President Bush yesterday stuck to a crowd he's comfortable with — the U.S. military — spending the morning with troops and commanders on a rare visit to Hawai'i after a six-day trip to Southeast Asia.

The president had breakfast with about 300 troops at the Hickam Air Force Base officer's club — thanking the assembled members of all five branches for their service and recognizing the supreme sacrifice made by those with ties to the Islands who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While facing growing debate over the course of the Iraq war, Bush said "we resolve to honor their sacrifice by completing the mission for which they gave their lives."

The president told the Hawai'i troops they serve at a time "when we witness an ideological struggle between those who love freedom and those who hate freedom."

"We'll succeed," Bush added later. "And when we do, generations of Americans will look back on this period and say, 'Thank God the United States had such men and women of character at the beginning of the 21st century.' "

Bush and first lady Laura Bush had eggs and biscuits and gravy at the buffet-style breakfast.

"How are you all? Nice to meet you," the president said as he patted one service member on the back. The couple received applause and a standing ovation when they arrived and left.

Later, among some of the more than 100 service members who were selected to be present on the Hickam flightline for the departure, there was praise for Bush.

Senior Airwoman Margaret Verica, 23, from Cocoa Beach, Fla., said it was "awesome" to shake the hands of the president and first lady and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"It was so nice for them to come here and see us and show us that they do support what we do," Verica said. "There were a lot of thank-yous, and that was cool."

Verica, who works in Hickam's command post, said she supports the Bush administration.

"My entire family has been in the military, so it's my turn to serve," she said. "I support the president wholeheartedly."

Airman 1st Class Ignacio Martinez, 20, of Orlando, Fla., said "Bush was reaching out to the whole crowd. People were all crowded up, and he was reaching out to the (people in the) back."

"It's a great honor, a great opportunity to come out here, see the president, see the leader of our country," Martinez said.

SHOOTING CONDEMNED

Bush yesterday also took the opportunity to condemn the shooting death of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, an anti-Syrian politician, who died yesterday in an ambush in Beirut, raising tensions in the politically divided nation.

"We strongly condemn the assassination in Lebanon of Pierre Gemayel. We support the (government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora) and its democracy, and we support the Lebanese people's desire to live in peace, and we support their efforts to defend their democracy against attempts by Syria, Iran and allies to foment instability and violence in that important country," Bush said.

He called for a full investigation.

The president's Honolulu stop came at the end of a Southeast Asia trip, which Bush said gave him the chance to discuss with Pacific leaders "the common threat of terrorism, the common threat of pandemic outbreaks and the common threat of North Korea's nuclear weapons program."

After the breakfast, he received a briefing from U.S. Pacific Command officials at Camp Smith, and Laura Bush met with Radford High School students and some military spouses.

Adm. William Fallon, who heads U.S. Pacific Command, said the visit "was a great opportunity for us to showcase our people to the president."

The president was excited by what he saw in Vietnam, Fallon said.

"He thinks the country is changing. They've certainly picked up on capitalism, and he thinks they are picking up on democracy as well," Fallon said.

SECURITY HEAVY

The Bushes and Rice arrived at Hickam at 5:25 p.m. on Monday and left for Washington, D.C., on Air Force One at about 10 a.m. yesterday.

Their overnight stay and trip from Hickam to Camp Smith provided for some at least a glimpse of the presidential motorcade. No public appearances were held.

The president's first visit was in 2003. Traffic yesterday morning was temporarily halted on stretches of the H-1 and Moanalua freeways and adjacent roadways for the motorcade to pass.

On Hickam and at the Makalapa headquarters of U.S. Pacific Fleet, where the Bushes stayed the night, groups of a dozen or fewer people gathered intermittently to cheer the presidential party, but the turnout was not large.

Security was heavy, with an armored Humvee with a turret-mounted machine gun guarding the street where the Bushes stayed, HPD snipers were in place and there was a large contingent of Secret Service agents.

Only a few signs were visible, including one held by a woman at Makalapa — along with several small American flags — that said, "We support the president."

Near Camp Smith, a young man held another sign reading, "World's No. 1 terrorist, Bush." More than a dozen Honolulu police, Secret Service agents and U.S. military personnel were arrayed behind the protester.

During Bush's stop in Indonesia on Monday, nearly 10,000 protesters turned out. He also visited Vietnam and Singapore.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.