[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 134 (Thursday, September 22, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 WE SHOULD EXAMINE OUR DEFENSE POLICIES

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                              HON. JON KYL

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 22, 1994

  Mr. KYL. Mr. Speaker, we often debate the defense budget and foreign 
policy as abstract topics which do not relate to the lives of the 
people in our districts. However, the relevance of these topics to at 
least one family in Arizona was reported Monday night in Phoenix by 
Alisa Becerra of the channel 10 news. In that report, the mother of 
Pvt. Christopher Donahue recounted the emotional rollercoaster ridden 
by her family while her son was deployed to Somalia in May 1993, and 
then returned to the United States in March, and has now left for the 
mission in Haiti.
  In response to this repeated call to arms for her son and thousands 
of other young Americans, Mrs. Donahue asked, ``Is there no other army 
to pull from in this whole world? They have to have the same boys that 
were just in Somalia?''
  Unfortunately, when we repeatedly fail to adequately fund our 
national security requirements, while at the same time expanding our 
commitments abroad, we are not just threatening our defense 
capabilities, we are placing an excessive and unnecessary burden on the 
courageous men and women who volunteer to serve us in the U.S. 
military. In fact, we're so short on manpower that Secretary Perry had 
to place on alert 1,600 reservists.
  Before we send thousands of our finest young troops on yet another 
ill-defined mission, we should give the needs of our personnel more 
complete consideration.

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