[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 138 (Tuesday, September 18, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S11667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 319--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE 
      UNITED STATES TRANSPORTATION COMMAND ON ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY

  Mr. DURBIN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Armed Services:

                              S. Res. 319

       Whereas the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense 
     Reorganization Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-433) revoked 
     prohibitions on the consolidation of military transportation 
     functions, and President Reagan subsequently ordered the 
     establishment of a unified transportation command within the 
     Armed Forces;
       Whereas October 1, 2007, marks the 20th year anniversary of 
     the activation of the United States Transportation Command at 
     Scott Air Force Base, Illinois;
       Whereas the United States Transportation Command consists 
     of--
       (1) the United States Transportation Command at Scott Air 
     Force Base, Illinois;
       (2) the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, 
     Illinois;
       (3) the Military Sealift Command in Washington, District of 
     Columbia; and
       (4) the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution 
     Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois;
       Whereas Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm 
     provided a wartime test for the United States Transportation 
     Command, resulting in a command that is fully operational in 
     both peacetime and wartime;
       Whereas the United States Transportation Command has 
     continued to prove its worth during United States contingency 
     operations, such as Operation Desert Thunder (enforcing 
     United Nations resolutions in Iraq) and Operation Allied 
     Force (North Atlantic Treaty Organization operations against 
     Serbia), and United States peacekeeping endeavors, such as 
     Operation Restore Hope (in Somalia), Operation Support Hope 
     (in Rwanda), Operation Uphold Democracy (in Haiti), Operation 
     Joint Endeavor (in Bosnia-Herzegovina), and Operation Joint 
     Guardian (in Kosovo);
       Whereas the United States Transportation Command has also 
     supported numerous humanitarian relief operations 
     transporting relief supplies to victims of natural disasters 
     at home and abroad;
       Whereas the United States Transportation Command is a vital 
     element in the war against terrorism, supporting the Armed 
     Forces around the world;
       Whereas since October 2001, the United States 
     Transportation Command, and its components and national 
     partners, have transported nearly 4,000,000 passengers, 
     9,000,000 short tons of cargo, and more than 
     4,000,000,000,000 gallons of fuel in support of the war on 
     terrorism;
       Whereas in 2003 the Secretary of Defense designated the 
     Commander of the United States Transportation Command as 
     Distribution Process Owner to serve as the single Department 
     of Defense entity to ``improve the overall efficiency and 
     interoperability of distribution related activities--
     deployment, sustainment and redeployment support during peace 
     and war'';
       Whereas the Quadrennial Defense Review of 2005 recognized 
     the importance of joint mobility and the critical role that 
     it plays in global power projection; cited the successful 
     investment in cargo transportability, strategic lift, and 
     pre-positioned stock; and called for continued 
     recapitalization and modernization of the airlift and aerial 
     tanker fleet; and
       Whereas the assigned responsibilities of the United States 
     Transportation Command include--
       (1) providing common-user and commercial transportation, 
     terminal management, and aerial refueling;
       (2) providing global patient movement for the Department of 
     Defense through the Defense Transportation System;
       (3) serving as the Mobility Joint Force Provider; and
       (4) serving as Distribution Process Owner for the 
     Department of Defense: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) honors the sacrifice and commitment of the 155,000 
     members of the Armed Forces (including the National Guard and 
     Reserve) and civilian employees and contractors that comprise 
     the United States Transportation Command and recognizes the 
     debt of gratitude of the American people;
       (2) honors the families of United States Transportation 
     Command members and recognizes their sacrifices while their 
     loved ones are deployed around the world; and
       (3) recognizes the success of United States Transportation 
     Command over the last 20 years and its continuing vital 
     contributions to the war against terrorism.

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