President george w. bush’s speech to the troops on the uss abraham lincoln our mission continues. al-qaida is wounded, not destroyed. the scattered cells of the terrorist network still operate in many nations, and we know from daily intelligence that they continue to plot against free people. the proliferation of deadly weapons remains a serious danger. the enemies of freedom are not idle, and neither are we. our government has taken unprecedented measures to defend the homeland — and we will continue to hunt down the enemy before he can strike. the war on terror is not over, yet it is not endless. we do not know the day of final victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide. no act of the terrorists will change our purpose, or weaken our resolve, or alter their fate. their cause is lost. free nations will press on to victory. other nations in history have fought in foreign lands and remained to occupy and exploit. americans, following a battle, want nothing more than to return home. and that is your direction tonight. after service in the afghan and iraqi theaters of war — after 100,000 miles, on the longest carrier deployment in recent history — you are homeward bound. some of you will see new family members for the first time — 150 babies were born while their fathers were on the lincoln. your families are proud of you, and your nation will welcome you. how does the sentence “americans, following a battle, want nothing more than to return home” support the central idea of the speech? it furthers the notion that americans want nothing to do with a war against terrorists. it supports the idea that american troops will not occupy another country after defeating the enemy. it supports the point that the war is an ongoing effort that cannot be won overnight. it contributes to the notion that being a soldier is physically and emotionally demanding work.