you for your extraordinary service. To Rehta Foster and all the spouses, daughters and sisters of the Auxiliary, and the Sons of the American Legion -- as military families, you also serve, and we salute all of you as well. 你们的全国副官丹·惠勒；你们的执行董事、你们在华盛顿的代言人彼得·盖坦，他的工作出色极了；以及美国退伍军人军团辅助会主席卡琳·阿什沃斯——感谢你们杰出的服务。向蕾塔·福斯特以及辅助会的所有配偶、女儿和姐妹，还有退伍军人军团之子的成员们——作为军人家庭，你们同样在服务，我们也向你们致敬。
There are some special guests here I want to acknowledge. They may have already been acknowledged, but they're great friends so I want to make sure that I point them out. First of all, the wonderful governor of Minnesota, Mark Dayton, is here. Two senators who are working on behalf of veterans every single day -- Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken. Congressman Keith Ellison -- this is his district. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, a great friend. To all the other members of Congress and Minnesota elected officials who are here, welcome. 在座有一些特别的嘉宾我想介绍。他们可能已经被介绍过了，但他们是很好的朋友，所以我想确保提到他们。首先，明尼苏达州出色的州长马克·戴顿来了。还有两位每天都在为退伍军人权益奔走的参议员——艾米·克洛布查和阿尔·弗兰肯。国会议员基思·埃里森——这里是他的选区。明尼阿波利斯市长R·T·瑞巴克，一位好朋友。欢迎所有到场的其他国会议员和明尼苏达州民选官员。
It is wonderful to be back with the American Legion. Back in Illinois, my home state -- Hey! Illinois is in the house. We worked together to make sure veterans across the state were getting the benefits they had earned. When I was in the U.S. Senate, we worked together to spotlight the tragedy of homelessness among veterans -- and the need to end it. 能回到美国退伍军人军团真是太好了。回到伊利诺伊州，我的家乡——嘿！伊利诺伊来了。我们曾一起努力确保全州的退伍军人获得他们应得的福利。当我在参议院任职时，我们共同努力揭露退伍军人无家可归的悲剧——以及终结这一现象的迫切需要。
As President, I’ve welcomed Jimmie and your leadership to the Oval Office to hear directly from you. And I have been -- I've been honored to have you by my side when I signed advance appropriations to protect veterans' health care from the budget battles in Washington, -- when I signed legislation to give new support to veterans and their caregivers, and, most recently, when I proposed new initiatives to make sure the private sector is hiring our talented veterans. 作为总统，我曾邀请吉米和你们的领导团队到椭圆办公室，直接听取你们的声音。我很荣幸在我签署预拨款法案、保护退伍军人医疗免受华盛顿预算之争影响时——在我签署法律为退伍军人及其照料者提供新支持时——以及最近在提出新倡议确保私营部门雇用我们优秀的退伍军人时，有你们在我身边。
So, American Legion, I thank you for your partnership. I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you today about what we need to do to make sure America is taking care of our veterans as well as you’ve taken care of us. 所以，美国退伍军人军团，我感谢你们的伙伴关系。我珍惜今天与你们交谈的机会，讨论我们需要做些什么，确保美国像你们守护我们那样照顾好我们的退伍军人。
And I’m grateful to be with you for another reason. A lot of our fellow citizens are still reeling from Hurricane Irene and its aftermath. Folks are surveying the damage. Some are dealing with tremendous flooding. As a government, we’re going to make sure that states and communities have the support they need so their folks can recover. 我感激能在此与你们在一起的另一个原因是，我们的许多同胞仍在飓风艾琳及其后续影响中艰难挣扎。人们正在评估损失，一些地区正面临严重洪灾。作为政府，我们将确保各州和各社区获得所需支持，让民众能够恢复。
And across the nation, we’re still digging out from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. It’s taking longer and it's been more difficult than any of us had imagined. And even though we’ve taken some steps in the right direction, we've got a lot more to do. Our economy has to grow faster. We have to create more jobs, and we have to do it faster. And most of all, we've got to break the gridlock in Washington that’s been preventing us from taking the action we need to get this country moving. 而在全国范围内，我们仍在从大萧条以来最严重的经济危机中艰难复苏。这比我们任何人想象的都要更长、更艰难。尽管我们已经朝着正确方向迈出了一些步伐，但我们还有更多工作要做。我们的经济必须增长得更快。我们必须创造更多就业机会，而且必须更快地做到。最重要的是，我们必须打破华盛顿的僵局，正是这种僵局阻碍了我们采取行动推动这个国家前进。
That’s why, next week, I’ll be speaking to the nation about a plan to create jobs and reduce our deficit -- a plan that I want to see passed by Congress. We've got to get this done. 正因如此，下周我将向全国发表讲话，提出一个创造就业和减少赤字的计划——一个我希望国会通过的方案。我们必须完成这项工作。
And here’s what else I know. We Americans have been through tough times before, much tougher than these. And we didn’t just get through them; we emerged stronger than before. Not by luck. Not by chance. But because, in hard times, Americans don’t quit. We don’t give up. We summon that spirit that says, when we come together, when we choose to move forward together, as one people, there’s nothing we can’t achieve. 我还知道一件事。我们美国人曾经历过比这更艰难的时期，远比现在更艰难。我们不仅仅是挺过来了；我们变得比以前更强大。不是靠运气，不是靠偶然，而是因为，在困难时期，美国人不会退缩。我们不会放弃。我们唤起那种精神——当我们团结在一起，当我们选择作为一个民族共同前行，没有什么是我们做不到的。
And, Legionnaires, you know this story because it's the story of your lives. And in times like these, all Americans can draw strength from your example. When Hitler controlled a continent and fascism appeared unstoppable, when our harbor was bombed and our Pacific fleet crippled, there were those that declared that the United States had been reduced to a third-class power. 退伍军人们，你们熟知这个故事，因为这就是你们的人生故事。在这样的时刻，所有美国人都能从你们的榜样中汲取力量。当希特勒控制了一片大陆、法西斯主义似乎势不可挡时，当我们的港口被轰炸、太平洋舰队瘫痪时，有人宣称美国已经沦为一个三流国家。
But you, our veterans of World War II, crossed the oceans and stormed the beaches and freed the millions, liberated the camps and showed the United States of America is the greatest force for freedom that the world has ever known. 但是你们，我们的二战退伍军人，横渡大洋、冲锋登陆、解放了数百万人，解放了集中营，向世界表明美利坚合众国是这个世界有史以来最强大的自由力量。
When North Korea invaded the South, pushing the allied forces into a tiny sliver of territory -- the Pusan Perimeter -- it seemed like the war could be lost. But you, our Korean War veterans, pushed back, fought on, year after bloody year. And this past Veterans Day, I went to Seoul and joined our Korean War veterans for the 60th anniversary of that war, and we marked that milestone in a free and prosperous Republic of Korea, one of our greatest allies. 当朝鲜入侵南方，将盟军逼入一小片领土——釜山环形防御圈——战争似乎可能失败。但是你们，我们的朝鲜战争退伍军人，奋勇反击，坚持战斗，一个血腥的年头接着一个血腥的年头。在过去的退伍军人日，我去了首尔，与我们的朝鲜战争退伍军人一起纪念那场战争60周年，我们在一个自由繁荣的大韩民国——我们最伟大的盟友之一——纪念了那个里程碑。
When communist forces in Vietnam unleashed the Tet Offensive, it fueled the debate here at home that raged over that war. You, our Vietnam veterans, did not always receive the respect that you deserved -- which was a national shame. But let it be remembered that you won every major battle of that war. Every single one. As President, I’ve been honored to welcome our Vietnam veterans to the White House and finally present them with the medals and recognition that they had earned. 当越南的共产党军队发动春节攻势时，它加剧了国内围绕那场战争的激烈争论。你们，我们的越南战争退伍军人，并不总是得到应有的尊重——这是国家的耻辱。但请记住，你们赢得了那场战争中每一场重大战役的胜利。每一场都是。作为总统，我很荣幸能在白宫欢迎我们的越南战争退伍军人，并终于向他们颁发他们应得的勋章和荣誉。
It’s been a chance to convey, on behalf of the American people, those simple words with which our Vietnam veterans greet each other -- “Welcome home.” 这是一个代表美国人民传达那些简单话语的机会——我们的越南战争退伍军人彼此问候时说的话——"欢迎回家。"
Legionnaires, in the decades that followed, the spirit of your service was carried forth by our troops in the sands of Desert Storm and the rugged hills of the Balkans. And now, it's carried on by a new generation. Next weekend, we'll mark the 10th anniversary of those awful attacks on our nation. In the days ahead, we will honor the lives we lost and the families that loved them; the first responders who rushed to save others; and we will honor all those who have served to keep us safe these 10 difficult years, especially the men and women of our Armed Forces. 退伍军人们，在随后的几十年里，你们的服务精神由我们的军队在沙漠风暴的沙地和巴尔干崎岖的山丘中传承。而现在，这种精神由新一代传承下去。下周末，我们将纪念那些对我国发起的可怕袭击十周年。在未来的日子里，我们将缅怀逝去的生命和爱他们的家人；缅怀冲上前去救人的第一响应者；我们将致敬所有在这艰难十年中为保卫我们安全而服务的人，特别是我们武装部队的男女将士。
Today, as we near this solemn anniversary, it’s fitting that we salute the extraordinary decade of service rendered by the 9/11 Generation -- the more than 5 million Americans who've worn the uniform over the past 10 years. They were there, on duty, that September morning, having enlisted in a time of peace, but they instantly transitioned to a war footing. 今天，在这个庄严纪念日临近之际，我们理应向9·11一代人十年来的非凡服务致敬——他们是在过去十年中穿过军装的超过五百万美国人。那个九月早晨，他们在岗值班，他们在和平时期入伍，但瞬间转入了战时状态。
They’re the millions of recruits who have stepped forward since, seeing their nation at war and saying, “Send me.” They’re every single soldier, sailor, airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman serving today, who has volunteered to serve in a time of war, knowing that they could be sent into harm’s way. 他们是此后挺身而出的数百万新兵，看到国家处于战争之中便说"派我去"。他们是今天服役的每一位士兵、水兵、飞行员、海军陆战队员和海岸警卫队员，他们自愿在战争时期服役，深知自己可能被派往危险之中。
They come from every corner of our country, big cities, small towns. They come from every background and every creed. They’re sons and daughters who carry on the family’s tradition of service, and they're new immigrants who’ve become our newest citizens. They’re our National Guardsmen and Reservists who've served in unprecedented deployments. They’re the record number of women in our military, proving themselves in combat like never before. And every day for the past 10 years, these men and women have succeeded together -- as one American team. 他们来自我国每一个角落，大城市、小城镇。他们来自各种背景、各种信仰。他们是传承家族服役传统的儿女，也是成为我国最新公民的新移民。他们是以前所未有的规模部署的国民警卫队员和预备役人员。他们是创纪录数量的军中女性，在战斗中以前所未有的方式证明了自己。在过去十年的每一天里，这些男女将士共同取得成功——作为一个美国团队。
They're a generation of innovators, and they’ve changed the way America fights and wins at wars. Raised in the age of the Internet, they’ve harnessed new technologies on the battlefield. They’ve learned the cultures and traditions and languages of the places where they served. Trained to fight, they’ve also taken on the role of diplomats and mayors and development experts, negotiating with tribal sheikhs, working with village shuras, partnering with communities. 他们是创新的一代，改变了美国作战和获胜的方式。在互联网时代长大的他们，在战场上驾驭了新技术。他们学习了服役地的文化、传统和语言。受过战斗训练的他们，同时也扮演了外交官、市长和发展专家的角色，与部落长老谈判，与村庄舒拉合作，与当地社区结成伙伴。
Young captains, sergeants, lieutenants -- they've assumed responsibilities once reserved for more senior commanders, and reminding us that in an era when so many other institutions have shirked their obligations, the men and women of the United States military welcome responsibility. 年轻的上尉、中士、中尉——他们承担了曾经只留给更高级别指挥官的职责，提醒我们：在一个许多其他机构都在逃避义务的时代，美国军队的男女将士主动迎接责任。
In a decade of war, they've borne an extraordinary burden, with more than 2 million of our service members deploying to the warzones. Hundreds of thousands have deployed again and again, year after year. Never before has our nation asked so much of our all-volunteer force -- that one percent of Americans who wears the uniform. 在十年的战争中，他们承受了非凡的重担，超过两百万军人被部署到战区。数十万人一次又一次、年复一年地被部署。我国从未对全志愿役部队——那穿军装的百分之一的美国人——提出过如此多的要求。
We see the scope of their sacrifice in the tens of thousands who now carry the scars of war, both seen and unseen -- our remarkable wounded warriors. We see it in our extraordinary military families who serve here at home -- the military spouses who hold their families together; the millions of military children, many of whom have lived most of their young lives with our nation at war and mom or dad deployed. 我们从数万名如今身带战争伤疤的人身上——无论可见还是不可见——看到了他们牺牲的范围，他们是我们出色的受伤战士。我们从在国内默默付出的军人家庭身上看到了这一点——维持家庭的军人配偶；数百万军人的孩子，其中许多人在国家处于战争、父母被部署的情况下度过了大部分年幼时光。
Most profoundly, we see the wages of war in those patriots who never came home. They gave their all, their last full measure of devotion, in Kandahar, in the Korengal, in Helmand, in the battles for Baghdad and Fallujah and Ramadi. Now they lay at rest in quiet corners of America, but they live on in the families who loved them and in a nation that is safer because of their service. And today we pay humble tribute to the more than 6,200 Americans in uniform who have given their lives in this hard decade of war. We honor them all. We are grateful for them. 最深刻的是，我们在那些再也没能回家的爱国者身上看到了战争的代价。他们在坎大哈、在科伦加尔、在赫尔曼德、在巴格达和费卢杰和拉马迪的战斗中献出了一切，献出了最后的全部忠诚。如今他们安息在美国安静的角落，但他们在爱他们的家庭中和一个因他们的服务而更安全的国家中继续活着。今天我们谦卑地向在这艰难战争十年中献出生命的六千二百多名美军致敬。我们铭记他们所有人。我们感激他们。
Through their service, through their sacrifice, through their astonishing record of achievement, our forces have earned their place among the greatest of generations. Toppling the Taliban in just weeks. Driving al Qaeda from the training camps where they plotted 9/11. Giving the Afghan people the opportunity to live free from terror. When the decision was made to go into Iraq, our troops raced across deserts and removed a dictator in less than a month. 通过他们的服务、他们的牺牲、他们令人惊叹的成就记录，我们的军队赢得了在历代最伟大军人中应有的地位。短短数周推翻塔利班。将基地组织赶出他们策划9·11的训练营。给予阿富汗人民免于恐怖的生活机会。当出兵伊拉克的决定做出时，我们的军队穿越沙漠，不到一个月便推翻了一个独裁者。
When insurgents, militias and terrorists plunged Iraq into chaos, our troops adapted, they endured ferocious urban combat, they reduced the violence and gave Iraqis a chance to forge their own future. 当叛乱分子、民兵和恐怖分子使伊拉克陷入混乱时，我们的军队适应了局势，他们经历了激烈的城市战斗，减少了暴力，给了伊拉克人塑造自己未来的机会。
When a resurgent Taliban threatened to give al Qaeda more space to plot against us, the additional forces I ordered to Afghanistan went on the offensive -- taking the fight to the Taliban and pushing them out of their safe havens, allowing Afghans to reclaim their communities and training Afghan forces. And a few months ago, our troops achieved our greatest victory yet in the fight against those who attacked us on 9/11 -- delivering justice to Osama bin Laden in one of the greatest intelligence and military operations in American history. 当重新崛起的塔利班威胁给基地组织更多空间来策划对我们的袭击时，我下令增派阿富汗的部队发起攻势——向塔利班发起进攻并将他们赶出安全避难所，让阿富汗人重新夺回社区并训练阿富汗安全部队。几个月前，我们的军队在打击9·11袭击者方面取得了迄今最大的胜利——在美国历史上最伟大的情报和军事行动之一中，将正义送到了本·拉登面前。
Credit for these successes, credit for this progress, belongs to all who have worn the uniform in these wars. Today we're honored to be joined by some of them. And I would ask all those who served this past decade -- the members of the 9/11 Generation -- to stand and accept the thanks of a grateful nation. 这些成功、这些进步的功劳，属于在这些战争中穿过军装的所有人。今天我们很荣幸有一些人与我们在一起。我想请所有在过去十年中服役的人——9·11一代的成员——站起来，接受一个感恩国家的感谢。
Thanks to these Americans, we’re moving forward from a position of strength. Having ended our combat mission in Iraq and removed more than 100,000 troops so far, we’ll remove the rest of our troops by the end of this year and we will end that war. 多亏了这些美国人，我们正从实力地位向前迈进。在结束伊拉克战斗任务并已撤回超过十万军队之后，我们将在今年年底前撤回剩余部队，结束那场战争。
Having put al Qaeda on the path to defeat, we won’t relent until the job is done. Having started to draw down our forces in Afghanistan, we’ll bring home 33,000 troops by next summer and bring home more troops in the coming years. As our mission transitions from combat to support, Afghans will take responsibility for their own security, and the longest war in American history will come to a responsible end. 在将基地组织推向失败之路后，我们不会松懈，直到任务完成。在开始从阿富汗撤军之后，我们将在明年夏天前带回三万三千名军人，并在未来几年带回更多。随着我们的任务从战斗转向支持，阿富汗人将承担自己的安全责任，美国历史上最漫长的战争将负责任地结束。
For our troops and military families who've sacrificed so much, this means relief from an unrelenting decade of operations. Today, fewer of our sons and daughters are serving in harm’s way. For so many troops who’ve already done their duty, we’ve put an end to the stop loss. And our soldiers can now look forward to shorter deployments. That means more time at home between deployments, and more time training for the full range of missions that they will face. 对于牺牲了如此多的军人和军属来说，这意味着从不间断的十年行动中得到喘息。今天，在危险中服役的儿女更少了。对于已经完成职责的众多军人，我们已经停止了"止损"强制延期服役。我们的士兵现在可以期待更短的部署时间。这意味着部署之间有更多在家的时间，以及更多时间训练以应对他们将面临的全部任务。
Indeed, despite 10 years of continuous war, it must be said -- America’s military is the best that it’s ever been. We saw that most recently in the skill and precision of our brave forces who helped the Libyan people finally break free from the grip of Moammar Qaddafi. And as we meet the test that the future will surely bring, including hard fiscal choices here at home, there should be no doubt: The United States of America will keep our military the best-trained, the best-led, the best-equipped fighting force in history. It will continue to be the best. 事实上，尽管经历了十年的持续战争，必须说——美国的军队是有史以来最好的。我们最近在英勇部队的技巧和精准中看到了这一点，他们帮助利比亚人民最终摆脱了卡扎菲的控制。当我们迎接未来必将带来的考验，包括国内艰难的财政抉择时，不应有任何疑问：美利坚合众国将使我们的军队保持史上训练最好、领导最好、装备最好的作战力量。它将继续是最好的。
Now, as today’s wars end, as our troops come home, we’re reminded once more of our responsibilities to all who have served. The bond between our forces and our citizens must be a sacred trust. And for me and my administration, upholding that trust is not just a matter of policy, it is not about politics; it is a moral obligation. That’s why my very first budget included the largest percentage increase to the VA budget in the past 30 years. So far, we’re on track to have increased funding for Veterans Affairs by 30 percent. 如今，随着今天的战争结束、我们的军人回国，我们再次被提醒对所有曾经服役的人的责任。我们的军队与公民之间的纽带必须是一种神圣的信任。对我来说和我的政府来说，维护这份信任不仅仅是政策问题，不是政治问题；这是道德义务。这就是为什么我的第一个预算就包含了过去三十年来退伍军人事务预算最大幅度的增长。到目前为止，我们正朝着将退伍军人事务拨款增长百分之三十的目标迈进。
And because we passed advanced appropriations, when Washington politics threatens to shut down the government, as it did last spring, the veterans' medical care that you count on was safe. 因为我们通过了预拨款法案，当华盛顿政治威胁要关闭政府时——就像去年春天那样——你们所依赖的退伍军人医疗是安全的。
And let me say something else about VA funding that you depend on. As a nation, we’re facing some tough choices as we put our fiscal house in order. But I want to be absolutely clear: We cannot, we must not, we will not, balance the budget on the backs of our veterans. As Commander-in-Chief, I won’t allow it. 关于你们所依赖的退伍军人事务拨款，我还要说一点。作为一个国家，在整顿财政秩序时我们面临一些艰难抉择。但我要绝对明确地说：我们不能、我们绝不能、我们不会在退伍军人身上平衡预算。作为总司令，我不会允许这种事发生。
With these historic investments, we’re making dramatic improvements to veterans' health care. We’re improving VA facilities to better serve our women veterans. We’re expanding outreach and care for our rural veterans, like those that I met during my recent visit to Cannon Falls, including two proud Legionnaires -- Tom Newman of Legion Post 620 in Hugo, and Joseph Kidd, Post 164 in Stewartville. Are they here right now? They're out there somewhere. That was a good lunch, by the way. 凭借这些历史性的投资，我们正在大幅改善退伍军人的医疗保健。我们正在改善退伍军人事务设施以更好地服务女性退伍军人。我们正在扩大对农村退伍军人的关怀和照顾，比如我在最近访问坎农福尔斯时遇到的那些人，包括两位骄傲的退伍军人——雨果市第620分会的汤姆·纽曼和斯图尔特维尔第164分会的约瑟夫·基德。他们现在在这里吗？他们在某个地方。顺便说一句，那顿午饭很不错。
For our Vietnam veterans, because we declared that three diseases are now presumed to be related to your exposure to Agent Orange, we’ve begun paying the disability benefits that you need. For our veterans of the Gulf War, we’re moving forward to address the nine infectious diseases that we declared are now presumed to be related to your service in Desert Storm. 对于我们的越南战争退伍军人，因为我们已宣布三种疾病被推定与你们接触橙剂有关，我们已开始支付你们所需的残疾福利。对于我们的海湾战争退伍军人，我们正在推进解决九种传染病的问题，这些疾病我们已宣布被推定与你们在沙漠风暴中的服役有关。
At the same time, our outstanding VA Secretary, Ric Shinseki, is working every day to build a 21st century VA. Many of our Vietnam vets are already submitting their Agent Orange claims electronically. Hundreds of you, from all wars, are requesting your benefits online. Thanks to the new “blue button” on the VA website, you can now share your personal health information with your doctors outside of the VA. And we’re making progress in sharing medical records between DOD and VA. We’re not there yet. I've been pounding on this thing since I came into office. 同时，我们出色的退伍军人事务部长瑞克·新关每天都在努力建设一个二十一世纪的退伍军人事务部。我们的许多越南战争退伍军人已经以电子方式提交橙剂索赔。来自所有战争的数百名退伍军人正在网上申请福利。多亏退伍军人事务网站上的新"蓝色按钮"功能，你们现在可以将个人健康信息与退伍军人事务部以外的医生共享。我们在国防部与退伍军人事务部之间共享医疗记录方面也正在取得进展。我们还没做到。自从我就职以来我一直在催促这件事。
We are going to stay on it, we're going to keep at it until our troops and our veterans have a lifetime electronic medical record that you can keep for your life. 我们会继续推进，我们会持续努力，直到我们的军人和退伍军人拥有终身的电子医疗记录，可以保存一生。
Of course, we’ve still got some work to do. We got to break the backlog of disability claims. I know that over the past year, the backlog has actually grown due to new claims from Agent Orange. But let me say this -- and I know Secretary Shinseki agrees -- when our veterans who fought for our country have to fight just to get the benefits that you’ve already earned, that’s unacceptable. So this is going to remain a key priority for us. 当然，我们还有一些工作要做。我们必须打破残疾理赔的积压。我知道在过去一年中，由于橙剂新增索赔，积压实际上增加了。但我要说的是——我知道新关部长也同意——当我们的退伍军人为了我们的国家而战，却还要为了获得自己已经挣得的福利而抗争，那是不可接受的。所以这仍将是我们的一项重点工作。
We’re going to keep hiring new claims processors, and we’re going to keep investing in new paperless systems and keep moving ahead with our innovation competition in which our dedicated VA employees are developing new ways to process your claims faster. We want your claims to be processed not in months, but in days. So the bottom line is this -- your claims need to be processed quickly and accurately, the first time. We’re not going to rest until we get that done. We will not rest. 我们将继续雇佣新的理赔处理员，继续投资新的无纸化系统，继续推进创新竞赛，让退伍军人事务部的敬业员工开发更快处理你们理赔的新方法。我们希望你们的理赔不是在几个月内处理完，而是在几天内。所以底线是——你们的理赔需要快速而准确地一次处理完毕。在完成这件事之前我们不会停歇。我们不会停歇。
The same is true for our mission to end homelessness among our veterans. Already, we’ve helped to bring tens of thousands of veterans off the streets. For the first time ever, we’ve made veterans and military families a priority -- not just at the VA, not just at DOD, but across the federal government. And that includes making sure that federal agencies are working together so that every veteran who fought for America has a home in America. 我们终结退伍军人无家可归的使命也是如此。我们已经帮助数万名退伍军人离开了街头。有史以来第一次，我们把退伍军人和军人家庭列为优先事项——不仅是在退伍军人事务部，不仅是在国防部，而是在整个联邦政府范围内。这包括确保各联邦机构协同工作，使每一位为美国而战的退伍军人在美国都有一个家。
We’re working to fulfill our obligations to our 9/11 Generation veterans, especially our wounded warriors. The constant threat of IEDs has meant a new generation of service members with multiple traumatic injuries, including Traumatic Brain Injury. And thanks to advanced armor and medical technologies, our troops are surviving injuries that would have been fatal in previous wars. So we’re saving more lives, but more American veterans live with severe wounds for a lifetime. That's why we need to be for them for their lifetime. 我们正在努力履行对9·11一代退伍军人的义务，特别是我们的受伤战士。简易爆炸装置的持续威胁意味着新一代军人承受了多重创伤性伤害，包括创伤性脑损伤。得益于先进的防护装备和医疗技术，我们的军人在以往战争中可能致命的伤害中存活下来。所以我们拯救了更多生命，但更多美国退伍军人要终身带着严重伤痛生活。这就是为什么我们需要终身陪伴他们。
We’re giving unprecedented support to our wounded warriors -- especially those with Traumatic Brain Injury. And thanks to the veterans and caregivers legislation I signed into law, we’ve started training caregivers so that they can receive the skills and the stipends that they need to care for their loved ones. 我们正在为受伤战士提供前所未有的支持——特别是那些患有创伤性脑损伤的人。得益于我签署的退伍军人和照料者法案，我们已开始培训照料者，使他们能够获得照顾亲人所需的技能和津贴。
We’re working aggressively to address another signature wound of this war, which has led to too many fine troops and veterans to take their own lives, and that’s Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. We’re continuing to make major investments -- improving outreach and suicide prevention, hiring and training more mental health counselors, and treating more veterans than ever before. 我们正在积极应对这场战争的另一个标志性伤害，它已导致太多优秀的军人和退伍军人结束自己的生命，那就是创伤后应激障碍。我们正在持续进行重大投入——改善宣传和自杀预防，雇佣和培训更多心理健康咨询师，治疗比以往更多的退伍军人。
The days when depression and PTSD were stigmatized -- those days must end. That’s why I made the decision to start sending condolence letters to the families of service members who take their lives while deployed in a combat zone. These Americans did not die because they were weak. They were warriors. They deserve our respect. Every man and woman in uniform, every veteran, needs to know that your nation will be there to help you stay strong. It’s the right thing to do. 抑郁症和创伤后应激障碍被污名化的日子——必须终结。这就是为什么我决定开始向在战区部署期间结束自己生命的军人家庭发送慰问信。这些美国人不是因为软弱而死去。他们是战士。他们值得我们的尊重。每一位穿军装的男女、每一位退伍军人都需要知道，你们的国家会在你们身边帮助你们保持坚强。这是正确的做法。
In recent months, we’ve heard new reports of some of our veterans not getting the prompt mental health care that they desperately need. And that, too, is unacceptable. If a veteran has the courage to seek help, then we need to be doing everything in our power to deliver the lifesaving mental care that they need. So Secretary Shinseki and the VA are going to stay on this. And we'll continue to make it easier for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress to qualify for VA benefits, regardless of the war that you served in. 最近几个月，我们听到了一些新的报告，一些退伍军人没有得到他们急需的及时心理健康护理。这同样是不可接受的。如果一位退伍军人有勇气寻求帮助，那么我们就需要竭尽所能提供他们所需的生命挽救性心理治疗。所以新关部长和退伍军人事务部将继续关注此事。我们还将继续让患有创伤后应激障碍的退伍军人更容易获得退伍军人福利，无论你在哪场战争中服役。
If you served in a combat theater and a VA doctor confirms a diagnosis of PTSD, that's enough. 如果你在战区服役，且退伍军人事务部医生确诊了创伤后应激障碍，那就足够了。
Which brings me to the final area where America must meet its obligations to our veterans, and this is a place where we need each other -- and that’s the task of renewing our nation’s economic strength. After a decade of war, it’s time to focus on nation building here at home. And our veterans, especially our 9/11 veterans, have the skills and the dedication to help lead the way. 这引出了美国必须履行对退伍军人义务的最后一个领域，这也是我们需要彼此的地方——那就是重建我国经济实力的任务。经历了十年的战争，是时候聚焦国内建设了。我们的退伍军人，尤其是9·11退伍军人，拥有引领前行的技能和奉献精神。
That’s why we’re funding the post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which is now helping more than 500,000 veterans and family members go to college, get their degrees, and play their part in moving America forward. It’s why, this fall, we’ll start including vocational training and apprenticeships as well, so veterans can develop the skills to succeed in today’s economy. And that’s why I’ve directed the federal government to hire more veterans, including more than 100,000 veterans in the past year and a half alone. 这就是为什么我们在资助9·11后退伍军人权利法案，该法案目前正在帮助超过五十万退伍军人和家庭成员上大学、获得学位，在推动美国前进中发挥自己的作用。这就是为什么今年秋天我们将开始纳入职业培训和学徒项目，让退伍军人发展在今天经济中取得成功所需的技能。这也是为什么我指示联邦政府雇佣更多退伍军人，仅在过去一年半就雇佣了超过十万名退伍军人。
But in this tough economy, far too many of our veterans are still unemployed. That’s why I’ve proposed a comprehensive initiative to make sure we’re tapping the incredible talents of our veterans. And it’s got two main parts. 但在当前困难的经济中，我们仍有太多退伍军人失业。这就是为什么我提出了一项综合计划，确保我们充分利用退伍军人令人难以置信的才能。这个计划有两个主要部分。
First, we’re going to do more to help our newest veterans find and get that private sector job. We’re going to offer -- we’re going to offer more help with career development and job searches. I’ve directed DOD and the VA to create what we’re calling a “reverse boot camp” to help our newest veterans prepare for civilian jobs and translate their exceptional military skills into industry -- into industry-accepted licenses and credentials. 首先，我们要做更多来帮助我们的新一代退伍军人找到并获得私营部门的工作。我们要提供——要提供更多职业发展和求职方面的帮助。我已指示国防部和退伍军人事务部创建我们所说的"逆向新兵训练营"，帮助我们的新一代退伍军人为平民工作做好准备，并将他们出色的军事技能转化为业界——转化为业界认可的执照和证书。
And today I’m calling on every state to pass legislation that makes it easier for our veterans to get the credentials and the jobs for which they are so clearly qualified. This needs to happen, and it needs to happen now. 今天我呼吁每个州通过立法，让我们的退伍军人更容易获得他们明显有资格胜任的证书和工作。这需要实现，而且需要现在就实现。
Second, we’re encouraging the private sector to do its part. So I’ve challenged companies across America to hire or train 100,000 unemployed veterans or their spouses. And this builds on the commitments that many companies have already made as part of the Joining Forces Campaign, championed by the First Lady and the Vice President’s spouse, Dr. Jill Biden: 100,000 jobs for veterans and spouses. 其次，我们鼓励私营部门尽自己的一份力量。所以我向全美各地的公司发起挑战，雇佣或培训十万名失业退伍军人或其配偶。这建立在许多公司已经做出的承诺之上，这些承诺是"加入力量"运动的一部分，由第一夫人和副总统配偶吉尔·拜登博士倡导：为退伍军人和配偶提供十万个就业岗位。
And to get this done, I’ve proposed a Returning Heroes Tax Credit for companies that hire unemployed veterans and a Wounded Warrior Tax Credit for companies that hire unemployed veterans with a disability. 为了实现这一目标，我提出了一项"归国英雄税收抵免"，面向雇佣失业退伍军人的公司，以及一项"受伤战士税收抵免"，面向雇佣有残疾的失业退伍军人的公司。
When Congress returns from recess, this needs to be at the top of their agenda. For the sake of our veterans, for the sake of our economy, we need these veterans working and contributing and creating the new jobs and industries that will keep America competitive in the 21st century. 当国会休会回来时，这需要成为他们议程的首要任务。为了我们的退伍军人，为了我们的经济，我们需要这些退伍军人工作、贡献，创造新的就业和产业，让美国在二十一世纪保持竞争力。
These are the obligations we have to each other -- our forces, our veterans, our citizens. These are the responsibilities we must fulfill. Not just when it’s easy, not just when we’re flush with cash, not just when it’s convenient, but always. 这些是我们对彼此的义务——对我们的军队、我们的退伍军人、我们的公民。这些是我们必须履行的责任。不是只在容易的时候，不是只在资金充裕的时候，不是只在方便的时候，而是始终如此。
That’s a lesson we learned again this year in the life and in the passing of Frank Buckles, our last veteran from the First World War. He passed away at the age of 110. Think about it. Frank lived the American Century. An ambulance driver on the Western Front, he bore witness to the carnage of the trenches in Europe. Then during the Second World War, he survived more than three years in Japanese prisoner of war camps. Then, like so many veterans, he came home, went to school, pursued a career, started a family, lived a good life on his farm in West Virginia. 这是今年我们在弗兰克·巴克尔斯的生命和逝去中再次学到的教训——我们最后一位一战退伍军人。他以一百一十岁高龄辞世。想一想。弗兰克活过了整个美国世纪。作为西线的一名救护车司机，他见证了欧洲战壕中的屠杀。然后在二战期间，他在日军战俘营中幸存了三年多。之后，像许多退伍军人一样，他回到家乡，上学，谋职，成家，在西弗吉尼亚的农庄上过着美好的生活。
Even in his later years, after turning 100, Frank Buckles still gave back to his country. He’d go speak to schoolchildren about his extraordinary life. He’d meet and inspire other veterans. And for 80 years, he served as a proud member of the American Legion. 即使在晚年，年过百岁之后，弗兰克·巴克尔斯仍在回报他的国家。他会去给学生们讲述他不平凡的人生。他会与其他退伍军人见面并激励他们。而作为美国退伍军人军团骄傲的一员，他服务了八十年。
The day he was laid to rest, I ordered the flags be flown at half-staff at the White House, at the government buildings across the nation, at our embassies around the world. As Frank Buckles lay in honor at Arlington’s memorial chapel, hundreds passed by his flag-draped casket in quiet procession. Most were strangers who never knew him, but they knew the story of his service, and they felt compelled to offer their thanks to this American soldier. 在他安葬之日，我下令白宫、全国政府建筑以及我国驻全球大使馆降半旗。当弗兰克·巴克尔斯的灵柩在阿灵顿纪念教堂受人瞻仰时，数百人在安静队列中经过他覆着国旗的灵柩。大多数是素不相识的陌生人，但他们知道他服役的故事，他们感到有义务向这位美国士兵表达感谢。
And that afternoon, I had the privilege of going over to Arlington and spending a few moments with Frank’s daughter, Susannah, who cared for her father to the very end. And it was a chance for me to convey the gratitude of an entire nation and to pay my respects to an American who reflected the best of who we are as a people. 那天下午，我有幸前往阿灵顿，与弗兰克的女儿苏珊娜度过了片刻时光，她一直照料父亲到最后。这让我有机会传达整个国家的感激，向一位体现了我们作为人民最优秀品质的美国人致敬。
And, Legionnaires, it was a reminder -- not just to the family and friends of Corporal Frank Buckles, but to the veterans and families of every generation -- no matter when you serve, no matter how many years ago that you took off the uniform, no matter how long you live as a proud veteran of this country we love, America will never leave your side. America will never forget. We will always be grateful to you. 退伍军人们，这也是一个提醒——不仅仅是给弗兰克·巴克尔斯下士的家人和朋友，而是给每一代退伍军人和家属——无论你何时服役，无论你脱下军装已经多少年，无论你作为这个我们所热爱的国家的骄傲退伍军人活了多久，美国永远不会离开你身边。美国永远不会忘记。我们将永远感激你们。
God bless you. God bless all our veterans. And God bless the United States of America. 愿上帝保佑你们。愿上帝保佑我们所有的退伍军人。愿上帝保佑美利坚合众国。
