FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (WTVF) — Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance visited Fort Campbell Wednesday for an early Thanksgiving celebration, serving meals to soldiers and sharing a message of gratitude for their service.
The Second Family helped serve food to troops before sitting down to eat alongside them. Vance then addressed hundreds of soldiers and dignitaries in a hangar, with musician Kid Rock providing the introduction.
"I know it's not a day for politics but I do hope to call him our 48th President one day," Kid Rock said before introducing Vance to the stage.
Before beginning his formal remarks, Vance addressed a shooting involving two National Guard service members near the White House, asking the crowd to pray for the victims' recovery so they could spend Thanksgiving with their families.
The Vice President focused much of his speech on thanking Fort Campbell soldiers for their sacrifices. "We're here to celebrate, not just the United States Army – we're here to celebrate each and every one of you," Vance said.
Vance defended the Trump administration's emphasis on fitness and appearance standards for service members, criticizing the previous administration for allowing those standards to decline. "We believe in your mission so much that we know that you guys can meet the highest standards in the world. And when you look to your left and to your right, we want you to know you're serving with the very best and very brightest this nation has to offer," Vance said.
The Vice President also criticized past presidential administrations from both parties for sending military members to war without clear objectives."We went and sent you off to battle without a clear mission and that is something this president and this administration is never going to do. If we ask you to go off and do something, if we ask our soldiers to risk their lives to defend the country — what I promise you is we're only going to do it with a clear mission and clear guidelines," Vance said.
Vance concluded his remarks by praising the troops' capabilities and thanking them for their service. "Never forget that the most deadly weapon anywhere in the world -- it's not about technology, it's not about what you're holding in your hands -- it's about what's up here. You are the most dangerous weapon anywhere in the world and America is counting on it to keep us safe. Happy Thanksgiving soldiers and thank you for having me," Vance said.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@newschannel5.com.
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