President Obama is winding down the war in Afghanistan, but the casualties continue. So on Tuesday afternoon, he made the first trip of his second term, and the 12th of his presidency, to visit wounded service men and women at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
The White House, as usual, put out little information about the visit, because it considers the visits private moments between the wounded service men and women and their commander-in chief. But during more than an hour, it said, Mr. Obama met with 16 service members รข€" 10 soldiers, five Marines and one member of the NATO coalition forces.
At the hospital, he awarded two Purple Hearts and participated in a promotion ceremony. Among the few aides who accompanied Mr. Obama was the White House photographer, Pete Souza, who photographs the meetings to make copies for the wounded and their families.
