[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 96 (Tuesday, June 13, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S8200]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CONCERNING THE RESCUE OF CAPT. SCOTT O'GRADY

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I wish to thank the able and 
distinguished Senator from West Virginia for his courtesy and kindness.
  Mr. President, I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that each 
of us breathed a sigh of relief when we learned last Friday of the 
rescue of Air Force Capt. Scott O'Grady, whose F-16 was shot down over 
war-torn Bosnia earlier this month.
  Probably no one was more relieved by the rescue of Captain O'Grady 
than the young pilot himself. After spending 6 days eluding hostile 
forces, enduring the wicked weather of the rugged Bosnian mountains, 
and surviving on bugs, rainwater, and vegetation, Captain O'Grady 
summed up his feelings when he yelled to his rescuers, ``I'm ready to 
get the Hell out of here.'' I am confident that was a sentiment that 
would be shared by anyone else who went through the experience Captain 
O'Grady did.
  Six days in the woods, hiding from enemy soldiers and surviving on 
things that you or I would rake up out of our garden or spray to 
exterminate is certainly an amazing feat. It is primarily thanks to the 
skills and knowledge that Captain O'Grady learned through Air Force 
escape and evasion training that he was able to come through this 
experience alive and unharmed.
  At every step of Captain O'Grady's 6 day ordeal, training was key. It 
was training that allowed Captain O'Grady to beat the Serbs in a high-
stakes match of hide and seek; it was training that taught Captain 
O'Grady how to survive the elements with only the clothes he wore when 
he ejected from his plane; and it was training in tactical operations 
that allowed the U.S. Marines to fly into hostile territory and pull 
Captain O'Grady out of the reach of the Bosnian Serbs. If nothing else, 
this ordeal has hammered home the maxim ``train hard in peace to avoid 
mistakes in combat.''
  Mr. President, let me change tack just for a moment to praise the 
efforts of all the individuals involved in this rescue operation, 
especially those of the U.S. Marines. Though each of the services have 
their own special operations forces, each with their important and 
vital missions, the Marines have once again demonstrated their worth as 
a force capable of going anywhere at anytime. I have no doubt that 
Captain O'Grady now has a special understanding of just what exactly 
the phrase, ``The Marines have landed,'' means.
  In many ways, what has transpired over the last week is a testament 
to the investment the United States has made in its Armed Forces, 
beginning about 15 years ago. Captain O'Grady's survival efforts were 
aided by the fact that he wore clothing designed to help withstand the 
harshest elements and he carried sophisticated communications and 
homing equipment that aided those searching for the captain in finding 
him. Had O'Grady actually had to defend himself against the enemy, he 
was carrying a modern sidearm that packs more than a dozen rounds in 
its magazine, a far cry from the .38 pistol that pilots of just a 
generation ago relied on as a survival and defense tool. Perhaps most 
impressive is that with a minimal amount of preparation and planning 
time, a rescue operation was mounted that required the combined efforts 
of at least the Marines, Navy, and Air Force. Such interservice 
cooperation and efficiency was not in existence just 12 years ago when 
the United States intervened in Grenada.
  Regrettably, all the things that we have worked so hard to achieve--a 
professional, well educated, well equipped military--that worked so 
well in Panama, Desert Storm, and now in Bosnia, are being threatened 
by those who would cut the defense budget. This is simply unacceptable, 
the United States needs a strong military that is ready and capable of 
meeting any enemy, anytime, anywhere.
  Let us hope that there is one more happy circumstance to come out of 
Captain O'Grady's survival and rescue--that President Clinton realizes 
we must keep defense spending at a level which ensures we maintain the 
best military forces ever known to man. That is the only appropriate 
course of action for our Nation to pursue.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.

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