[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 24, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6285-S6286]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO THE OUTSTANDING DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY CAVALIER AIR 
                                STATION

 Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
exhaustive and exemplary disaster assistance efforts of those at 
Cavalier Air Station, near Cavalier, ND.
  As my colleagues are aware, my State has suffered the worst winter 
and spring of its history. A record eight blizzards dropped over 100 
inches of snow on North Dakota, and brought with them sub-zero 
temperatures well into the month of April. The worst and final 
blizzard--Hannah--coated the State in ice, knocked out power for much 
of the State, and made the snowmelt that followed much worse. The flood 
that followed was a 500-year flood, driving thousands from their homes 
and farms all along the Red River. Livestock losses were in the 
hundreds of thousands, economic losses in the billions, and the 
disruption to the lives of those affected were incalculable.
  In the face of this, everyone in North Dakota pulled together, 
including the able men and women of our Armed Forces stationed in my 
State. The outstanding snow removal efforts of the National Guard and 
Air Force personnel from the Minot and Grand Forks bases were well 
documented, and brought the Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Sheila E. 
Widnall, to North Dakota in February to say a personal ``thank you.'' 
The accommodation of thousands of flood refugees at Grand Forks AFB--
which helped preserve a sense of hope and community for Grand Forks--
also made for unforgettable images on

[[Page S6286]]

CNN and front pages of newspapers across the Nation. This exemplary 
assistance will be long remembered, but it is also important that the 
exceptional contributions of the men and women of another Air Force 
installation in North Dakota are not forgotten.
  Mr. President, that facility is Cavalier Air Station. For those of my 
colleagues who are not familiar with Cavalier, this phased array radar 
base was constructed during the 1970's as part of the Safeguard ABM 
system. The motto of Cavalier's unit--the 10th Space Warning Squadron--
is ``instant to watchful instant.'' For 20 years this has meant 
providing early warning of nuclear attack for the Pentagon and tracking 
millions of bits of deadly space junk in Earth orbit for NASA, but this 
year this motto had new meaning.
  As the commander of the installation, Lt. Col. Donald T. Kidd, 
described to me, this spring this unit of 33 people--28 active duty Air 
Force and 5 civilians employed by the Department of Defense--
contributed over 900 hours of around-the-clock labor to monitoring and 
fighting the rising flood waters in the northern Red River Valley. They 
filled and stockpiled sandbags, deployed them around threatened homes, 
evacuated threatened city offices in Pembina, and watched the leves for 
leaks. They carried sandbags hundreds of yards in Drayton when there 
were not enough hands to simply pass them down a line, and built a dike 
around the entire town of Neche. At the station itself, they provided 
safe refuge for families forced to flee their homes and farms, giving 
shelter to over 100 people during the worst of the flooding. Many of 
the 70 civilian employees who work at the station under contract with 
the ITT Corp. also were there when their communities needed them, 
making important contributions to disaster relief.
  And all the while, Mr. President, the men and women of Cavalier Air 
Station continued their critical mission, on top of preparing for the 
year's most important inspection. I am pleased to inform my colleagues 
that the 10th Space Warning Squadron passed this inspection with flying 
colors, taking home some of the highest marks in the U.S. Space 
Command.
  Colonel Kidd wanted the efforts of everyone in the 10th Space Warning 
Squadron recognized, writing in a letter to me that ``I can't begin to 
tell how proud I am of each and every one of them.'' On behalf of the 
U.S. Senate and all in North Dakota who benefited from their tireless 
labor, allow me to extend my most sincere thanks to everyone at 
Cavalier Air Station.
  I and countless North Dakotans are thankful for your efforts, and 
glad that you were there. Every one of you went beyond the call of 
duty, proving yet again that Cavalier Air Station is part of ``Team 
North Dakota.'' Again, sincere thanks. You have made a State grateful, 
and your Nation proud.

                          ____________________