This celebration of the Commissioner's award ceremony at U.S. Customs and Border Protection is special for many reasons. First, since March 1, 2003, we are all part of the new Department of Homeland Security. Second, this is the first Commissioner's Award Ceremony of this unified border agency within the new Department. We are now an agency that embodies what Secretary Ridge has called "One Face at the Border", which is a unified border agency - one agency of the U.S. government to manage, control and secure our Nation's borders.

But this event is most important because the employees we are here to honor have shown us in countless different ways that the traits we identify as uniquely American - initiative, adaptability, innovation, and unflagging, dogged determination - can still prevail bureaucratic rivalries, outmoded thinking, and resistance to change. At CBP they have prevailed. I see it every day - at headquarters and in the field.

In the days and months following 9/11, the men and women responsible for protecting our homeland have proved what generations of Americans before them have shown us to be true: that what distinguishes the American character in times of adversity is the brave and immediate instinct of our citizens to come together as one when their nation calls.

We saw this in New York City following the attacks of 9/11. And we've seen the same kind of unity emerge over the past 10 months at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The mission of protecting the homeland unites us all. The mission of preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering our country unites us like no other mission. It is our priority mission and there is no more important mission. And it has galvanized and forged CBP into one agency, into one team.

The creation of the Department of Homeland Security is monumental for many reasons. But one reason is that for the first time in our Nation's history, all entities with significant border responsibility have been unified and brought together as U.S. Customs and Border Protection - "A New and United Frontline". It is a frontline that keeps terrorists and terrorist weapons out of our country, yet one that ensures the economic security of our nation by facilitating legitimate trade and travel. With the creation of CBP, we are more effective protecting our Nation, and by protecting and securing its borders against terrorism - we are making America safer and more secure.

I know that change is difficult and that it requires sacrifice. The changes our employees have faced have, in some cases, transformed their lives, altering their vision of the future and their place in it.

But time after time, individual employees have assumed new responsibilities during the transition from a legacy agency to CBP, even when it meant setting aside their own interests in the interest of the nation.

They, and their families, have dealt with the unexpected in ways we have now come to expect of the men and women fighting on the frontlines of a new and unconventional war against international terrorism.

Our mission at CBP remains one of the most important this nation has ever embraced - to protect our homeland, to detect and prevent terrorists and instruments of terror -- yes, even weapons of mass destruction from entering our country.

At CBP, our frontline - our CBP Officers, CBP's Border Patrol Agents, and those who support them are the best in the world.

Besides our frontline, CBP personnel:

• Help me manage the budget,
• Guarantee the collection of duties and tariffs - more that 24 billion dollars last year,
• Provide mission support - in assuring facilities and logistics, procurement, the personnel issues - our own agency, personnel department, information technology, and laboratory service. Our Frontline Officers
• Greet legitimate international travelers with courtesy and professionalism, yet ensure that those wishing us harm do not enter our country and that illegal drugs and dangerous materials are seized.
• Apprehend illegal entrants at and between our ports of entry - 1 million people arrested last year - on average 3,000/day;
• Seize illegal drugs and other contraband and arrest the smugglers - 2.2 million pounds of illegal drugs were seized by CBP Frontline Officers last year - that is on average over 6 thousand pounds a day!
• Create new technologies to improve our targeting and analysis, improve and expand our detection equipment and capabilities;
• You protect the nation's food supply, and American agriculture;
• Guard against bioterrorism, and chemical and agroterrorism;
• Keeping a watchful and protective eye on our borders, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week;

And that is to name just some of the great things our men and women do!

As your Commissioner, I understand what you are up against.

And I also know that, every day, many of you put your lives on the line to protect our homeland from criminal drug smugglers and potential terrorists whose commitment to destroying our freedoms and way of life will never be as powerful as your commitment at CBP to preserving them.

On more than 7,000 miles of land border, almost 11,000 agents of the U.S. Border Patrol face arduous challenges and real risk -- every day and night they report for work.

For the Border Patrol, this is standard operating procedure. But in the last 10 months and during the recent Orange threat level, since they became part of Customs and Border Protection, these men and women have pushed themselves beyond anyone's expectations.

The same is true of their fellow Frontline CBP officers at our Nation's 300-plus ports of entry.

Today, we are one agency, fueled by the kinds of achievements we celebrate today, and distinguished by the extraordinary courage and sacrifices of our people.

It has been an honor to serve as your Commissioner, and to meet so many talented and dedicated men and women who have come from U.S. Customs, the Border Patrol, Immigration, frontline inspectors and the Department of Agriculture border inspectors to build this new, great agency.

During today's awards ceremony, we will only be able to focus on a handful of individuals who have made very specific contributions to CBP during 2003-but I want all of our employees at headquarters and in the field to know that each one of you has won my confidence, my respect and my admiration. Thank you all.