[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 23, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H2630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRATULATING THE ARMY RESERVE ON ITS CENTENNIAL
(Mr. GINGREY asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, Public Law 101 was signed into law by
President Theodore Roosevelt 100 years ago today on April 23, 1908.
Accordingly, I rise to congratulate the Army Reserve on its centennial.
First conceived by President Roosevelt and senior military leaders as
a means to increase the efficiency of the Army's Medical Corps by
establishing a reserve force of specially trained personnel, the
mission of the Army Reserve has since been expanded to include
additional military occupational specialties. Indeed, it is testament
to the stature of the Reserve that it now provides nearly 40 percent of
the mission-essential combat support and combat service support forces
of the Army.
Moreover, Mr. Speaker, since September 11, 2001, 98 percent of Army
Reserve units have either deployed or provided mobilized soldiers, and
more than 180,000 individual soldiers have been mobilized or deployed
in support of this global war on terrorism.
As we honor the Army Reserve on its centennial, I would like to pay
tribute to all of our citizen soldiers, past and present, whose
personal courage, contributions, and sacrifices have helped preserve
the freedom and advance the national security and homeland defense of
the United States.
____________________