In his Aug. 31 speech from the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Barack Obama declared the end of the American combat mission in Iraq.

"Tonight I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over," he said in his primetime address.

As for the 50,000 American troops still stationed in Iraq?

"Consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, all U.S. troops will leave by the end of next year."

His 17-minute speech also touched on the war in Afghanistan and the sluggish U.S. economy, but was clearly centered around the milestone in Iraq.

Obama may have surprised some by mentioning George W. Bush:

"This afternoon, I spoke to former President George W. Bush. It's well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset. Yet no one could doubt President Bush's support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security."

Obama peppered the speech with tributes to the men and women who actually fought this seven-and-a-half year war:

"Our troops are the steel in our ship of state. And though our nation may be traveling through rough waters, they give us confidence that our course is true, and that beyond the pre-dawn darkness, better days lie ahead," Obama declared, right before the speech's close.

Read more about Obama's presidential address at PoliticsDaily.com.