Remarks on Presenting the Commander in Chief's Trophy to the United States Air Force Academy Falcons

Good morning. Thank you all for coming. It's my honor to welcome you all to the White House. I want to thank the generals who are here and the members of the congressional delegation that have come. Most of all, I want to welcome Coach DeBerry and the Fighting Falcons of the United States Air Force Academy.

It is my honor to present the Commander in Chief's Trophy, which recognizes gridiron supremacy amongst our Nation's service academies. The Falcons' record of success in service academy football is truly stellar. They won this trophy 10 of the last 12 years, 14 times overall. The seniors on this team completed their careers with a 37-12 record. It's the next-to-best record of any group of seniors in academy history, and I want to congratulate you all.

I know you all take special pride in your coach. He's got an outstanding record, as well. This is the 12th time in 17 seasons under Coach DeBerry that the Falcons have won the Commander in Chief's Trophy.

I thought it was interesting that the first time he brought his seniors to the White House was in 1986. Ronald Reagan was still the President; the Berlin Wall still stood; windows were something that you washed. [Laughter]

As Coach DeBerry reminded everyone at last year's White House ceremony, Presidents come and go, but coaches do not have term limits. [Laughter] Coach, a word of caution—[laughter]—winning this trophy is supposed to be a struggle, not a hobby. [Laughter] And the truth is, if you spend any more time in Washington, the folks back in Colorado Springs are going to start saying you're out of touch. [Laughter]

I love Coach DeBerry's motto: Faith, family, and Falcons. This is a man who has his priorities straight. And they must be, because he's not just recruiting football talent; he's recruiting character. He's not just recruiting to win football games; he's recruiting to win our Nation's wars, if we have one.

These seniors know that conference titles, bowl victories, and trophies are not nearly as important as the solemn oath they will take in just a few weeks as newest officers in the world's finest Air Force. Today we honor the history that you've made on the playing field. But we look forward to even more of the history you will make serving our Nation.

Coach DeBerry, if the past is prologue, I suspect you, too, will have a bright future. And you've got an opener next season with another team that recently visited the White House, the mighty Oklahoma Sooners. And my hope is that you try to soften them up a bit before they play the Texas teams. [Laughter]

But it's my honor to congratulate you, and congratulations in advance for the service you will render to our fabulous Nation.

God bless.