Friday, January 20th 2017
WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — The Salute Our Armed Services inaugural ball was a star-studded affair on Friday evening, literally, with hundreds of military service members from four-star generals to cadets, to police officer and fire fighters.
Trump arrived at the ball around 11 p.m., to a rousing applause. “You are special people. You are great people. I have your back. We are going to do great things for our country,” Trump told the crowd. Troops deployed in Afghanistan, at the Bagram Air Base were hooked up to the event via satellite and gave their congratulations to their new Commander in Chief.
Prior to the ball, President Donald Trump met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the heads of each military service branch. According to Adm. John Richardson, Chief of the Navy, the discussions allowed the new Commander in Chief and the heads of military get to know one another. More serious talks will follow, he assured.
The Senate also confirmed Gen. James Mattis to be Secretary of Defense, and Gen. John Kelly to be the Secretary of Homeland Security. “The generals get approved first. Maybe that’s the way its supposed to be,” Trump said.
Amid the crowds of hundreds of service members, veterans, first responders, and their families, was a who’s who of Trump’s national security team.
Gen. John Kelly, was just confirmed as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security earlier this afternoon. He told Sinclair Broadcast Group, “I am am absolutely thrilled and honored to once again be serving the nation.”
As the Trump presidency gets underway in the coming weeks, Kelly is most excited about “getting to know the quarter-million professionals in the Department of Homeland Security.”
Gen. Mattis was surrounded by admiring service members, and received an overwhelming applause when Donald Trump announced his successful confirmation.
The military ball is one of only three inaugural balls that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended, a decision that has sent a message to the attendees of the event. That message is that the new president will make the military a priority.
“Of all the hats worn by President Trump, I think the one he is most proud to wear is Commander in Chief,” Reggie Ashe, retired Air Force Col. and master of ceremonies said to a cheering crowd.
Matt Miller, who is also an armed services liaison to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, further underscored the importance of the event to to the new president.
“Veterans and the military are certainly important to Mr. Trump and are important to the nation, so we sought to honor them as one of three official balls,” Miller said as he was setting an honorary empty table for POW-MIAs, prisoners of war and warriors who went missing in action.
This year’s military ball is unique in that President Trump extended invitations to the country’s first responders. Amid a sea of military dress uniforms, police officers and fire fighters, the nation’s first responders. The reason they were included, “We are all public servants, serving the nations,” said Miller.
David Roberts, chairman of the Deleware State Fire Prevention Commission was grateful that the new president included first responders.
“I think that its very exciting that we are all being included, becuase we protect the citizens of the United States, whether its a paid fire service or a volunteer fire service, or our police departments or our armed forces,” Roberts explained.
“Our military–morale, infrastructure, hardware, has been neglected over the last eight years. I think President Trump is focused on that and I believe he will make a difference. And I truly believe our men and women in uniform believe he will make a difference,” he said.
Later this evening President Trump will deliver brief remarks at the Salute Our Armed Forces Ball. After the comments, two service members have been selected to dance with President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump
http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/service-members-salute-trump-at-armed-services-inaugural-ball
