With 10 days left in office, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld bade a sometimes emotional farewell to Pentagon employees Friday and predicted that the period since he took office nearly six years ago would eventually be seen as one of "enormous challenge and historic consequence."

Asked how he wants history to remember him, he said simply, "Better than the local press."

With a couple of dozen troops from each military service and a few civilian Pentagon employees seated behind him on stage in the Pentagon's main auditorium, Mr. Rumsfeld spoke to an audience of several hundred people. With a broad grin, he strode into the room to a cascade of applause and a few approving yelps.

"I suspect this will be among my last public remarks as secretary of defense," he said. His last full day will be Dec. 17.