[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E804-E805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MILITARY IMPACTED SCHOOLS, 
TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATION, AND STAFF FOR THEIR ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS TO 
                     EDUCATION OF MILITARY CHILDREN

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                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 4, 2004

  Mr.  HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
House Resolution 598, a bill recognizing the valuable contributions of 
military impacted schools, teachers, administration, and staff to the 
education of military children.
  Approximately 750,000 children of Active Duty Armed Forces members 
attend public or

[[Page E805]]

Department of Defense schools here at home and around the world. While 
no student lacks his or her share of difficulties, being the child of 
active-duty personnel comes with its own unique uncertainties regarding 
seemingly simple matters like where one's family lives year to year and 
how often mom or dad is away from home. I am aware that military 
service comes with particular hardships, and the children of military 
personnel often experience a measure of those difficulties. In the 
extreme, children may have to deal with the death of a parent in a far-
away country; or, less troubling but difficult nonetheless, moving from 
base to base as one or both parents are reassigned.
  Especially distinctive are the schools that serve students on 
military bases overseas. These students grow up in a foreign 
environment far from home and in a country where they may not speak the 
native language. The Department of Defense schools there provide a 
sense of home for these children and a network of adults to look after 
their educational needs.
  Schools that serve children of military families have a special 
mission, then, to pay careful attention to the effects of world affairs 
and military deployments on their students. The teachers and faculty at 
these schools provide an outstanding service, affording students a safe 
and reassuring environment.
  Military impacted schools provide superior counseling services to 
children, staff, and families of military personnel. From the death of 
a parent to a reassignment to a new community, school counselors serve 
as linchpins for students struggling through new and trying 
circumstances.
  Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in commending the efforts of 
military impacted schools to provide a safe and nurturing environment 
for children to learn and mature. These teachers, administrators, and 
other support staff play a pivotal role in supporting the brave men and 
women of our Armed Forces.
  I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this bill.

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