ABSTRACT
On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush addressed the nation from aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, concluding with remarks to the servicemen and servicewomen, in which he implored:
All of you-all in this generation of our military-have taken up the highest calling of history. You’re defending our country, and protecting the innocent from harm. And wherever you go, you carry a message of hope-a message that is ancient and ever new. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, “To the captives, ‘come out’—and to those in darkness, ‘be free.’ ”1
As the commander in chief of the armed forces, President Bush had the job of defining the role of the military in promoting U.S. national security objectives. The objective of the U.S. military, Bush told the crew of the Abraham Lincoln, was to promote freedom, democracy, and other American values throughout the world.
