[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 10, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H3113-H3114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING AND HONORING OUR TROOPS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, last weekend I had the 
opportunity to visit our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and was able to 
thank them personally for their selfless sacrifice and for their 
service to our country.
  From the moment that I arrived in country along with five of our 
colleagues, there was an extreme sense of pride, purpose, and 
confidence in the soldiers we met. These troops are led by the finest 
military leaders in the world, such as General Ray Odierno, General 
David McKiernan, General Lloyd Austin, to name just a few, with each of 
their commands providing superb support.
  So I come to the floor today with a message from the troops, a 
message that I found somewhat selfless, but not at all surprising 
coming from these fine men and women.
  Mr. Speaker, they asked me to tell the stories of their success, that 
they're making a difference. That the cut-and-run strategy that 
politicians, who have absolutely zero battlefield let alone military 
experience, preach from this floor is not the support that they and 
their families expect or deserve.
  So with that I tell you a story about a women's health clinic in 
Baghdad. This clinic, like many in Iraq, has intermittent electricity 
throughout the day and little, if any, after the sun goes down. After 
spending 28 years in healthcare, I can tell you that I know firsthand 
you cannot decide when a baby decides to be born or when an emergency 
occurs.
  So what did our soldiers do? Well, they did a lot.
  For example, they installed solar panels on the roof of the clinic 
and batteries to store that energy. That clinic is now operational 24 
hours a day, 7 days a week, providing much needed care to women and 
babies in need.
  And I assure you, Mr. Speaker, this is one of countless examples of 
what occurs daily in Iraq.
  No, you won't read this in the newspaper or see it on cable TV, but, 
Mr. Speaker, it is precisely the type of action and goodwill that our 
young men and women in uniform perform on a daily basis that deserves 
recognition.
  So I appreciate the opportunity to thank our troops and to share 
their message with you.

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