Congressional Record, Volume 147 Issue 159 (Friday, November 16, 2001)

[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 159 (Friday, November 16, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H8320-H8322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

HONORING CONTINUING SERVICE AND COMMITMENT OF MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL
GUARD AND RESERVE UNITS

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee
on Armed Services be discharged from further consideration of the
resolution (H. Res. 287) honoring the continuing service and commitment
of the members of the National Guard and Reserve units activated in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and ask for its immediate
consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I rise in
support of House Resolution 287 offered by my colleague, the gentleman
from Virginia (Mr. Forbes). House Resolution 287 honors the National
Guard and Reserve units that have been called to service in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Noble Eagle.
On September 11 Americans were shocked and saddened to learn of the
deadly terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and
on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The heroic efforts of those aboard
a fourth commercial airliner foiled the terrorist attempts to
potentially destroy another target in the Nation's capital.
Shock and outrage were quickly replaced with determination, and the
President declared a national emergency; and on September 14, he
announced the partial mobilization of nearly 50,000 National Guard and
Reservists to assist in national security efforts.
Five days later, units across the country received notice that they
were being called to duty. Today, over 42,000 Reservists and members of
the National Guard are on call. They represent all 50 States, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
Many have been protecting our Nation's airports. Others have brought
their expertise in medical supply intelligence and other important
disciplines

[[Page H8321]]

as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Noble Eagle.
Over 1.2 million citizen soldiers have committed their lives in
defense to our Nation. These dedicated individuals are our neighbors,
our friends, and our relatives. In California, teachers, police
officers, business men and women and individuals from all walks of life
have put on their uniforms to defend this Nation.
Next week, while we are with our families and friends giving thanks
for the founding of this great Nation, Armed Forces personnel will be
protecting all of these freedoms that we enjoy.

{time} 1445

They will be separated from their families and loved ones, some may
be patrolling the skies above us, some guarding our Nation's airports
and seaports, some may be overseas, but they will all be doing what
they do best. They will be defending the principles of this Nation,
protecting us all from harm. We owe our Nation's armed forces a debt of
gratitude. Let us give thanks for those who volunteer to serve our
country in uniform.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia for the purpose
of explaining the bill.
Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today with the gentleman
from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy) to offer this important resolution
honoring the greatest citizen soldiers of the greatest armed forces in
the world, our National Guard and Reserve.
On September 11 our Nation suffered a great tragedy. Enemies of
freedom made a deliberate attack on our people, our soil, and our way
of life. But those enemies were mistaken if they believed that such an
attack could turn us away from the principles of liberty and freedom
that we hold so dear. Our Nation will survive and we will emerge even
stronger for having endured this horror. America's enemies have brought
the issue of terrorism to the forefront of the American stage, and they
will pay dearly for it.
We know this not only because we have the will and spirit to conduct
this war against terrorism, but also because we have the best-trained,
most impressive fighting force this world has seen. In the days
following September 11, it was the National Guard and Reserve who were
present on our streets and in our skies. They were present in our
airports and on our waterways. They were deployed overseas in support
of active duty units. This is not the first time we have seen these
heroes in action. They are our associates and our neighbors, our
friends and relatives. Yet, to many of us, their presence means so much
more than it did before.
Just this morning, in fact, the National Guard was sworn in to assist
in protecting the U.S. Capitol. We welcome them to our Capitol Hill
family and thank them for their steadfast service.
Furthermore, reports are in that America has tracked down and
eliminated the number two leader of al Qaeda. We owe this success in
part to the efforts of our National Guard and Reserves. Without their
aid, our regular active duty members would not have been able to
effectively be both the tip of the spear and the shield of America.
We should honor our modern day Minutemen, or as our citizen soldiers
stand watch over us, they remind us that since colonial times, long
before the phrase ``Homeland Security'' was used, they were here to
preserve liberty on the home front.
We owe the men and women who have left their families and jobs to
heed this call a great deal, and I urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting our National Guard and Reserve. Let every Guardsman and
Reservist know that the Members of this body hold them in highest
esteem.
I would like to thank the Speaker and the majority leader for
bringing this resolution to the floor so promptly. Additionally, I
would like to thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy) for his
strong support of our Guardsmen and Reservists, and I urge my
colleagues to follow his lead and to reach out to our National Guard
and Reserve units with a helpful and grateful heart.
Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation, I yield to the
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy).
Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I also applaud my fellow
colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes), for bringing forth
this resolution with me.
Since September 11, we have seen many heroes in this country. It was
Napoleon who said that great soldiers are those that run towards the
sounds of the guns and, indeed, we have many that have followed that
description in other professions: the firemen, the police, the
emergency medical professionals, as well as our fighting men and women
overseas. But we also must remember that our Guardsmen and our Reserves
do just that when they sign up for duty to defend our freedoms.
We have over a million National Guard men and women and Reserve units
around our country. These are citizen-soldiers, those that work with
us, have children in school with us, that we worship with at church.
They are people that live side by side with us, but during the weekend
and when called up, they go and they work to fight for our freedoms.
They do so many, many things and have done so much since September 11.
We see them in our airports as we fly, as I do, back and forth, home
every weekend, and they give us the comfort that they are there
standing on guard and giving us the security that we seek at these
times.
In our State in Minnesota, they were called on to do extra duty when
we had a recent State workers strike. We had over 30,000 of them called
up for active duty doing many things that are vital for our war against
terrorism. I had an opportunity to visit our Camp Ripley in Minnesota
and be there when our Wilmer Battalion, which has units throughout our
district in Litchfield and Hutchinson and Redwood Falls as they
practiced their maneuvers, and I could not have been more proud of the
professionalism and the commitment that they showed. They really were
there for us when we needed them.
As the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes) mentioned, they are also
here helping to protect us in our Nation's Capital. It is so very
appropriate that we are here with this resolution today, the day in the
week that our President, George W. Bush, named National Employers
Support of Guard and Reserve Week for 2001. As he said, Americans
understand and appreciate the importance of our National Guard and
Reserve units, but many do not know the contributions their employers
make in supporting these civilian soldiers. It is appropriate that we
also thank those employers that have made this Guard duty possible.
So I am honored to be here to bring this resolution together, along
with the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes). I encourage all of the
Members to support it, and I encourage all of our citizens, the next
time they see a Guardsman, or someone in the Reserves, or someone that
employs them, please tell them, ``Thank you from a grateful Nation.''
Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

H. Res. 287

[[Page H8322]]

Whereas on October 29, 2001, 32,686 members of such units
were on active duty, including 12,391 members of the Army
Reserve and Army National Guard, 4,650 members of the Naval
Reserve, 373 members of the Marine Corps Reserve, 2,529
members of the Coast Guard Reserve, and 12,743 members of the
Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard;
Whereas these activations represent the largest
mobilization of members of the National Guard and Reserve
since Operation Desert Storm in 1991;
Whereas members of the National Guard and Reserve are
serving the Nation in almost every conceivable capacity,
including providing airport security, medical support, and
other logistical support for both civilian and military
operations;
Whereas the members of these units have been ordered to
active duty for a period of 365 days and are not expected to
return home until October 2002 at the earliest;
Whereas these National Guard and Reserve citizen-soldiers
have selflessly performed their duties during the weeks since
the terrorist attacks, sacrificing time at their civilian
jobs and with their families during the period of their
active duty; and
Whereas these National Guard and Reserve citizen-soldiers
serve a critical role as part of the mission of the Armed
Forces to protect the freedom of United States citizens and
the American ideals of justice, liberty, and freedom, both at
home and abroad: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors the continuing service and commitment of the
members of the National Guard and Reserve units activated in
support of Operation Enduring Freedom;
(2) honors the sacrifices made by the families and
employers of the members of those units during their time
away from home;
(3) recognizes the critical importance of the National
Guard and Reserve to the security of the United States; and
(4) supports providing the necessary resources to ensure
the continued readiness of the National Guard and Reserve.

The resolution was agreed to.

Amendment to the Preamble Offered By Mr. Forbes

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment to the preamble.
The Clerk read as follows:

Amendment to the Preamble offered by Mr. Forbes.
Amend the preamble to read as follows:

Whereas citizen-soldiers have served the United States with
honor and distinction since colonial times;
Whereas the more than 1,200,000 citizen-soldiers who
comprise the National Guard and Reserve components of the
Armed Forces nationwide commit significant time and effort to
executing their important role in the Armed Forces;
Whereas on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked and
destroyed 4 civilian aircraft, crashing 2 of them into the
towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and a
third into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C.;
Whereas thousands of innocent people from more than 80
countries were killed or injured as a result of these
attacks;
Whereas on September 14, 2001, units of the Army Reserve,
Naval Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, Air
Force Reserve, Army National Guard of the United States, and
Air National Guard of the United States were authorized to be
activated in support of operations in response to the
terrorist attacks against the United States that occurred on
September 11, 2001;
Whereas more than 42,000 members of National Guard and
Reserve units from all 50 States, the District of Columbia,
and Puerto Rico have been ordered to active duty in support
of Operation Enduring Freedom;
Whereas these activations represent the largest
mobilization of members of the National Guard and Reserve
since Operation Desert Storm in 1991;
Whereas members of the National Guard and Reserve are
serving the Nation in almost every conceivable capacity,
including providing airport security, medical support, and
other logistical support for both civilian and military
operations;
Whereas the members of these units have been ordered to
active duty for a period of 365 days and are not expected to
return home until October 2002 at the earliest;
Whereas these National Guard and Reserve citizen-soldiers
have selflessly performed their duties during the weeks since
the terrorist attacks, sacrificing time at their civilian
jobs and with their families during the period of their
active duty; and
Whereas these National Guard and Reserve citizen-soldiers
serve a critical role as part of the mission of the Armed
Forces to protect the freedom of United States citizens and
the American ideals of justice, liberty, and freedom, both at
home and abroad: Now, therefore, be it

Mr. FORBES (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that the amendment to the preamble be considered as read and printed in
the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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