Interview With Sergeant Brian Buckwalter of the Pentagon Channel

Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Washington, DC July 6, 2007

QUESTION: I just want to thank you very much, Secretary Rice --

SECRETARY RICE: A pleasure.

QUESTION: -- for taking a few moments to come out and talk with us. I know that most of the time, you're talking about foreign policy when you're on camera,but I understand you're an avid sports fan. Can you tell -- is that what brings you out here today?

SECRETARY RICE: I am a really avid sports fan and I love just about anythingwith a score at the end. And I took up golf a couple of years ago and so I'mreally excited about that. But I wanted to come out for this tournament because it's a very special tournament for Tiger Woods and all of these great golfers and the PGA tour to really put together an event that honors our troops, honors their service, honors their (inaudible) self-sacrifice. That's really why I wanted to come out and I have met some great golfers, but I've also spent sometime with some of our wounded warriors and with our Special Forces guys justback from deployment, so it’s been great.

QUESTION: It's been going well, then?

SECRETARY RICE: It's been going wonderfully. It's a great way to spend an afternoon.

QUESTION: Wonderful. Now I know that because of this, is there -- do you get asense of a different energy from both the players and the crowd, because this is mostly for our troops?

SECRETARY RICE: Oh, you just feel the energy here and you feel the respect andyou feel the admiration and really, the dedication of our forces is just really appreciated by the American people and this is a sign of how much the Americanpeople are backing and supporting our troops.

QUESTION: Let's talk about that a little bit. How do events like this actuallyshow support for the troops?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, you have all of these people out here and I have not seen a person out here who -- when they see somebody in uniform pass by, they thankthem for what they're doing. That makes a real difference for the country,because I sometimes -- I know that our troops know that they're being supported, but it's also important for the American people to have a way to show that support. We all know that there's great sacrifice; we all know that nothing of value is ever won without sacrifice.

But we know it's hard on families, long deployments in very, very tough places, losing comrades, I know that. But when you have a day like today and people come out and say, "Thank you," I hope that our men and women abroad know that that's really the way the country feels.

QUESTION: And now as you travel all over the world, you do get a chance to meet with some of the troops.

SECRETARY RICE: Yes, I do.

QUESTION: Is there one thing that's stuck out in your mind as you've met with these troops over the last few years?

SECRETARY RICE: What's stuck out in my mind is that these are volunteers, thatour men and women in uniform are volunteering to serve this country, they'vevolunteering to give of their all. And they're doing it, I think, because theybelieve in freedom, they believe in defending this country. And this countryhas given us all so much and we all give back in our own way, but our men and women in uniform are really giving back and that's what sticks with me, isthese great volunteers across the world.

QUESTION: And finally, Secretary Rice, just between you and me, 2008 rollsaround, NFL Commissioner or LPGA, where are you going?

SECRETARY RICE: Oh, then? Well, I might be a little short of the game for the LPGA. I may have to work a little longer at that, but I'll go back to Stanford. And it's been great to see Tiger Woods again. The last time I saw Tiger Woods,we were at a Stanford-Duke basketball game and Stanford hit the buzzer beater to beat number-one ranked Duke that night. So I'll go back to Stanford andwatch a lot of sports.

QUESTION: Wonderful. Well, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us, Secretary Rice.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you very much and thank you for your service and thankyou to the Pentagon for the America Supports You campaign and thank you to allthe men and women in uniform out there. The country really admires you. Thanksa lot.

(Applause.)

Released on July 9, 2007

ENDS