[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 46 (Thursday, April 23, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMY RESERVE OF THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, for the past week, the United States 
Army Reserve has had a number of events to help celebrate the 90th 
anniversary of their founding. Appropriately, the United States Senate, 
led by Senator Helms who was joined by 28 of our colleagues, passed a 
resolution last night commending the Army Reserve and its citizen-
soldiers on an impressive heritage and on the invaluable contributions 
they have made to keeping the United States free and safe.
  As a former Army Reservist, I was naturally interested in reading 
this resolution and I am certain you can imagine my surprise when I 
discovered that it was also a tribute to me and the service I rendered 
the United States as a Soldier. I was, and am, humbled and flattered by 
this very touching gesture, you have touched the heart of this old 
``trooper'', and I thank each of you for your kind act.
  I join each of you in commending all those who have served in the 
Army Reserve throughout its 90-year history, particularly those men and 
women who serve today. In this era of skrinking force structure and 
defense budgets, we will increasingly rely on our reserve forces to 
meet the security and foreign policy goals of the United States. We 
should be grateful that there is no shortage of patriotic Americans 
willing to endure the hardships and demands of reserve service, we are 
all better off their efforts. I am certain that I speak for the entire 
Body when I say that we appreciate and value the work and contributions 
of the Soldiers of the Army Reserve and stand ready to assist them 
however we can.

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