Congressional Record, Volume 141 Issue 94 (Friday, June 9, 1995)

[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 94 (Friday, June 9, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8078-S8080]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

COMMENDATION OF CAPT. SCOTT F. O'GRADY AND U.S. AND NATO FORCES
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I send a resolution to the desk and ask it
be read on behalf of myself, Senator Helms, Senator Warner, and many
others. I am not certain of all the cosponsors. This has been cleared,
I understand, on both sides.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the resolution.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 132) commending Captain O'Grady and
U.S. and NATO forces:
Whereas on June 2, 1995, Bosnian Serb forces using
sophisticated surface to air missiles shot down a United
States Air Force F-16 aircraft piloted by Captain Scott F.
O'Grady while on combat patrol as part of NATO-commanded
Operation Deny Flight;
Whereas in late 1994, reports indicate the United Nations
vetoed NATO proposed operations to attack Bosnian Serb
surface to air missile sites;
Whereas effective measures to defend against Bosnian Serb
air defenses did not occur during Captain O'Grady's mission
on June 2, 1995;
Whereas thousands of United States Armed Forces and armed
forces of NATO allies were involved in search operations to
recover Captain O'Grady;
Whereas Captain O'Grady, in the finest tradition of
American military service, survived for six days and nights
through courage, ingenuity and skill in territory occupied by
hostile Bosnian Serb forces;
Whereas on June 8, 1995 Captain O'Grady was rescued in a
daring operation by United States Marines;
Whereas aircraft involved in the rescue operation were
attacked by Serb forces but no casualties occurred;
Therefore be it resolved by the Senate that it is the sense
of the Senate that--
(1) Captain O'Grady deserves the respect and admiration of
all Americans for his heroic conduct under life-threatening
circumstances;
(2) the relief and happiness felt by the family of Captain
O'Grady is shared by the United States Senate;
(3) all members of the United States and NATO armed forces
involved in the search and rescue operations, in particular
the members of the United States Marine Corps involved in the
extraction of Captain O'Grady, are to be commended for their
brave efforts and devotion to duty;
(4) U.S. and NATO air crews should not be put at risk in
future operations over Bosnia unless all necessary actions to
address the threat posed by hostile Serbian air defenses are
taken.

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, this is a time for celebration--a brave
American pilot, Capt. Scott O'Grady, has been rescued from Bosnian
Serb-held territory. He is back at Aviano Air Base in Italy and will
soon be on his way home to see his family.
I am pleased to submit this resolution on behalf of myself and many
of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle commending Captain O'Grady,
and the U.S. marines who rescued him, for their courage and
professionalism.
In the interests of getting this resolution adopted today, I agreed
to modify several provisions, although I have a hard time to understand
why they are objectionable. But first it was objected to stating the
obvious--that many missions prior to Captain O'Grady's were not
accompanied by adequate action against hostile air defenses. And
second, objection to urging appropriate responses to the attack on
Captain O'Grady. The term ``appropriate'' covers a lot,
but apparently some want no response at all to the attack on Captain
O'Grady or the attack on the rescue aircraft. But having said that,
those provisions have been removed to satisfy my colleagues on the
other side of the aisle. I think we all want to make a statement and I
believe this resolution makes an appropriate statement. The
distinguished Senator from Massachusetts, one of the Senate's combat
veterans, said yesterday that it would be appropriate to respond to
this incident by bombing Serb missile sites.

Mr. President, events like this should make all Americans proud and
appreciative of the sacrifices made by men
[[Page S8079]] and women in the U.S. military. They should also make us
realize that courageous airmen like Captain O'Grady are the reason why
our Armed Forces are second to none.
Captain O'Grady was shot down by Bosnian Serb Forces and remarkably
survived for 6 days in the forest--in hostile territory--by eating
grass, leaves, and bugs and drinking rainwater, and evaded capture by
Bosnian Serb troops.
It was not only superb military training that enabled Scott O'Grady
to survive, but his own personal intelligence and dogged determination.
This same combination of fine training and individual strength also
characterizes the U.S. Marines and the other personnel aboard the
U.S.S.
Kearsarge who were involved in this dramatic rescue operation.

No doubt about it, these men and women are American heroes. In
addition to giving them the respect and commendation they are due, we
have a responsibility--a responsibility to ensure that they are not
exposed to unnecessary risk.
Every man and woman in the military has signed up knowing that there
are risks involved and that one day their lives may be on the line.
However, this does not mean that we take steps that unnecessarily
increase risks or fail to take steps to address risks.
Last fall, NATO commanders noted an increase in the deployment of
surface-to-air missiles by Bosnian Serb forces. Under the dual-key
procedure, NATO sought to take out these SAM sites, but the plans were
vetoed by the UNPROFOR command. It is likely that had NATO gone ahead 6
months ago, Captain O'Grady never would have been shot down.
So in addition to retaliating for this hostile action--and we do not
need
the permission of the United Nations or NATO to retaliate--we must
take action to suppress the threat posed by the remaining SAM sites. We
cannot in good conscience continue to send our pilots to patrol the no-
fly zone without taking such measures.

Furthermore, as this incident and recent developments underline, we
must start a new approach in Bosnia. The bigger picture is that the
United States and our Armed Forces are participating in a failure.
It is high time to end this U.N. farce--to withdraw the U.N. Forces
and lift the arms embargo on Bosnia. Prime Minister Haris Silajdzic
reiterated yesterday in his meetings with Members of the Congress that
the Bosnians do not want our troops on the ground; they have their own.
They only want weapons to defend themselves. That is their fundamental
right.
I am encouraged by the overwhelming vote in the House to lift the
arms embargo. It was a strong bipartisan vote on an amendment offered
by a Democrat colleague in the House, Congressman Steny Hoyer. Clearly
the tide has turned. The White House needs to move with this tide
rather than try to swim against it.
Mr. DOLE. I ask unanimous consent that Senator Thurmond and Senator
McCain be added as original cosponsors.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I am particularly privileged to join the
distinguished majority leader in sponsoring this resolution. The
majority leader speaks with a voice of great experience when it comes
to military matters, having experienced firsthand himself the tragedies
of war and the courage and stamina it takes to carry the wounds of
those wars through for these many years. He draws on a vast knowledge,
corporate knowledge of the conflicts that have occurred in our
lifetimes--World War II, Korea, Vietnam. In all of those conflicts he
has taken a role, first as a soldier and then as a statesman.
We are particularly fortunate to have Senator Dole as our leader at
these perilous times. I heed his words and his messages very carefully.
Mr. President, I also had the distinct privilege this morning of
speaking by telephone to the father. And in the course of that
conversation, with a sense of humility, we talked about the message and
the courage his son has sent to all America, a message in a sense that
says through these many years, this Nation has put an enormous
investment in the equipment and in the training of our fine men and
women who proudly wear the uniform of our Nation and, most importantly,
the investment in the individuals who wear the uniform, as well as
their families.
This investment has paid off. This is a very clear example today of
how our investment has paid off in the cause of freedom.
I hope this also provides a message to the U.S. Senate and, indeed,
the Congress as a whole that we must continue to find the necessary
funds to support these courageous men and women. We see this one
example, but every day, whether it is in the Bosnian theater or a
thousand other places at different times, these men and women take
risks for which we should always express our gratitude.
In training at home and far away places across the world, they do it
today with the same patriotism as generations of Americans have done it
in years past. It is my hope that the Congress will give these
individuals today the adequate funds that they need to carry their
missions, the funds not only to provide for the training today, the
equipment today, but for the generations of tomorrow.
I am deeply concerned about the current level of defense spending. We
have had 10 consecutive years of real reduction in defense spending,
and now is the time, in my judgment, for the Congress of the United
States to stand firm with the men and women of the Armed Forces, for
those who serve today and those who serve in the future.
I am thankful for the opportunity to have participated with my
distinguished majority leader.
I yield the floor.
Mr. DASCHLE addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, let me commend the majority leader for
his resolution and I ask unanimous consent to be listed as a cosponsor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, there is much to celebrate on a day like
this, as the distinguished Senator from Virginia has just articulated
so eloquently, to celebrate the fact that there are young men and women
willing to commit their lives for the security interests of this
country, whatever they may be. Young Scott O'Grady understood that when
he took on the responsibilities of flying an F-16. He understood that
when he climbed into his fighter plane on that day a week ago,
completely aware of the enemy fire that he could be subjected to as he
flew over those dangerous areas. He understood that as he ejected from
his crippled plane, and he understood that during the dangerous period
of time that he evaded those who were seeking to capture him, all the
time wondering whether or not he would found.
There are men and women like him in the military in every branch of
service who are willing to commit themselves, willing to commit their
lives to the mission that is put before them in the interest of
patriotism, in the interest of the defense and strength of this
country.
So today we celebrate that heroism, that willingness to put
patriotism ahead of self-interest. And certainly we have seen a clear
demonstration of that in the heroic actions of Capt. Scott O'Grady.
Patriotism and the life of a hero is something we can celebrate with
great pride today as we consider the fact that Scott O'Grady is safely
back with us.
Second, I think we can be very appreciative of the tremendous job
done by the Marine rescue crew who saw fit to take extraordinarily
hazardous risks to retrieve Captain O'Grady and to do all that they
could to see that he was brought back safely.
As somebody who has had the opportunity on occasion to talk to rescue
crews and to realize what danger they put themselves through to
accomplish extraordinarily difficult missions, I can certainly
appreciate the magnificent efforts of these brave marines.
So it is with immense pride and gratitude that I salute Captain
O'Grady and the brave men who carried out his breathtaking rescue. We
all share in the joy of their safe return.
They, too, ought to be recognized and certainly deserve the
tremendous accolades they have been given for what [[Page S8080]] has
been an extremely dangerous rescue mission. So we thank them, as well.
Times like this bring out the best in many people. Yesterday, we had
the opportunity to talk to the Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina
and he, too, is rising to the occasion under what are extraordinarily
precarious conditions. We, as Americans, watch with great interest and
empathy as he tries in as many ways as possible to achieve a meaningful
effort at resisting the extraordinary dangers that his people face day
after day.
So whether it is the Prime Minister, a pilot, or a rescue mission,
there is a lot to celebrate today. This resolution gives us an
opportunity to say with some clarity how much we appreciate the
patriotism, the determination, the extraordinary willingness to subject
oneself to danger, as we have seen just in the last 6 days.
So, again, I rise in support of the resolution. I am proud to be a
cosponsor. I certainly urge its approval.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Kempthorne). The majority leader.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator
Daschle's name appear immediately following mine on the leadership
resolution.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent to be added
as a cosponsor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. FORD. Mr. President, will the majority leader yield?
Mr. DOLE. I will be happy to yield.
Mr. FORD. Mr. President, it may be wise, since not all Senators knew
that this resolution was coming, and I think most, if not all, would
support it, that we have a timeframe in which all Senators would have
an opportunity to become cosponsors.
Would that be agreeable? I do not know what time would be right or
sufficient, but I do think it is important that others not feel left
out. I am sure the Senator does not want that, either. With that, Mr.
President, I ask unanimous consent that I be added as a cosponsor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent to add Senators
McCain and Thurmond and the Presiding Officer, Senator Kempthorne, as
cosponsors.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DOLE. I think we can take action on it and still give, say, to 5
o'clock for anybody else who wants to be added as a cosponsor. I ask
unanimous consent that that be permissible.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The question is on agreeing to the resolution.
So the resolution (S. Res. 132) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the
resolution was agreed to.
Mr. FORD. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I note we are in a period of morning
business right now. We are trying to get some agreement on gift ban and
lobbying reform. I am prepared, if we can get that agreement, to
proceed to it. I need to be absent for 5 minutes from the Chamber.
Mr. DASCHLE addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader is recognized.

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