[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 46 (Thursday, April 23, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S3531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           90th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I rise this evening to congratulate the 
United States Army Reserve on its 90th anniversary and to recognize the 
contributions of my good friend Strom Thurmond who served in the 
Reserves for 36 years.
  Many of you know Senator Thurmond's distinguished record in war and 
in peace and the contributions he has made to this institution. He, 
like the thousands of soldiers in the Army Reserves today, is an 
example of the best in America.
  Some years ago, I was a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer in the 
United States Army Reserve. I served for thirteen years in one of our 
82 Alabama Reserve units and organizations, located in one of 19 cities 
and in 24 Reserve Centers spread across Alabama. Today, Alabama is home 
to approximately 7000 Army Reservists representing nearly 3\1/2\% of 
the total Army Reserve Force. I am particularly proud of the fact that 
we have the 81st Regional Support Command and the 87th Division 
(Exercise) headquartered in Birmingham, a unit which commands and 
controls soldiers in a number of surrounding southern states.
  Like any major element of the Armed Forces, America's Army Reserve 
has a great history. Let me share just a small portion of that history: 
Created by statute on April 23, 1908, first of the Federal reserve 
forces created by Congress, a trained and ready force of citizen 
soldiers bringing relevant skills into the military, an integral part 
of today's global power projection strategy, a force which deploy's 
20,000 reservists to 50 countries annually, a force which has mobilized 
and deployed 70% of the reserve forces to Bosnia for Operation Joint 
Guard, a force which contributed over 90,000 soldiers to Operation 
Desert Storm, one of which was my Chief of Staff, Armand DeKeyser, and 
a force which is found in all 50 states, U.S. territories, in Europe 
and in the Pacific region.
  Mr. President, we have much to be proud of in America tonight. We can 
add to that list the United States Army Reserve whose birthday we 
quietly celebrate. Happy Birthday to the men and women of the Army 
Reserves. Men and women who quietly man the ramparts of freedom. You 
are always there when America needs you. For this act of selfless 
devotion, we as a nation ought to be truly grateful.

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