[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 8, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H4194-H4197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE SACRIFICES BEING MADE BY FAMILIES OF MEMBERS OF THE 
                              ARMED FORCES

  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 159) 
recognizing the sacrifices being made by the families of members of the 
Armed Forces and supporting the designation of a week as National 
Military Families Week, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 159

       Whereas the people of the United States have a sincere 
     appreciation for the sacrifices being made by the families of 
     members of the Armed Forces while their loved ones are 
     deployed in the service of their country;
       Whereas military families face unique challenges while 
     their loved ones are deployed because of the lengthy and 
     dangerous nature of these deployments;
       Whereas the strain on military family life is further 
     increased when these deployments become more frequent;
       Whereas military families on the home front remain 
     resilient because of their comprehensive and responsive 
     support system;
       Whereas the brave members of the Armed Forces who have 
     defended the United States since September 11, 2001, continue 
     to have incredible, unending support from their families; and
       Whereas the week of June 12, 2005, has been proposed to be 
     designated as National Military Families Week: Now, therefore 
     be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That the Congress--
       (1) recognizes the sacrifices of military families and the 
     support they provide for their loved ones serving as members 
     of the Armed Forces; and
       (2) supports the designation of a week as National Military 
     Families Week.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Jones) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Boren) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones).


                             General Leave

  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks on the concurrent resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 159, offered today by the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman). Today as we continue to fight 
the global war on terrorism, it is entirely appropriate to honor the 
families of servicemembers who make sacrifices just as real, and no 
less difficult, as those who deploy to the war fighting zones.
  America may not realize it, but in the last 30 years, the military 
has gone from a predominantly single male establishment to one with a 
greater emphasis on family. In 1974, for example, 40 percent of 
enlisted members were married. Today, nearly 50 percent of the active 
and Reserve component enlisted members on active duty are married. 
Among officers, 68 percent of active duty officers and 73 percent of 
Reserve component officers are married.
  There is another story to be told by these statistics. America has 
become heavily reliant on its Reserve components, the National Guard, 
the Army and Marine Corps Reserves and the Reserves of the other 
services. So the burden and sacrifice of war is not confined

[[Page H4195]]

to a small portion of America's military. The effort by military 
families is taking place in many of the small towns, cities, and 
counties that each of us represents.
  In my view, all military families have responded magnificently. So 
today I call upon my colleagues to support this resolution to honor 
military families, to thank them for what they have done, and to ask 
them for their continued support.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1030

  Mr. BOREN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 159, which proposes 
to designate the week of June 12, 2005, as National Military Families 
Week. I want to commend the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) and 
the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth), the bill's sponsors, 
for bringing this matter to the House.
  Today, over 280,000 of the 1.4 million soldiers, sailors, airmen, and 
Marines are currently deployed around the globe; and, of those 
currently deployed, more than 200,000 are serving in the CENTCOM area 
of operation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation 
Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. And I am especially proud of the men 
and women in uniform from my home State of Oklahoma.
  However, times have changed since we drafted young, single service 
members. Compared to those earlier years, many of today's professional 
volunteer forces are married and have families. Today, there are 
approximately 700,000 spouses and more than 1.2 million dependent 
children between the ages of birth and 18 years, and those numbers 
continue to climb after each deployment.
  A National Military Families Week will provide an opportunity to 
allow the Nation to recognize the sacrifices not only of those who 
serve in uniform but of the sacrifices that the families make as well. 
Military families left behind often face a myriad of challenges when a 
loved one is deployed. Fear, disappointment, depression, anger, 
respect, admiration, joy, and pride are just a few of the feelings that 
military families face during those months of separation. Many children 
will be born while a parent is deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq. 
Tragically, some of them will never know their parent who served in 
uniform.
  More so than ever, military families are facing birthdays, they are 
facing proms, graduations, holidays, and weddings and other family 
events without their service member. So it is fitting that our Nation 
recognizes the sacrifices being made by military families and 
appreciate their contributions during a National Military Families Week 
with appropriate observance and celebration.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman), who 
introduced this resolution.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support H. Con. Res. 159 
to recognize the sacrifices being made by the family members of the 
Armed Forces and to support the designation of the week of June 12 as 
National Military Families Week. I want to thank the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Jones) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Boren) 
for their leadership on this issue.
  Over the last several years I have traveled around the world and met 
many young men and women serving our country. They have dedicated their 
lives to defending this Nation and the principles on which it was 
founded. They have dedicated their lives to protecting each of us and 
our families.
  We have seen an increased awareness of the sacrifices these men and 
women have been making. Yet there are many more people that are being 
overlooked. There are husbands and wives who remain here in the United 
States while their spouses are making an enormous sacrifice. They are 
here working and caring for children and other family members left 
behind. These families face unique challenges while their loved ones 
are deployed. Yet they remain resilient because of the wonderful 
support system they have here at home.
  As we designate a week to recognize and celebrate these families, I 
urge our citizens to come forward to support these families. We must 
get involved in our local communities. Several foundations, like the 
Armed Forces Foundation, the Wounded Warrior Foundation, and the Love 
Gift Fund, are busy assisting these families and need our help to carry 
on.
  I also want to thank the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth), 
who is a cosponsor of this bill who is unable to be here this morning.
  Recently, I was in Landstuhl in Germany. This is the base that, when 
the soldiers are injured, they immediately come to out of Iraq. I was 
there, and we were in the intensive care unit.
  A young man that had been wounded on night patrol, I was there in the 
afternoon, and he had been wounded at four o'clock the previous 
evening, had lost both his legs below the waist. He wanted to tell his 
story to us. They literally pulled out the breathing apparatus. He 
apologized that he could not speak very well and was telling his story, 
related what had happened. But the first thing he wanted to know was 
how his wife was doing and was there any way that we could get them 
paired up, and we reassured him that he would be with her the next day.
  But, truly, we have situations like this occurring. We have 
situations like that. We have got just the day-to-day situation of the 
separation, the anxiety and things that are going on. So we have a 
great opportunity. And I want to thank the leadership and I want to 
thank their staff for giving me the opportunity to bring this 
resolution to the floor and encourage Members to vote for it and then 
again just encourage our community and country to take the opportunity 
to remember these people, not only in their thoughts and prayers but by 
deeds and action.
  Mr. BOREN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson).
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman 
from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) for yielding me this time.
  It is a great honor for me to be here today to speak on behalf of 
House Current Resolution 159, and I want to congratulate the authors, 
the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) for his leadership in 
recognizing the importance of military families and designating June 12 
as National Military Families Week.
  As I stand before this Chamber, I am very grateful to let the Members 
know that my appreciation of military families is because we are one, 
and I am very grateful that our family has multiple generations of 
recognition of how extraordinary it is and what a great honor it is to 
represent the people of the United States in uniform.
  As I think about the multiple generations, I was inspired by my dad, 
who served in the Flying Tigers during World War II, the 14th Air 
Force; and I had the extraordinary opportunity 2 years ago to visit 
with President Jiang Zemin of China, who told me of how the American 
military is revered in China for the liberation of their country during 
World War II.
  Additionally, I am inspired because of my late father-in-law, who 
served in the U.S. Marines during World War II. He had been advised 
that it was impossible for the American Marines to capture the Japanese 
headquarters at Okinawa, Shuri Castle. It had been fortified and 
refortified for 400 years, and of course the U.S. Marines took that as 
a challenge, and they did capture Shuri Castle, and I am very grateful 
that my late father-in-law was awarded the Navy Cross. But he 
understood sacrifice. He, following the conflict on Okinawa, was shot 
in the back by a sniper, and he spent the rest of his life in a 
wheelchair. But he never regretted his service to the American people.
  And the inspiration was to me. I had the privilege of serving 31 
years in the Army National Guard, and the reason I stayed in so long is 
because the people that we meet in the military are dedicated, they are 
competent, they are patriotic. They are people that inspire people to 
want to be associated with

[[Page H4196]]

them, and I urge young people in particular and families to get 
involved in the military process.
  I also want to give credit to my wife, Roxanne. She has had the great 
experience of raising three sons who are currently serving in the 
military today. Our oldest son, Alan, returned in February from serving 
1 year and a day in Iraq in the Army National Guard. We are very proud 
of him. He is classic National Guard. He was mobilized 16 months ago. 
He was retrained, served for a year in Iraq. He has come back, and now 
he is Assistant District Attorney in our home county. In fact, this 
week he had his first case that began at the courthouse. So it is a 
real testimonial to our Guard members, how they can serve and be 
citizen soldiers and be proud of serving.
  Additionally, our second son 2 weeks ago was promoted to lieutenant 
in the U.S. Navy, and he is currently serving at the U.S. Naval 
Hospital in San Diego. We are very proud that he and his wife and two 
young sons have what I hope will be a long-term career in the U.S. 
Navy.
  And then this week is a big week for our family in that on Friday our 
third son will be graduating from officer basic school at Fort Gordon, 
Georgia. So I am really hopeful that we get out of here early enough on 
Thursday so I can fly to Columbia and drive to Augusta so I can see his 
graduation.
  So as I tell the Members how much I appreciate military families, 
indeed it is very personal; and I am so grateful for leadership here in 
Congress of both parties to recognize families.
  I have to point out that I just arrived back last week from my fourth 
visit to Iraq, and I had the opportunity to meet firsthand with our 
troops in Fallujah. I had the opportunity to meet with our troops at 
Balad and then at Camp Victory, and we got to meet with the generals. 
We got to meet with people from our home State, young enlisted 
personnel, the junior officers. The enthusiasm of our troops, the 
morale of our troops, just can warm the hearts of family members and 
also their employers back at home.
  A difference is being made. Our troops understand in the war on 
terror that they are protecting the American families by taking the war 
to the enemy oversees and that protects American families whom we are 
recognizing today.
  So, again, I want to thank the leaders on this particular bill. I 
want to urge support of my colleagues of H. Con. Resolution 159.
  And, in conclusion, God bless our troops; and we will never forget 
September 11.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Boren) and certainly 
the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman), who introduced this 
resolution, and my good friend from South Carolina.
  I want to make just a few comments, and then I will close.
  This is such an important time in the history of our Nation. It is 
such an important thing that we are doing today in remembering the 
families. As the Members can see, in front of me is a photograph of a 
Marine who was getting ready to be deployed. This was a few years ago. 
In fact, this was before Iraq and Afghanistan. Major Trenchard was 
getting ready to be deployed to Bosnia, and I have had this photograph 
for probably 8 years. It is just the greatest shot I have ever seen. 
Standing on his big boots, we can see his little girl named Megan. This 
was taken by a newspaper in my State of North Carolina. He is a big 
man, as we can tell from the photograph, and he is holding in his hands 
his daughter Bridget.
  I believe this is what we are here today about. That is, to thank 
those who wear the uniform, thank the families who stand beside them. 
Many times, it is a husband when it is the wife in the military and the 
wife is overseas, but most of the time it is the wife who is at home 
and the husband oversees and the wife taking care of the children.
  I think about the district I represent, Camp Lejeune Marine Base, 
Cherry Point Marine Air Station, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and I 
want to share with my colleagues on the floor today that in the 11 
years I have been in office, I do not have a military background but I 
have a real sincere appreciation for those who do wear the uniform and 
their families; and I want to share very briefly in the few minutes I 
have left some of my thoughts about being in Congress and what has 
happened that maybe impacted my life that I will never forget that 
really dealt with military families.
  One being that the third year I was in office I got a call from Mrs. 
Gloria Underwood in Goldsboro, North Carolina, whose husband, Colonel 
Paul Underwood, was shot down, a fighter pilot, Air Force, in Vietnam. 
And she called me. I did not know her, and she did not really know me 
except she knew I was elected to Congress. She said, ``We are going to 
have a service at Arlington. My husband is coming home 30 years after 
he was shot down and killed.''
  I never will forget that day. It was in the fall. It was not too 
cold, but it was cool. My staff and I went over to the chapel at 
Arlington. It happened to be a Catholic service, and I just sat there 
looking at the children of Colonel Paul Underwood. He represented all 
who have ever fought in war that did not come home.

                              {time}  1045

  Mrs. Underwood represented the families whose family member did not 
come home. When I looked at the children in that chapel and looked at 
Mrs. Underwood and thought for almost 30 years they did not have a 
husband, they did not have a father, I thought, what a price to pay. 
But thank God for those like Colonel Underwood who are willing to pay 
the price so that we can enjoy the freedom in this great Nation known 
as America.
  The other story I would like to share very quickly, and I am going to 
put another photograph up, if I may, this is a photograph of a child 
whose name is Tyler Jordan. Tyler's father was a gunny sergeant, 
actually at one time stationed at Camp Lejeune, and his name was 
Phillip Jordan.
  I saw this photograph in a newspaper, and I was so taken by the look 
on this young boy's face. He has got the folded flag under his arm, he 
has got a little flight jacket on, and he is holding the hand of a 
military person. You can tell that by the uniform.
  This reminded me of a Marine whose funeral I went to at Camp Lejeune. 
His name was Michael Bitz. Michael was 31 years old. He was killed at 
Fallujah. He left a wife, Janina, and four children, including twins 
that he never saw. The twins were born 2 months after he was deployed.
  At the funeral, she read the last letter she received from him, and I 
remember four points very quickly, and then I will make a couple more 
comments and close.
  He talked about how much he missed his family and how much he 
appreciated the photograph of the twins. He talked about the fact he 
was a religious man, that Jesus Christ was so important in his life. He 
made a third point in the letter. He said, ``I hope that He,'' meaning 
the Lord, ``will give me the strength to do what I am supposed to do 
for my country.'' Then the fourth point was he said to Janina, ``I 
don't know if I will see you on Earth or in heaven, but one day we will 
be back together.''
  I share that because I think this ties right into this resolution 
introduced by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Boozman) and supported by 
both sides. Too many times, unless we have a loved one in the military, 
we forget the stress, the pressure, that is on the family. That is why 
I think this resolution is so, so vital today.
  Madam Speaker, one other point I want to make, and this was given to 
me earlier, there is an article in today's USA Today, June 8, and it 
talks about soldiers' divorce rates are up sharply. I wanted to read 
one thing very quickly:
  ``The trend is severest among officers. Last year, 3,325 army 
officers' marriages ended in divorce, up 78 percent from 2003, the year 
of the Iraq invasion, and more than 3\1/2\ times the number in 2000, 
before the Afghanistan operation. Army figures show for enlisted 
personnel, the 7,152 divorces last year were 28 percent more than in 
2003, and up 53 percent from 2000.''
  Madam Speaker, I share that as we begin to close this debate. It is 
important what we are doing today with this resolution. It is important 
that we as a

[[Page H4197]]

Congress, as we always do in a bipartisan way, work for our military 
and their families. We shall never forget the cost of freedom, and I 
know that the people in America feel as passionately as I do, that we 
need to always remember that those who wear the uniform, whether it is 
peacetime or wartime, must be supported and their families, with the 
quality-of-life issues, must be maintained adequately.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
this resolution recognizing the families of the members of the U.S. 
Armed Forces and supporting the designation of National Military 
Families Week.
  I commend the gentleman from Arkansas for introducing this important 
tribute to the families of our brave men and women in Iraq, Afghanistan 
and along the front lines of the global war on terrorism. American 
families with sons and daughters deployed overseas deserve our 
recognition for the support and comfort they provide every day.
  Nearly 40 percent of service men and women who are currently deployed 
or away from their permanent duty stations have left famlies with 
children, and there are over 3,000,000 family members and dependents of 
those serving on active duty and in the reserves. These families share 
unique challenges as they endure unpredictable recalls, extended tours 
of duty, and deployments that can be as frustrating and painful as 
recovering from the traumas of war and the readjustment to life back 
home.
  By passing this resolution today, military families will know that 
America understands and appreciates the critically important link 
between the support they provide and the readiness of our troops. 
Having honored our fallen this past Memorial Day, we extend our 
appreciation to the active duty and reserve personnel, as well as their 
families, who continue making sacrifices to help our troops honor their 
commitments to the Armed Forces and to our Nation.
  Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution 
and look forward to working toward providing military families the 
assistance they deserve for their many contributions and dedication to 
our troops.
  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 159 
because now it is more important than ever for our Nation to show our 
support for our warfighters. While our Armed Forces are engaged in 
struggles in Afghanistan against the terrorists that attacked our 
Nation--and deployed against insurgents in Iraq--they represent the 
interests of our Nation.
  We are at war; and the people who carry the guns and go after our 
enemies have a job that is harder than any of us can imagine. This 
Nation asks our men and women in the armed service to carry out a 
mission in which their lives are frequently in danger. Many do not come 
home to their families' arms. The ones who do come home must cope with 
new realities in their lives, and in the lives of their families.
  As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, there's a 
wisdom to our recruitment. First, you recruit a soldier. When he re-
enlists, you recruit the whole family. Much of our retention problems 
stem from families simply not being able to handle the emotional strain 
of a loved one serving, plus the financial detriment military service 
can present.
  While loved ones are away serving our Nation in uniform, families are 
left with only one parent and all the responsibility of the family. In 
the case of National Guard and Reserve service members, it nearly 
always leaves the family with much less earning power and the entire 
family must make do with less. This breeds a number of challenges for 
military families.
  While we in Congress must do all we can to help those families 
financially and with appropriate health care and other quality of life 
components . . . the least we can do today is to have a special week to 
recognize the difficulties that our military families live through 
every day. We must remember their sacrifices every day, but it is 
useful and educational to take a week to officially honor the sacrifice 
of the families of those who wear the uniform of the United States.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Miller of Michigan). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) 
that the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent 
resolution, H. Con. Res. 159, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as 
amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________