WASHINGTON (AP) - After a week of dramatic military gains in Afghanistan, President Bush is again preaching patience, cautioning that the fight against terrorism will take time. "We have made a good start in Afghanistan, yet there is still much more to be done," Bush was to tell troops at Fort Campbell in Kentucky on Wednesday. "The most difficult steps in this mission still lie ahead." As the nation entered the Thanksgiving holiday, Bush was to express his gratitude to troops at home and abroad in a speech to more than 10,000 soldiers. Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Division, a rapid-deployment air assault division. No deployment orders for the division have been announced, but the installation has been on high alert since Sept. 11. "Our nation and the world are counting on them," Bush was to say. "They are making us secure and they are making us proud." Bush and first lady Laura Bush were to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal with the troops and their families, and then offer a progress report on the military campaign. Later they were to head to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland for the weekend. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was traveling to Fort Bragg, N.C., home of the Army Special Operations Command, on Wednesday to receive a briefing on special operations and to talk with troops. The military base appearances by Bush and Rumsfeld mark a hawkish end of a work week that has focused largely on humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, on treatment of women there and on respect for Muslims celebrating Ramadan. Battlefield successes have surprised even the administration. Three-quarters of Afghan territory is no longer in Taliban control, according to the Pentagon's estimate. Aides said they are now guarding against overconfidence and impatience as the military continues the difficult search for Osama bin Laden and senior members of his al-Qaida terrorist network. "I want people in America to understand that, first of all, the theater in Afghanistan is entering a difficult period of time," Bush said Tuesday. "We could be there for quite a while, which is fine because we've got an objective in mind, and we'll stay there until we get our objective."