[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 147 (Monday, October 1, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H11034-H11036]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE SACRIFICES AND COMMITMENTS OF THE MEN, WOMEN, AND FAMILIES 
              OF THE UNITED STATES TRANSPORTATION COMMAND

  Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 640) honoring the sacrifices and commitments of the 
men, women, and families of the United States Transportation Command, 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 640

       Whereas the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Department of 
     Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-433) 
     revoked the law prohibiting consolidation of military 
     transportation functions, and President Reagan subsequently 
     ordered the establishment of a United States Transportation 
     Command;
       Whereas October 1, 2007, marks the 20th anniversary of the 
     activation of the Transportation Command at Scott Air Force 
     Base, Illinois;
       Whereas the Transportation Command is comprised of the Air 
     Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, the 
     Military Sealift Command at Washington, DC, and the Military 
     Surface Deployment and Distribution Command at Scott Air 
     Force Base, Illinois;
       Whereas the mission of Transportation Command is to provide 
     air, land, and sea transportation for the Department of 
     Defense, both in times of peace and war;
       Whereas Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm 
     first demonstrated the fully operational capability of the 
     Trans-
     portation Command with the movement of approximately 504,000 
     passengers, 3,700,000 tons of dry cargo, and 6,100,000 tons 
     of petroleum products in 7 months;
       Whereas the Transportation Command has continued to serve 
     the Nation during many contingency and peacekeeping 
     operations around the world, including United Nations 
     operations in Iraq, Rwanda, and Somalia, as well as North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization operations in Serbia and Kosovo;
       Whereas the Transportation Command has supported many 
     humanitarian relief operations transporting relief supplies 
     to victims of foreign and domestic natural disasters;
       Whereas after terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 people 
     and wounded thousands on September 11, 2001, the 
     Transportation Command became a vital asset in the global war 
     on terrorism, supporting members of the Armed Forces in 
     Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, in Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom, and around the world;
       Whereas from October 2001 to September 2007, the 
     Transportation Command, its components, and its national 
     partners have transported approximately 4,000,000 passengers, 
     9,000,000 short tons of cargo, and over 4,000,000,000 gallons 
     of fuel in support of the global war on terrorism; and
       Whereas the 2005 quadrennial defense review recognized the 
     importance of joint mobility and the critical role that it 
     plays in global power projection: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors the sacrifices and commitment of the 
     approximately 155,000 men and women who comprise the United 
     States Transportation Command, including active and reserve 
     components, civilian employees, and contractors;

[[Page H11035]]

       (2) honors the families of the United States Transportation 
     Command and their sacrifices while their loved ones are 
     deployed around the world;
       (3) owes the men, women, and families of the Transportation 
     Command a debt of gratitude; and
       (4) honors the achievements of the Transportation Command 
     during the global war on terrorism.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Castor) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 640, to 
honor the sacrifices and commitments of the men, women, and families of 
the United States Transportation Command, or TRANSCOM.
  Today marks the 20th anniversary of TRANSCOM's activation at Scott 
Air Force Base in Illinois, and I would like to thank my colleague from 
Illinois (Mr. Costello) for bringing this measure before the House.
  Charged with the vital duty of providing air, land and sea 
transportation for the Department of Defense, both in times of peace 
and war, TRANSCOM consists of the Air Mobility Command, the Military 
Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, and the Military Sea Lift 
Command.
  Established in 1978, TRANSCOM is the single manager of America's 
global defense transportation system, and its skilled coordination 
allows our country to project and sustain our Armed Forces whenever, 
wherever and for as long as they are needed.
  Responding quickly and effectively to the demands of our warfighting 
commanders, TRANSCOM first proved its crucial capability during 
Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, with the movement 
of more than 500,000 passengers, 3.7 million tons of dry cargo, and 6.1 
million tons of petroleum products in only 7 months.
  TRANSCOM has continued to serve the Nation and the world through many 
contingency and peacekeeping operations around the globe. It has 
supported numerous humanitarian relief operations, transporting 
supplies to victims of foreign and domestic natural disasters.
  Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, TRANSCOM became an 
especially vital asset to our Nation, supporting our Armed Forces in 
Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  From October 2001 to September 2007, TRANSCOM and its components have 
transported approximately 4 million passengers, 9 million tons of 
cargo, and over 4 billion gallons of fuel. House Resolution 640 honors 
these great achievements and the men and women who make them happen.
  TRANSCOM provides a vital service to our Nation and enables our Armed 
Forces to carry out their missions effectively and efficiently.
  I hope you will join me today in congratulating TRANSCOM on its 20th 
anniversary, and expressing gratitude to the 155,000 men and women who 
comprise it for their continued sacrifice and commitment to this 
country.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 640.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1445

  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 640, 
as amended, a resolution that honors the sacrifices and commitments of 
the men, women and families of the United States Transportation 
Command. U.S. TRANSCOM was established in 1987 as one of the nine U.S. 
unified commands. TRANSCOM is tasked with coordination of people and 
transportation assets to allow our country to sustain forces whenever, 
wherever and for as long as they are needed. The men, women and 
families of TRANSCOM have done an extraordinary job of supporting this 
Nation and our national defense over the past 20 years.
  I would like to take a moment to share a story with you that 
exemplifies the incredible capabilities of this unique organization. On 
an early morning in July, one of our sergeants was on a raid in Baghdad 
and found himself the victim of a brutal attack that resulted in a 
severe head injury. The soldier was immediately transported to Balad 
Air Base in Iraq for treatment. The wonderful people at the 332nd 
expeditionary medical group, whom I met on a recent trip to Iraq, 
examined this wounded soldier and determined that he needed to be 
quickly returned to the United States for a level of care that they 
could not provide in the field.
  This is the point where the amazing men and women of the U.S. 
TRANSCOM went into action. A C-17 crew was just getting ready to start 
their day making normal cargo runs around the theater. As they arrived 
for duty, they were told of the wounded soldier. They immediately began 
planning the mission to get him the critical care that he needed. While 
U.S. TRANSCOM deals with urgent requests almost daily, this one was 
different. The C-17 crew was notified that due to the nature of the 
sergeant's head injury, they would have to keep the cabin pressure no 
higher than 4,000 feet on the flight home. They were also told, by the 
way, that it wouldn't be prudent to land anywhere on their trip as the 
pressure changes from climbing and descending could trigger bleeding 
and the patient would possibly lose his life. In order to make the 
flight home at a lower than normal altitude, the C-17 would need to be 
refueled twice along the way. The folks at U.S. TRANSCOM coordinated 
for the air refueling support over Turkey and England. As the flight 
was en route, this refueling took place. The extraordinary skills and 
capabilities of U.S. TRANSCOM personnel brought that flight safely to 
the ground at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, in record time. The 
wounded soldier was under the care of a neurosurgeon at Bethesda less 
than 24 hours from the moment of attack.
  Now, that miracle is pretty impressive. But there are a few other 
details that you should know about this story. First of all, the C-17 
was a McChord Air Force Base, Washington, airplane, where I happen to 
serve. It was flown by an active duty crew from Charleston Air Force 
Base. The doctor who cared for the patient while in flight is a 
reservist from Langley Air Force Base. The nurse is also a reservist, 
but he is from MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. The rest of the 
critical care team is a part of the Air National Guard. The entire 
mission, Mr. Speaker, was being controlled from Scott Air Force Base, 
Illinois, by the Tanker Airlift Control Center. That is what U.S. 
TRANSCOM is all about, bringing together the mobility assets needed to 
support our war fighters to the medical service that they need.
  This is why I am proud to support H.R. 640. The men, women and 
families of U.S. TRANSCOM have served this Nation well. As we celebrate 
the 20th anniversary of U.S. TRANSCOM today, let's send them a strong 
message and support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Washington (Mr. 
Reichert), and I thank our colleague from Illinois (Mr. Costello) for 
bringing this resolution to the floor of the House, House Resolution 
640, honoring the sacrifices and commitments of the men, women and 
families of the United States Transportation Command.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 640.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 
640, a resolution honoring the United States Transportation Command (US 
TRANSCOM) on its 20th Anniversary at Scott AFB, IL. I would like to 
thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter for working with me to 
bring this to the floor expeditiously.
  TRANSCOM is responsible for creating and implementing first-class 
global deployment and distribution solutions to support the President, 
Secretary of Defense, and our Combatant Commander assigned missions.
  Scott AFB, home of US TRANSCOM, Air Mobility Command, the Surface 
Deployment and Distribution Command, the 375th AW, the

[[Page H11036]]

932nd AW, and the 126th ARW, among other units, have made countless 
contributions to the OEF/OIF.
  Since Oct 10, 2001, the US TRANSCOM has moved over 4 million 
passengers, almost 4.654 billion gallons of fuel, over 9.4 million tons 
of cargo, over 88,000 airlift missions, over 760 ship loads, more than 
164,000 rail car shipments, and approximately 2 million CONUS truck 
shipments.
  They have done all of this with only 2 fatalities in the aeromedical 
system. Those statistics demonstrate a remarkable commitment to 
excellence and an indication of true leadership, strong spirit and 
continued sacrifice.
  Each day, the people at TRANSCOM and Scott AFB and their families and 
friends, are asked to sacrifice for the good of our country. They make 
that sacrifice without hesitation and should be commended for it.
  Mr. Speaker, as we mark TRANSCOM's 20th anniversary at Scott AFB, I 
would like to commend General Norton Schwartz and the men and women who 
serve with him. It is truly an honor to have this command at Scott AFB 
and I look forward to countless more years of this unique partnership. 
I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring TRANSCOM and supporting 
this resolution.
  Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 640, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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