[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 135 (Friday, September 23, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                             {time}   1010
 
                        COMMENTS ON THE CITADEL

  (Mr. BUYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, this week's Army Times quotes administration 
officials who think that the ROTC units at the Citadel, the military 
college of South Carolina are so hostile to women that graduates will 
be unable to adapt to today's military.
  This is outrageous and preposterous.
  The Citadel and Virginia Military Institute offer a unique, military 
liberal arts education in a single gender environment. The concept of 
duty, honor, country is stressed in the classroom, on the people field, 
in the barracks, and on the athletic fields.
  The mission of the Citadel is to prepare citizen-soldiers, a concept 
that dates back to Cincinnatus. By requiring all Citadel cadets to 
enroll in ROTC, regardless of whether they pursue a commission or not, 
guarantees that all Citadel graduates are prepared to serve their 
country if called upon to do so.
  Since 1842, the Citadel has produced citizen-soldiers who have served 
this Nation gallantly in peace and war. There have been 112 general and 
flag officers who were Citadel graduates. These include 2 four star 
generals and 15 lieutenant generals. There are two Citadel graduates in 
this House, and one in the Senate. Alvah Chapman, Citadel Class of 
1942, chairman of the board for Knight-Ridder News Service, was asked 
by former President George Bush to lead the cleanup effort following 
Hurricane Andrew. Service is a way of life for Citadel graduates.

  This past summer, Army ROTC cadets from the Citadel excelled at ROTC 
advanced camp. Citadel cadets surpassed the national average for basic 
rifle marksmanship, land navigation, the Army physical fitness test, 
and peer evaluations. Five Air Force cadets from the Citadel were named 
distinguished graduates, the most from any school. All 31 Navy 
midshipmen from the Citadel were rated in the top 5 percent of Naval 
ROTC midshipmen.
  The Citadel commissions approximately 30 percent of its graduating 
class each year. The Citadel is the third largest source of ROTC 
commissions in the United States.
  Performance, not political correctness, should be the measure of 
military officer. Those who value true diversity understand that some 
young men flourish under the unique, all-male military environment that 
the Citadel provides. To destroy the option of single-gender military 
education would be a loss to U.S. military and the Nation.

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