[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 127 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S10879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  APPLAUDING EDMONSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to applaud the patriotism 
and service of the residents of Edmonson County in my home State of 
Kentucky. Earlier this week, the local Bowling Green, KY, newspaper, 
the Daily News, published an article entitled ``Edmonson Leads U.S. in 
Army Recruitment.'' Edmonson County, located in the central part of the 
State, has the highest percentage of Army recruits in the country--
quite an accomplishment, and a wonderful symbol of patriotism and sense 
of service that is evident not just in Edmonson County, but throughout 
the Commonwealth. According to the Army, Edmonson County ``produced the 
most enlistments for the Regular Army, Non-Prior Service'' as compared 
to the total national population of 15-24 year olds.
  Kentucky has a proud military heritage. The Bluegrass State is home 
to widely recognized military installations such as Fort Knox and Fort 
Campbell. Our Guard and Reserve units continue to proudly serve on the 
front lines of the global war on terror. The people of Edmonson County 
are carrying on Kentucky's longstanding history of service and are 
proving their dedication and support as the United States continues to 
fight the terrorism. I am proud to represent such loyal and selfless 
citizens.
  Mr. President, I ask that the entire Senate join me in expressing 
great admiration and gratitude to the people of Edmonson County, KY, 
for their patriotism and service. I ask unanimous consent that the full 
article from the Daily News be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

           [From the Bowling Green Daily News, July 29, 2007]

                Edmonson Leads U.S. in Army Recruitment

                         (By Ameerah Cetawayo)

       Edmonson County, the home of nationally known Mammoth Cave 
     National Park, made headlines recently for another reason--
     having the highest percentage of Army recruits in the 
     country.
       For every 1,000 young people in the county, about 11 of 
     them decided to join the military in 2006.
       For a county of about 12,000 people, the statistics magnify 
     patriotic values, as well as the notion that more people from 
     Edmonson County are leaving for Bowling Green and surrounding 
     areas, according to leaders in the educational and business 
     community.
       According to military data analyzed by the National 
     Priorities Project, a nonprofit research organization, 
     Kentucky ranked 27th in the nation for the percentage of Army 
     recruits.
       The Army recruited 990 people from the commonwealth last 
     year, about a 3 percent increase from 2005, according to NPP.
       Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Defense said the 
     Army failed to meet its goal of 8,400 recruits for June by 
     about 16 percent, with only 7,031 nationwide joining.
       Brian Alexander, principal of Edmonson County High School, 
     said having options for college is one explanation for why 
     Edmonson County ranked high. Alexander said the latest 
     graduating class of a little over 100 earned $250,000 in 
     scholarships.
       ``Our kids are looking for opportunities. Right now, the 
     military offers substantial financial opportunity to allow 
     young men and women to pursue post-secondary careers,'' 
     Alexander said, adding that joining the military also gives 
     young people the opportunity to see different parts of the 
     world.
       Take a look at Edmonson County's courthouse in Brownsville 
     and it's easy to see that military organizations are very 
     active in the area, according to Edmonson County Schools 
     Superintendent Patrick Waddell.
       ``One of the biggest reasons we probably have ranked high 
     in that area is we're a very patriotic county,'' he said. 
     ``The different services of the military are very active in 
     the county. They do a lot of programs that are 
     extracurricular activities in the middle school and high 
     school.''
       Waddell also said the percentage who go to college or a 
     technical or trade school would be about the same as other 
     districts.
       ``Being proud of your community and proud of your county 
     and being proud of America, that's a very positive attribute 
     of Edmonson County,'' Waddell said.
       Sarah Childress, executive director of the Edmonson County 
     Chamber of Commerce, said small-town values are alive and 
     well in Edmonson County.
       ``I'm not saying things are different here, but it may have 
     something to do with the way young people have been raised, 
     to have that instilled in them at a young age, to want to 
     serve their country,'' Childress said.
       The appearance of a lesser amount of opportunities in 
     Edmonson County may be a small factor also, she said.
       ``Anyone can go to Bowling Green, Louisville and Nashville 
     and find a good job and commute. They can move if they 
     want,'' Childress said. ``We don't have a lot of industry 
     here.''
       The biggest employer in Edmonson County is the board of 
     education, followed by the county's highway department and 
     local banks, Childress said.
       ``There is something out there for everybody, and Bowling 
     Green is growing so much and moving even closer to southern 
     Edmonson County,'' he said. ``There is so much industry going 
     on in Bowling Green there is plenty out there for 
     everybody.''
       Other recruiting and retention statistics for the active 
     and reserve components last month showed:
       The Navy finished with 3,999 recruits. Its goal was 3,924. 
     The Marine Corps exceeded its goal by recruiting 4,113 new 
     Marines; its goal was 3,742. The Air Force met its goal of 
     2,233 recruits.
       Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force met or exceeded 
     overall active duty retention missions.
       Five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their 
     Reserve forces recruiting goals in June. The Air National 
     Guard was the only reserve component to miss its goal, 
     finishing at 75 percent with 779 of its goal of 1,036. The 
     Army National Guard recruited 5,342 soldiers surpassing its 
     goal of 5,338. The Army Reserve and Navy Reserve finished at 
     108 percent of their goals with 5,255 and 1,013 recruits, 
     respectively.
       The Marine Corps Reserve recruited 1,078 Marines, 
     surpassing its goal of 986 at 109 percent. The Air Force 
     Reserve met its goal of 597 recruits.
       Reserve forces retention numbers show Army National Guard 
     retention was 107 percent of the cumulative goal of 26,405, 
     and Air National Guard retention was 98 percent of its 
     cumulative goal of 8,430. Both the Army and Air Guard are 
     currently at 101 percent and 99 percent of their end 
     strength, respectively. Losses in all reserve components for 
     May are well within acceptable limits, according to the 
     DOD.--Source: U.S. Department of Defense

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