[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 146 (Monday, September 15, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H8062-H8064]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING MILITARY SUPPORT GROUPS

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1200) honoring the dedication and outstanding 
work of military support groups across the country for their steadfast 
support of the members of our Armed Forces and their families, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1200

       Whereas more than 1,700,000 members of the Armed Forces 
     have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since September 
     2001, and nearly 611,000 have been deployed more than once;
       Whereas more than 782,000 members of our Armed Forces 
     deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are parents with 1 or more 
     children, and nearly 35,000 troops have been separated from 
     their children for 4 or more deployments;
       Whereas as of May 3, 2008, 4,059 members of our Armed 
     Forces have died and 30,004 have been wounded in action in 
     Iraq, while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom;
       Whereas as of May 3, 2008, 491 members of our Armed Forces 
     have died and 1,944 have been wounded in action in 
     Afghanistan, while deployed in support of Operation Enduring 
     Freedom;
       Whereas members of our Armed Forces and their families 
     deserve all the medical, financial, education, and moral 
     support that our Nation can provide;
       Whereas the spouses, children, family, friends, coworkers, 
     and neighbors of members of our Armed Forces play a key role 
     in the success of our Nation's troops;
       Whereas Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has recognized 
     the families and community members who support America's 
     troops as ``the power behind the power'' and the Department 
     of Defense has created the America Supports You program to 
     recognize the efforts of those citizens and organizations;
       Whereas military support groups play a crucial role in 
     supporting every family member and loved one of members of 
     our Armed Forces;
       Whereas military support groups provide a variety of 
     crucial services to members of our Armed Forces and their 
     families, including financial assistance, employment 
     assistance, tax return preparation, counseling, prayer 
     groups, and sending care packages; and
       Whereas military support groups provide a compassionate 
     community and incalculable moral support to the hundreds of 
     thousands of military families with loved ones at home and 
     deployed overseas: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the 
     dedication and outstanding work of military support groups 
     across the country for their steadfast support of the members 
     of our Armed Forces and their families.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. 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 Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might 
consume.
  I rise today in support of House Resolution 1200, honoring the 
dedication and the outstanding work of military support groups for 
their steadfast work on behalf of the members of the Armed Forces and 
their families.
  Over 1.7 million military men and women have deployed to Iraq and 
Afghanistan since September of 2001, many of whom have been deployed 
more than once. These military men and women have left behind beloved 
parents, siblings and spouses. More than 782,000 children have had 
parents leave the confines of their home to serve the Nation nobly. 
These soldiers and their families face a daily struggle with constant 
and sustained deployments. Children are left to cope with the 
difficulties of a sustained deployment with one parent supporting the 
family, and some are even left with other family members.
  Military men and women and their families make tremendous sacrifices 
every single day to serve and protect our country. These heroes deserve 
all the medical, the financial, the educational and moral support that 
our Nation can provide them. Military support groups, with that mission 
in mind, work diligently to provide essential support and services to 
the members of the Armed Forces and their families. They provide a 
compassionate community of supporters to military families, whether 
their loved ones are at home or abroad. Whether it's finding a job, 
replacing a broken oven in a home, or offering moral support by sending 
care packages to soldiers abroad, our American military support groups 
and their volunteers work tirelessly to serve the men and women who 
serve to protect our way of life.
  The positive impact that military support groups have on our soldiers 
and their families is invaluable. As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates 
recognized, the families and community members who support America's 
troops are ``the power behind the power.'' You can go to the America 
Supports You Web site which lists the hundreds of military support 
groups across our country. The Web site also has many

[[Page H8063]]

stories of dedication, hope, kindness and generosity.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1200 is our way, in Congress, of 
honoring the commitment and the outstanding work of military support 
groups and their volunteers across the country for their unwavering 
support of America's troops and their families. We honor their selfless 
service to American troops and their loved ones. As a cosponsor of 
House Resolution 1200, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of 
this very important resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Let me begin on a personal note. I just want to say what a great 
pleasure it is for me, Mr. Speaker, to manage this bill and the series 
of bills with my good friend from Guam whom I sit on the House Armed 
Services Committee with and the Natural Resources Committee with and 
whom I've been to Iraq three times with. I know of nobody that cares 
more about our military and men and women in uniform than my good 
friend from Guam, so it's wonderful to be with her in this particular 
venue today.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1200, a 
resolution authored by Congresswoman Betty Sutton of Ohio. This 
resolution commends a large group of selfless and dedicated people, 
many of whom are volunteers, in organizations that provide support to 
the families and children of the deployed members of the Armed Forces, 
as well as to servicemembers themselves.
  Our military families face extraordinary demands and stresses, Mr. 
Speaker, and challenges related to the service of their loved ones. To 
ease these burdens, military support groups provide a variety of 
crucial services ranging from financial and employment assistance to 
counseling and community support.
  These military support groups take on various forms, whether they be 
Federal, State and local government efforts, or whether they are the 
many nonprofit, charitable and private efforts that have continuously 
and unselfishly supported the members of our Armed Forces and their 
families ever since September 11, 2001.
  Among the approximately 1.8 million family members of the 1.3 million 
active duty personnel, the needs are many and supporting those needs is 
a matter of military readiness.
  The support challenge is made more complex because virtually all the 
families of the National Guard troops and reservists reside in civilian 
communities spread across this Nation. Yet numerous agencies, Mr. 
Speaker, and groups have taken on the challenge to provide help and 
support, particularly during extended periods of mobilization and 
deployment.
  Our military forces could not have sustained the stress of repeated 
deployments and combat without the outstanding assistance, dedication 
and outstanding work over the years of these military support groups.
  Let me add on a personal note, if I may, Mr. Speaker, my grandfather 
and father were both career military personnel. And like many people in 
this Chamber, I have many members of my family, uncles, cousins, my own 
brother, who served at various points in the military. All of them 
would tell you that they have received valuable support for both 
themselves and their families repeatedly from private and charitable 
groups that are designed to support the men and women that wear the 
uniform of the United States. Our citizens do that, not simply because 
it's the expedient thing to do, but because it's the right thing to do, 
and it's an expression of the appreciation of the American people for 
the men and women who sacrifice to defend them that these sorts of 
contributions take place. Today's resolution is a fitting way to 
celebrate and thank such organizations.
  I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1200.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to my 
friend and colleague, the original sponsor of this important 
resolution, the gentlelady from Ohio (Ms. Sutton).
  Ms. SUTTON. I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on this issue, 
and I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for his eloquence in speaking 
to it as well.
  I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in support of House Resolution 1200, a 
resolution I introduced to honor some of the unsung heroes of our 
Nation. They are our military support groups.
  All across our great Nation and throughout the world, our troops and 
their families are making incredible sacrifices for our country. Since 
2001, more than 1.7 million members of the Armed Forces have been 
deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. And many of these brave men and women 
are being sent back for numerous tours of duty, and each time they 
represent our country with honor and a proud sense of duty. And we must 
never forget the incredible service they provide for our great Nation.
  We, as Members of Congress, must do everything in our power to ease 
the burden their service places on them and their families.
  One incredible source of support and assistance for our troops and 
their families are military support groups. All across our country, 
servicemembers and their families and friends have formed these crucial 
support networks.
  Military support groups offer a variety of important services to 
members of our Armed Forces and their families. From providing 
financial assistance, employment assistance and tax return preparation, 
to offering counseling and prayer groups, sending care packages and 
writing letters, support groups serve a vital purpose within the 
military family and within our communities.
  My bill, House Resolution 1200, honors the dedication and outstanding 
work of military support groups across this country for their steadfast 
support of the members of our Armed Forces and their families.
  I'm very proud, Mr. Speaker, that one of these support groups, Family 
and Friends Connected, is based in Akron, Ohio, in my congressional 
district. This group was started by one of my constituents, Saundra 
Hunt. With a daughter in the Air Force and a son in the Marine Corps, 
Saundra knows more than a thing or two about the need to support our 
military families. And so, on November 9, 2001, Saundra established 
Family and Friends Connected to bring military families together. And 
on the second Friday of every month, military families and friends from 
all over northeastern Ohio come together to support one another. They 
come from Akron and Barberton and Canton and Cleveland; they come from 
Cuyahoga Falls, and Copley and Dover and Hartville, Hudson, Stow and 
Tallmadge and Wadsworth. They come together to find common support.
  I want to take a moment and recognize Saundra, who took her own 
family's experience and used it to make a positive impact on the lives 
of others in the same situation. Saundra dedicates a listening ear to 
military families, and is available to them at every hour, day or 
night. Because of her endless commitment and compassion, there is an 
obvious love for her within the group.
  I've had the honor and privilege of attending one of their meetings, 
and I can attest firsthand to the dedication and the uplifting 
camaraderie of those who participate in Family and Friends Connected.
  Saundra and the Family and Friends Connected are just one example of 
the many support groups across the country that have provided endless 
amounts of time, energy and compassion to our military families. These 
are people who truly understand what military families go through, and 
they provide very real comfort and support for one another.
  The kindness and understanding these groups provide to our 
servicemembers and to each other is nothing short of inspirational. It 
is such an important service for our Nation's military families and 
yet, Mr. Speaker, they ask for nothing in return. They do it because of 
a love of country, a respect for service, and an understanding of the 
sacrifices that our military families so selflessly make. Their 
unwavering emotional and material support helps to fortify our 
military, allowing them to carry out the missions our Nation asks of 
them.
  We, in Congress, must always honor our brave servicemen and women, in 
word and in deed. Likewise, we should

[[Page H8064]]

honor those who dedicate themselves to their support. That's why I 
introduced this important resolution to honor these amazing groups. 
They did not ask for any recognition for their service, but we can all 
agree that they deserve to be honored for all they do for our military 
families and for our country.
  I ask for your support of this critical resolution honoring our 
military support groups.

                          ____________________