HONOLULU — President Obama for the first time used his Christmas Day visit to the troops to talk about the end of America’s longest war.
“We’ve been in continuous war now for over 13 years,†Mr. Obama told troops gathered in the mess hall at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. “Next week we will be ending our combat mission in Afghanistan.â€
“Hurrah!†one service member shouted.
Mr. Obama continued, “Because of the extraordinary service of the men and women in the armed forces, Afghanistan has a chance to rebuild its own country.â€
The president, with his wife, Michelle, visited service members at the military base, not far from their vacation home in Kailua. It has become an annual tradition for the Obamas, who spend two weeks vacationing in Hawaii — where the president spent much of his childhood — each holiday season.
Still, the Afghanistan withdrawal has not been simple. Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the United States would keep roughly 1,000 more troops than originally planned in Afghanistan through early 2015, in part because the NATO force there is not big enough to train the Afghan military. About 5,500 American troops are expected to still be stationed there at the end of 2015.
Mrs. Obama, who has made a priority of addressing military families’ issues, also thanked the troops in a joint Christmas radio address with her husband.
“As our troops continue to transition back home — back to our businesses, our schools, our congregations and our communities — it’s up to all of us to serve them as well as they have served us,†she said.
The Obamas and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, spent Christmas morning opening presents at home. Later, they joined friends at Bellows Air Force Station in Oahu for some time on the secluded beach there.
On Christmas Eve, Mr. Obama called troops stationed overseas to thank them for their service, White House officials said, and Mrs. Obama answered calls from children asking about Santa Claus’s location as part of the Norad Tracks Santa program.
“He is going to be at your house as soon as you’re fast asleep,†the first lady told one 7-year-old named Caroline. “That’s how this works.â€
Mr. Obama’s vacation has been interrupted several times by issues he has been forced to address, including the murder of two New York City police officers last week and the disruptive cyberattack on Sony Pictures that the United States has blamed on North Korea. There has also been fallout from his decision to open diplomatic relations with Cuba.
During a Christmas Eve round of golf with Najib Razak, the prime minister of Malaysia, a reporter asked the president if he planned to see “The Interview,†the Sony comedy that is believed to have inspired the cyberattack. The studio had canceled its Christmas Day release after terrorist threats against theaters, but later reversed that decision.
Mr. Obama, who had said that Sony was wrong to pull the movie, smiled and thought for a moment. “I’m glad it’s being released,†he said.
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