[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 055 (Monday, April 7, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4884-S4886]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I rise to speak under morning business 
that we set aside to salute our troops in Iraq. Initially, the plan 
that was put together by the military leadership was criticized, but 
today it is heralded as one of the great military strategies put 
together and will probably go down in the annals of military strategy. 
A number of individuals throughout the country are writing comments 
about our troops in Iraq.
  I have an article written by Rick Atkinson, Washington Post Foreign 
Service, Thursday, April 3, 2003. It reads:

       An enthusiastic welcome for U.S. forces in Najaf turned 
     jubilant today, as several thousand Iraqis braved sporadic 
     firefights for what one Special Forces officer described as 
     ``the Macy's Day parade,'' applauding a U.S. patrol that 
     pushed close to a religious shrine at the center of the city.
       Four days after encircling Najaf, the 101st Airborne 
     Division tightened the occupation today.
       Three infantry battalions rolled through the streets, 
     including neighborhoods around the venerated tomb of Ali, 
     son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad.
       Fourteen M1 Abrams tanks clanked up and down the southern 
     boulevards, and another brigade of several thousand troops 
     cinched the cordon on the north, seizing arms caches and 
     swapping fire with elusive gunmen who are now believed to 
     number no more than a few score.
       In the midst of the fighting, a U.S. patrol approached 
     Ali's tomb attempting to contact local clerics but were met 
     instead by a crowd. Lt. Col. Chris Hughes, a battalion 
     commander in the 1st Brigade, said, ``We waited about an hour 
     and a half, and the hair on the back of my neck began to 
     stand up. The crowd got bigger and bigger, so we pulled back 
     out. But it was like the liberation of Paris.''

  I state our troops have been mindful of the Iraqi culture during the 
push north toward Baghdad. Our soldiers have been helping guard a 
religious shrine in southern Iraq. The temple is called the Temple of 
Ziggurat and was built 4,000 years ago. Many know the site as the 
birthplace of Abraham. This is just one example of the way our men and 
women were respectful of the rich heritage of the Iraqi people and 
committed to helping them preserve their legacy.
  I have a picture of a small Iraqi child giving a thumbs-up to our 
American soldiers because he recognizes the great job our men and women 
are doing in Iraq and recognizes the fact it is his freedom we are 
talking about. They are fighting not only to protect America but to 
provide an environment where freedom will thrive in a new Iraq.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the quorum 
call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I would like to continue to talk a bit 
about the most important item before us, the issue most of us have on 
our minds, and that is our forces in Iraq, the efforts that are being 
made there and the reasons for those efforts. Certainly, at this time 
all of us are thinking about that.
  No one has ever said that this fight would be easy. Now that our 
troops are in Baghdad, we acknowledge that perhaps the toughest part of 
the war to disarm Saddam Hussein is likely still ahead of us. But so 
far Operation Iraqi Freedom certainly has been a tremendous success, 
and I think all of us share in pride at the actions of our men and 
women who are there and our leaders who have caused these actions to 
take place and have managed them. Our Operation Iraqi Freedom has been 
a tribute to the skills of the men and women in uniform and their 
leadership.
  I spent some time this morning with a group of fourth graders. These 
youngsters have a pretty good idea of what is going on in Iraq and, to 
some extent, why we are there. Obviously, they have been talking with 
their parents. Obviously, they have been watching TV. But I thought it 
was amazing how much these young kids seemed to understand. I thought 
that was great.
  Certainly our hearts break for every life that is lost and every soul 
missing on the battlefield. We thank our stars that the losses so far 
have been relatively light. That, of course, doesn't make it any easier 
for the families who have suffered the losses.
  In less than 3 weeks, our aircraft have seized control of the skies. 
Our soldiers and marines and special forces control the bulk of the 
country. In less than 3 weeks, our troops are showering in Saddam's 
Presidential Palace in the capital city of Baghdad. In the blitz to 
Baghdad, our troops have taken more than 4,500 Iraqi prisoners. These 
prisoners are being seen by officials from the International Committee 
of the Red Cross to ensure they are treated within the guidelines of 
the Geneva Convention. Saddam has been holding American prisoners for 
more than 2 weeks and has yet to grant the Red Cross access to them.
  Our forces have been treating the wounds of countless innocent Iraqis 
caught in the crossfire. Our forces delivered relief to Iraqi citizens 
through its southern cities, removing deadly mines that prevented ships 
from docking. Our troops are safeguarding their ports and their oil 
wells for the time being.
  I think it is amazing that our military has had such an impact and 
has yet been able to focus it away from the civilians. Obviously, there 
are accidents and there are losses but relatively few. That is most 
difficult in this kind of situation.
  Just days ago there were naysayers who said Operation Iraqi Freedom 
was failing. Now most of the conversation is about what we are going to 
do after the combat is over. It is very difficult. Imagine what these 
naysayers might have said on D-Day, Okinawa, Saipan, Chosin, Yorktown, 
Gettysburg, or a host of other battles in our history and how their 
commentaries might have influenced America's support in the war.
  I sincerely hope--and I believe--that the American people are not as 
fainthearted or impatient as some would argue. We are in the 19th day 
of a war.

[[Page S4885]]

That is pretty short. Hopefully, it will be over soon. But those who 
became very impatient after 5 or 6 days--certainly that was 
not realistic. I suppose maybe we had the notion from the gulf war that 
it would not last at all. I think we should be very pleased and very 
proud at the amount of time it has taken and the progress that has been 
made.

  In a war, as members of our Armed Forces know well, the enemy can 
react differently than we predict. It is interesting some have talked 
about the weaknesses of the planning, that it didn't go the way it was 
planned. Of course it didn't. In a war things never go just the way 
they were planned. But the plans, obviously, have been good to be so 
successful. On the battlefield, of course, the enemy has a vote.
  Our troops are learning on the go and adapting quickly to the 
changing battlefields. They are rooting out death squads that blend in 
with the Iraqi population in the countryside. Our troops are dealing 
with car bombers who kill themselves in order to harm soldiers. These 
suicide and homicide attacks, of course, can be indiscriminate and have 
the potential to kill many innocent Iraqi civilians. It is also a 
demonstration of how violence has changed over time. I guess things 
will never be the same after 11 September. Who would have imagined 
those things could take place. So we have a different kind of combat, 
even in war.
  As our fight against Saddam Hussein's regime unfolds, I urge all 
Americans to continue to have patience and support of our Commander in 
Chief. Our victory is certain as is our continuing support for our 
troops.
  This regime is corrupt. Its leaders are morally bankrupt. The 
savagery his death squads and car bombers are showing is not a tactic 
but a symptom of a dying regime in the throes of its own demise.
  As we focus on the days ahead, continuing to show our firm resolve to 
remove this tyrant and his regime and to accomplish the goal for which 
we set out--and that is to disarm Saddam Hussein--I particularly wish 
to comment for a moment on the contribution of the National Guard in 
various States.
  In my State, the Wyoming National Guard has certainly made a 
contribution of which we are all very proud. Obviously, the National 
Guard consists of citizen soldiers and airmen who serve our country 
with great pride and professionalism.
  The first Federal mobilization of a Wyoming Army National Guard unit 
came in 1898 with the Spanish-American War. Since then, and with the 
creation of the Wyoming Air Guard after the Second World War, units 
have served and participated in a variety of different theaters. These 
include the Korean war, Desert Storm, Bosnia, and now of course 
Operation Enduring Freedom.
  Currently, the Wyoming National Guard has 20 percent of its personnel 
activated in vital missions throughout the world. We have the smallest 
population of any State in the Union, so of course our people are 
greatly missed--as they are in other places. Our local employers have 
been supportive of people who have been deployed, and we have had a 
good deal of deployment for a good long time, in fact. I am very proud 
of the men and women in my State who have answered the call to service 
and eagerly joined the ranks of the National Guard. People willing to 
join have increased in numbers since the war with Iraq has begun.
  Not along ago, Brigadier General Dillon, Assistant Adjutant General 
of the Army, said to soldiers upon deployment:

       You are now on the first string and you don't ride the 
     bench for long.

  I suspect the National Guard is even more important than it has been 
in the past. As we get more and more technical in the regular, full-
time Army and Marine Corps, when there is a call for numbers, of 
course, then we have to turn to the Guard and to the Reserve.
  We all join in extending our thanks and gratitude to these people and 
to their families for doing what they are doing and doing it so well; 
to leave their jobs, to leave their families, to change their lives. 
This is a source of great pride that my State can consistently produce 
individuals to meet these challenges. They have done a great job. There 
is an article in one of our local newspapers that highlights some of 
these family members. I ask unanimous consent to have that printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

              [From the Casper Star-Tribune, Apr. 6, 2003]

               Wyomingites Aboard U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln

                      (By the Star-Tribune staff)

       Petty Officer Timothy E. Roney, son of Kathy ``Kitty'' 
     Ulrich of Casper and E2 Barbara Van Horn, daughter of Dennis 
     and Sheryl Van Horn of Rock Springs, are aboard the USS 
     Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf.
       Roney enlisted in the Navy eight years ago. This is his 
     second assignment aboard the Abraham Lincoln and he has also 
     served aboard the USS Nassau out of Virginia Beach Va.
       He has had five overseas tours aboard ship, with three 
     tours taking him to the Middle East. This journey on the USS 
     Abraham Lincoln started in August 2002 with the Persian Gulf 
     as the destination.
       The ship was due back in port by mid-January 2003, but was 
     called to serve again in the Persian Gulf on New Year's Day.
       The Lincoln has spent the longest time at sea of any 
     carrier since the Vietnam War.
       He enlisted in Seattle and was raised primarily in Tacoma, 
     Wash., where his parents, Kathy Ulrich and Craig Roney, were 
     both active duty Air Force, stationed at McCord Air Force 
     Base, Tacoma.
       Roney's wife, Angela; daughter, Shaquanna, 5 and son, 
     Bailey, 2, live in the Seattle area.
       In Casper with his mother is his brother, Chris Roney
       Van Horn graduated from Sheridan High School in 2002. She 
     is the granddaughter of Barbara Garhart of Osage and the late 
     Donald Garhart.


                              sky soldier

       Pfc. Bradley P. Mahrer, son of Rich and Renae Mahrer and 
     brother of Christine Mahrer, all of Casper, is a paratrooper 
     with the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed in Vicenza, Italy. 
     Sky Soldiers of the 173rd Airborne parachuted into northern 
     Iraq under cover of darkness on March 26 to secure the Harir 
     Airfield. This was considered one of the largest and more 
     complex airborne operations in history.
       He graduated from Kelly Walsh High School in 2001 and 
     attended the University of Wyoming for one year.
       He graduated from basic training in October 2002 and went 
     to airborne training, where he earned his jump wings, all at 
     Fort Benning Ga.


                         moving toward Baghdad

       Lance Cpl. Kyle Lamb, Weapons Company 1st Battalion, 7th 
     Marines (81's), is now in Iraq, probably moving toward 
     Baghdad, according to his family. He graduated from Cody High 
     School in May 2000 and joined the United States Marine Corps 
     on Sept. 6, 2000. He graduated from boot camp at Camp 
     Pendleton, Calif., on Dec. 9, 2000, and was stationed at 29 
     Palms, Calif.
       His wife, Lacy Johnson Lamb, lives in 29 Palms but is 
     currently in Cody with her parents, Leona and Keith Johnson, 
     until his return.
       His parents are Thomas and Donna Lamb of Cody and his 
     brother, Anthony, is still at home. His grandfather is Allen 
     R. Hull, also from Cody. He has a large extended family that 
     loves him very much and is praying for his safe return.


                                to qatar

       Airman 1st Class Brandon Sims was deployed March 2 from 
     Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsboro, N.C., to Al Udeid 
     Air Base in Qatar.
       He is with the 379 Equipment Maintenance Expeditionary 
     Group, where he is a munitions systems specialist.
       He graduated from Torrington High School in 1998 and joined 
     the Air Force in April 2002. He is the son of David and 
     Melinda Sims of Torrington.


                             mustang marine

       Pfc. Shane Stuhlmiller, son of Mark and Marcia Stuhmiller 
     of Casper, is with the 2nd Marine Division, 6th Marines in 
     Iraq. His permanent duty station is Camp Lejeune, N.C.
       He graduated from Natrona County High School in May 2002.


                            service support

       Pfc. Abraham Henneman was deployed to Iraq from Camp 
     Pendleton, Calif., with the 1st Force Service Support Group, 
     7th Engineer Support Battalion, the support group for the 1st 
     Marine Expeditionary Force.
       He is the son of Dave and Kristy Henneman of Casper.
       He graduated from Campbell County High School in Gillette 
     in 2000.


                              7th marines

       Cpl. R.J. Matthews, RCT 7, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines H&S 
     MT was deployed to Kuwait from 29 Palms, Calif., in January. 
     He graduated from Torrington High School with the class of 
     1998 and entered the Marines under a delayed entrance 
     program.
       He married his classmate, Candice Lira Matthews, who is 
     currently living in 29 Palms. His father, James Matthews and 
     grandparents, Harold Matthews, Jean Clutter and Dean Clutter, 
     all reside in Torrington.


                            Military Police

       Lance Cpl. Christal A. Powell, daughter of Catherine Holton 
     of Casper and the mother

[[Page S4886]]

     of Cody Hall, also of Casper, serves in the Provost Marshal's 
     Office, Military Police, Headquarters Service Battalion, 
     Bravo Company, Okinawa, Japan.
       She is a 1992 graduate of Natrona County High School and a 
     graduate of Casper College with a degree in criminal justice.


                          1st Supply Battalion

       Lance Cpl. Rosanna J. Potter, daughter of Alan and Mona 
     Potter and sister of Amanda and John Potter of Casper, is 
     part of the 1st FSSG, 1st Supply Battalion/Ammo Company. She 
     was deployed to Kuwait in January and is currently serving in 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom.
       She joined the Marines during her senior year at Natrona 
     County High School. After graduation in June 2000, she left 
     for basic training at Parris Island, S.C., where she 
     graduated from a 12-week course. She then attended an MOS 
     school at Red Stone Arsenal in Red Stone, Ala. From there, 
     she was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif.


                              3rd Infantry

       Spc. Thomas C. McMartin is a diesel mechanic with the 559 
     Quartermaster Battalion, 202nd 3rd Infantry Division. He was 
     deployed from Hunter Haas Air Force Base in Savannah, Ga., to 
     Kuwait on March 30, 2003.
       He is a 2000 graduate of Hot Springs County High School in 
     Thermopolis.
       His wife is Sara M. Cavalli McMartin, also from 
     Thermopolis.
       His father and stepmother are Eugene and Ellie McMartin of 
     Thermopolis.
       His mother and stepfather are Gloria and Scott Adams of 
     Mountain View.
       His grandparents are Lillian McMartin of Rock Springs and 
     Calvin Bluemel of Mountain View. His maternal grandmother and 
     paternal grandfather are deceased. He has five brothers and 
     sisters, all living in Wyoming.


                             Golden Dragon

       John Swanson, son of Mike and Cindy Swanson of Casper, is 
     an aviation structural mechanic in the U.S. Navy who works on 
     F/A-18C Hornets. He is an integral member of Strike Fighter 
     Squadron 192, the world famous Golden Dragons.
       He is currently aboard the USS Kitty Hawk in the Persian 
     Gulf.
       He has been in the U.S. Navy since September 1998. He has 
     been stationed at the Naval Air Warfare Center weapons 
     division in California and is currently stationed in 
     Yokosuka, Japan, the operating port for the USS Kitty Hawk.
       He graduated from Natrona County High School and Casper 
     College, where he received an associate's degree in auto 
     mechanics.
       His family is very proud of him.


                             CAVALRY SCOUT

       Pfc. Anthony ``Tony'' J. Krasovich was deployed from Fort 
     Stewart, Ga., in January with the rest of the 3rd Division to 
     Kuwait. He is a scout with C Troop 3-7 Cavalry leading the 
     way. He is all Wyoming, according to his dad. His current 
     hometown is Cheyenne but he was born in Cody, graduated from 
     Wright Junior/Senior High School in 1997 and Laramie County 
     community College in 2001. He is the son of Jim and Marita 
     Krasovich of Cheyenne.


                             TO SOUTH KOREA

       Master Sgt. David W. Jones, United States Air Force 58th 
     Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, is stationed at Kirtland Air 
     Force Base, New Mexico. He will be deployed to Osan Air Base, 
     South Korea, in June on an HH-60G rescue helicopters.
       He graduated from Glenrock High School in 1981 and entered 
     the Air Force 1986. Prior to his assignment to New Mexico, he 
     served at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan; Hurlburt 
     Field, Fla.; Osan Air Base and Royal Air Force, Mildenhall, 
     England.
       His mother and stepfather, am and Butch AuFrance, live in 
     Casper. His brother, Brad Jones and his family live in 
     Glenrock. His wife, Crystal, and four children will remain at 
     home in Albuquerque while he is in South Korea for one year.


                           GREEN RIVER MARINE

       Lance Cpl. Davy J. Francis, son of David and Theresa 
     Francis of Green River, has been deployed from Camp 
     Pendleton, Calif., to Iraq. He graduated from Green River 
     High School in 2001.
       His grandparents are Betty Turley of Sheridan and the late 
     Malcolm L. Turley and Harriet Francis of Buffalo and the late 
     John Francis.


                              ARMY CAPTAIN

       Capt. Brian Westerfield, son of Ruth and Bill Westerfield 
     of Cheyenne, is assigned to the 1st Battalion, 27th Field 
     Artillery, a part of the V Army Corps in Germany. His unit is 
     currently deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom. He is a past commander of the ROTC Indian Battalion 
     at Cheyenne Central High School and was commissioned a second 
     lieutenant upon graduation from the University of Wyoming.
       He earned his jump wings at Fort Benning, Ga., in 1995.
       He is married to Chandra (Hehr) Westerfield, formerly from 
     Green River.
       He is the grandson of Loraine Westerfield and Russ and Emma 
     Donnelly of Encampment.


                           uss constellation

       AE3 Jeffrey Campbell, son of Jim and Mary Campbell of 
     Casper, is assigned to VAW-116, a squadron of E2 Hawkeyes, 
     airborne early warning aircraft. The squadron is part of 
     Carrier Airwing 2, which is now deployed on the aircraft 
     carrier USS Constellation.
       They have been in the Persian Gulf for five months and are 
     part of the coalition forces participating in Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom. This is Campbell's second deployment to the Persian 
     Gulf with the Constellation Battle Group.
       He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1999 and gets e-
     mail from a couple of his favorite teachers there, Susan 
     Griffith and Daney Tanner. He says that he's the only one who 
     gets e-mail from his high school teachers and it makes him 
     feel great.
       He joined the Navy in May 2000. After boot camp, he was 
     stationed at Pensacola, Fla., where he went to school to 
     become an aviation electrician.
       His brother, Jim, and grandparents, Jim and Verna Campbell, 
     also lives in Casper.


                                in iraq

       Pfc. Michael T. Jones of Casper is a member of the 1st 
     Division, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Weapons Company in 29 
     Palms, Calif. He deployed from 29 Palms in late January.
       He graduated from basic training at Marine Corps Recruit 
     Depot, San Diego, in August 2002. After graduation, he was 
     stationed at Camp Pendelton for advanced weapons and infantry 
     training, 81 mm mortars and urban assault.
       He is a Casper native and graduated from Kelly Walsh High 
     School in 2002. His father and stepmother are Mike and Geri 
     Jones of Casper. His siblings are Jacquelyn Jones of Omaha, 
     his stepbrother, Jason Best and step-sister, Keri Wilhelm of 
     Casper. His grandparents are Dewey and Ellen Gerdom and Max 
     and Jean Jones, all of Casper.

  Mr. THOMAS. All of us continue to support our troops; we continue to 
pray for our troops and their families and their losses. We know we 
will succeed and that we succeed because of the bravery and willingness 
of our Armed Forces. I hope, too, that we will remember there is a 
relationship between ``the land of the free'' and ``the home of the 
brave,'' and that is being demonstrated at this time.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________