Vice President Dick Cheney made another campaign stop in Colorado on Monday, but he only spoke to a select few.

Cheney told nearly 1,000 military personnel Monday the Bush administration is "doing everything" it can to protect the nation against terrorists and other threats.

"I am grateful to stand before so many who defend our homeland so well," Cheney told the camouflage-clad airmen and a handful of civilians gathered in a hangar. "Your mission here is nothing less than the defense of America's land, sea and air space."

Cheney, who has been campaigning throughout the West, was addressing members of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U.S. Northern Command, which was set up here to coordinate the military response to North American threats following the Sept. 11 attacks.

"It's been almost three years since the terrorists brought war to our homeland," Cheney said. "We saw a foe whose hate for us is limitless. This is, to put it simply, an enemy we must vanquish. And we will vanquish this enemy."

He added: "President Bush is determined to remove threats before they arrive ... All Americans can be certain we are doing everything we can to protect this nation."

It was Cheney's sixth visit since last fall to a state that has two congressional seats being left open by the retirement of Republicans.

Cheney will also be attending a Bush-Cheney rally in Golden on Wednesday. It will be at 5 p.m. in the Rodeo Arena at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

In June, Cheney spoke to 300 workers and their families at Adam Aircraft in Englewood about the economy. He said voters should reject any suggestion to roll back tax cuts.

Colorado, which has two open congressional seats, has been getting more attention this election year. Both President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry have been running ads in the state in an effort to capture its nine electoral votes in November's election.

In the meantime, Kerry continues his bus tour, stopping in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Milwaukee. The Democratic presidential candidate and his running mate Sen. John Edwards plan to unveil their new book soon, titled "Our Plan for America: Stronger at Home, Respected in the World."