[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 114 (Monday, July 27, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H8836-H8839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS OF THE U.S. ARMY

  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
joint resolution (H.J. Res. 44) recognizing the service, sacrifice, 
honor, and professionalism of the Noncommissioned Officers of the 
United States Army.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H.J. Res. 44

       Whereas the Noncommissioned Officer ranks, namely corporals 
     and sergeants, date back more than 230 years in United States 
     Army history, beginning with the birth of the Continental 
     Army in 1775 and highlighted in the westward expansion of the 
     United States, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the 
     Korean Conflict, the Vietnam Conflict, the liberation of 
     Kuwait, and the current Global War on Terror;
       Whereas Noncommissioned Officers are accomplished military 
     professionals who have combined civilian and military 
     education opportunities to become the Army's preeminent body 
     of leadership;
       Whereas Noncommissioned Officers are the ``backbone of the 
     American Army'' and are the standard keepers for the Army in 
     the training, leading, coaching, and mentoring of soldiers;
       Whereas Noncommissioned Officers have provided invaluable 
     service and have made great sacrifices in the line of duty, a 
     virtue held most high, and they have continually proven their 
     dedication and a willingness to make great sacrifices on 
     behalf of the United States;
       Whereas Noncommissioned Officers recognize their role in 
     training young soldiers to become future leaders, and they 
     also recognize that an important part of their job is caring 
     and looking out for the welfare of junior enlisted members 
     and their families;
       Whereas Noncommissioned Officers are the ``eyes and ears'' 
     of the commander, and have a well-earned reputation for 
     having operational and strategic awareness to interpret and 
     issue orders as necessary within their duties and in the 
     absence of commissioned officers; and

[[Page H8837]]

       Whereas the United States Army is an institution rich in 
     cultural, ethnic, and gender diversity, and Noncommissioned 
     Officers are outstanding role models for all Americans and 
     are exemplary representatives of the moral character and 
     strength of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That 
     Congress--
       (1) recognizes the service, sacrifice, honor, and 
     professionalism of the Noncommissioned Officers of the United 
     States Army;
       (2) expresses its deepest appreciation to the 
     Noncommissioned Officers of the Army who serve or have served 
     in defense of the United States; and
       (3) encourages the people of the United States to 
     recognize, commemorate, and honor the role and contribution 
     of Noncommissioned Officers, past and present, in defense of 
     the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Marshall) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. 
Wilson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, let me first ask 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 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, the Chief and the 
Secretary of the Army declared this year to be the ``Year of the NCO'' 
within the United States Army. Chairman Skelton would be here today to 
handle this motion but for the fact that he is at Walter Reed Hospital 
visiting a constituent who has been injured in service to the country 
in Iraq or Afghanistan.
  Mr. Speaker, the NCO, the noncommissioned officer, is often described 
as the backbone of the Army. The NCO is also described as the eyes and 
ears of the commander. I was an NCO in Vietnam myself, a little bit 
young compared to the NCOs we have today, too wet behind the ears to 
really be a good NCO because a really good NCO is not just backbone and 
eyes and ears, a really good NCO is a teacher, a leader, almost a 
father or a mother to the young soldiers that work in the unit that 
that NCO is in charge of.
  NCOs not only train those soldiers, guide those soldiers, try and 
instill in those soldiers a real spirit of what it is like to be a 
soldier, what it is like to be a good human being, instilling values, 
courage, teaching, training, techniques, you name it, but in addition 
to that, good NCOs do the same thing for young officers, instilling in 
young officers the kind of experience and wisdom that young officers 
need to gain as they mature.
  NCOs are essentially foremen. They are superintendents. Without 
NCOs--and we have had them for over 230 years--this Army would not be 
what it is today. There is no question about that. They serve with 
honor. In today's Army, they sacrifice a great deal, both themselves 
and their families.
  There are many examples of courage under fire by NCOs. Over 100 Medal 
of Honor winners are NCOs in the United States from the United States 
Army. And I can't think of a more fitting tribute, in light of the fact 
that the Secretary and Chief have declared this to be the Year of the 
NCO, than that all of us vote in favor of this motion which honors our 
NCOs in the United States Army.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself so much 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Joint Resolution 44, 
honoring the noncommissioned officers in the United States Army. I 
thank Congressman Ike Skelton, the chairman of the House Armed Services 
Committee, for introducing this legislation.
  No one has better expressed the reason for this resolution than the 
current Sergeant Major of the Army, Kenneth Preston. In his view, 
``Today's NCO Corps is a standard bearer of one of the Army's greatest 
success stories, the All-Volunteer Force, and serves as a role model 
for armies of the world to emulate.''
  I fully agree with the Sergeant Major's statement. Along with my 
colleague, Mr. Marshall of Georgia, I, too, am an Army veteran, and in 
my own 31-year experience in the Army National Guard and Reserve, 
noncommissioned officers were indispensable to the accomplishment of 
the missions we undertook. This is true of NCOs across all branches of 
the military.
  One of my four sons serving today in the military, a Navy doctor, has 
been so impressed by the leadership and professionalism exhibited by 
the NCOs with whom he serves that he recommended that I invite one of 
their children to work as an intern in our office, who is present with 
us today. Todd O'Brien is the son of Master Chief Petty Officer Tadeo 
O'Brien. Master Chief O'Brien supports the U.S. Navy SEALs as an 
independent duty corpsman in the Naval Special Warfare Logistical 
Support Medical Group 2 at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, 
Virginia.
  While he serves in a different military branch, he shares the values 
of service, honor, integrity, and courage common to all professional 
noncommissioned officers.
  The Army is adaptable and successful on the battlefield because the 
corporals and sergeants have the training, education, professionalism, 
and operational and strategic awareness to interpret and issue orders 
as necessary within their duties and in the absence of commissioned 
officers.
  The all-volunteer Army has been able to sustain itself through 8 
years of war in two fronts because of corporals and sergeants who have 
made great personal sacrifices in the global war against terrorism.
  Moreover, the noncommissioned officers of the Army have not only 
trained future leaders, both officer and enlisted, but they have also 
gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure the welfare of junior enlisted 
personnel and their families.
  In recognition of the current and historical contributions, 
sacrifices, leadership, and professionalism of its noncommissioned 
officers, the Army has designated 2009 as the ``Year of the NCO.'' This 
resolution is part of that effort to honor the corporals and sergeants 
who are the backbone of the Army.
  I would urge all Members to vote ``yes'' on this resolution as one 
way of expressing their deepest appreciation for the NCOs who are 
serving and have served.
  I would also urge that each one of us, as we go home to our districts 
and meet with our constituents, take the time to explain what a 
magnificent Army this Nation has, especially because of the men and 
women who call themselves NCOs.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the words of my friend from 
South Carolina (Mr. Wilson). As he noted, he was an officer, a 
commissioned officer, and who better than a commissioned officer to 
testify to the importance of noncommissioned officers to the proper 
functioning of the Army. Frankly, the Army could not function with 
commissioned officers alone. Noncommissioned officers are more than 
just the backbone of the Army.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to a 
fellow NCO from Vietnam, the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. 
Faleomavaega).
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, as a fellow NCO, my colleague, the 
gentleman from Georgia, and also my good friend, Mr. Wilson from South 
Carolina, I rise today to draw my colleagues' attention to House Joint 
Resolution 44, an act that would recognize the valiant efforts and 
heroism of the noncommissioned officers of the United States Army.
  I would like to commend Chairman Skelton for his introduction and 
leadership and sponsorship of this bill, a token of appreciation for 
those who serve to protect our Nation and our ideals of freedom.
  The noncommissioned officer rank has a long and rich history in the 
United States Army, originating with the Continental Army in 1775. The 
most visible leaders of the service, the noncommissioned officers have 
been the backbone of the Army for more than 230 years.
  Often referred to as the ``eyes and ears'' of a commander, 
noncommissioned officers are not only sought

[[Page H8838]]

after for their advice and guidance, but they are the standard keepers 
of the service, dedicated to the upholding of the Army's and our 
country's values. Responsible for the training of the Army's future 
leaders, the noncommissioned officer is integral in executing any given 
mission of the service.
  Madam Speaker, from my own little district of American Samoa, and as 
a fellow American Samoan, I am very proud to share this little bit of 
news with my colleagues here in the House today.
  Just a few weeks ago, a fellow Samoan, Command Sergeant Major 
Iuniasolua Savusa, a ranger in the 101st Airborne, was recently 
selected by Admiral Timothy Keating as the Senior Enlisted Leader of 
the U.S. Army Pacific Command, or PACOM. In other words, the Command 
Sergeant Major of all the U.S.; not just Army, but the entire unified 
military command under the Pacific Command currently in Hawaii led by 
Admiral Keating.
  This command was established in 1947 by President Truman and is 
considered the largest of the United States' unified commands and 
consists of approximately 250,000 military personnel. Command Sergeant 
Major Savusa has a long and substantial career in the U.S. Army. He has 
served overseas all throughout Europe and was instrumental in the 
initial incursion of Baghdad in Operation Iraqi Freedom, former Command 
Sergeant Major U.S. Army Europe, and also Former Command Sergeant Major 
U.S. Army Central Command.
  Command Sergeant Major Savusa is an example of the Toa o Samoa, or 
many of the Samoan soldiers who are enlisted and have served in the 
many branches of the Armed Forces.

                              {time}  1615

  I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Command Sergeant 
Major Ace Vimoto; Command Sergeant Major Charles Tobin; Chief Warrant 
Officer 5 Kokolua Yandall; Command Sergeant Major Falaniko, retired; 
and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Save Liuato Tuitele for their contributions 
to our military.
  I must pay a special tribute to Command Sergeant Majors Vimoto and 
Falaniko for they both had sons who enlisted in the Army and have given 
the ultimate sacrifice to our country. The son of Command Sergeant 
Major Falaniko, Private First Class Jonathan Falaniko, was killed in 
Iraq; while the son of Command Sergeant Major Vimoto, Private First 
Class Timothy Ray Vimoto, was killed in Afghanistan. We must honor 
these fathers and sons for their selfless sacrifice and the sacrifice 
they have made in the protection of our freedoms.
  I cannot express the immense pride I have in those who persevere 
daily to protect the freedom and integrity of the United States. 
Noncommissioned officers of the United States Army are perhaps the most 
visible embodiment of the moral character and strength of the U.S. 
Army.
  I would like to remind my colleagues that this recognition by 
Congress is the least that can be done to express a deserved gratitude 
of those who have served and those who continue to serve in our Army 
today.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I again commend my good friends for their 
management of this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support 
this bill.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, as I think about the significance of 
this resolution, I am reminded of Sergeant First Class Victor Anderson. 
Sergeant First Class Victor Anderson from Andersonville, Georgia, was a 
Sumter County Sheriff's deputy when called to duty as part of the 48th 
Brigade of the Georgia Army National Guard in Iraq. He was disqualified 
because of diabetes; nonetheless, he fought his disqualification 
because he knew he needed to be with his soldiers. He knew that if he 
was with his soldiers, they were more likely to be successful. They 
were more likely to be safe.
  About 1 week before he was killed by an IED, some of his men were 
killed by an IED right in front of him, and he sent an email back to 
his family; and in that email he essentially said this: I do not fight 
for some ideology. I fight for that man to my left and that man to my 
right. They are men of their word. When called, they did not run. They 
came and did their duty. I had to also. Don't worry about me.
  Victor Anderson represents the kind of quality that we have in our 
Armed Forces in sergeants, and I just bless every one of them and thank 
them for their service.
  Madam Speaker, at this point I have no further requests for time, and 
I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, it is an honor for me to 
be on the floor today with Congressman Marshall, with Delegate 
Faleomavaega, two veterans themselves who could tell firsthand 
heartfelt indication of their appreciation of NCOs.
  I come from the State of South Carolina. The State flag of South 
Carolina is a recognition of the significance of the NCOs to our 
independence and freedom. This flag of South Carolina has a palmetto 
tree on the flag. It recognizes the Battle of Fort Moultrie on 
Sullivan's Island. The British fleet attacked the fort. The soft 
palmetto logs, the cannonballs hit the logs and bounced off or 
absorbed. At the same time, they did knock down the American flag. And 
at that time Sergeant William Jasper had the courage to raise the flag 
back up, indicating to the British that they were not going to be 
successful. The British fleet withdrew.
  The flag of South Carolina has a palmetto tree. It also has a 
crescent. The crescent indicated the rank of a sergeant during the 
American Revolution on the helmet. So we, the State of South Carolina, 
are forever grateful for what NCOs have meant, and forever in 
perpetuity we appreciate what H.J. Res. 44 means.
  Mr. SKELTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to support of House Joint 
Resolution 44, which I introduced on April 29, 2009. This resolution 
honors the service and sacrifice of our Army's Noncommissioned 
Officers.
  As the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, I am 
privileged to be joined here today by a number of my colleagues in the 
House to recognize the service, sacrifice, professionalism and 
commitment of all those who serve and have served our Nation as 
Noncommissioned Officers in the United States Army.
  Our Nation's Noncommissioned Officers are unlike any other in the 
world. While many consider them the backbone of the force, I believe 
they are really the soul of the force. Not only do they provide the 
leadership, training and mentoring of junior enlisted personnel, but 
they also are responsible for the development and guidance of our 
junior officers as well. The responsibilities that an Army 
Noncommissioned Officer carries are vast, but they often carry out 
their responsibilities with little fanfare and official recognition. 
This resolution seeks to acknowledge their contributions, particularly 
over the last eight years of conflict.
  The history of the Army Noncommissioned Officer began with the birth 
of the Continental Army in 1775. The first Sergeant Major of the Army 
was Sergeant Major Willion O. Wooldridge. Since then, there have been 
13 Sergeant Majors of the Army, and the currently serving Sergeant 
Major is Kenneth 0. Preston. He is the highest ranking Noncommissioned 
Officer in the United States Army.
  Army Noncommissioned Officers live by the NCO Creed, which was 
written in 1974, and adopted officially by the Army in 1985. The Creed 
reads:

       No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned 
     Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, 
     I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which 
     is known as ``The Backbone of the Army.'' I am proud of the 
     Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times 
     conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the 
     Military Service and my country regardless of the situation 
     in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position 
     to attain pleasure, profit or personal safety.
       Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities 
     will always be uppermost in my mind--accomplishment of my 
     mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to 
     remain technically and tactically proficient. I am aware of 
     my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my 
     responsibilities inherent in that role. All soldiers are 
     entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that 
     leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their 
     needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my 
     soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and 
     impartial when recommending both rewards and punishments.
       Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish 
     their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will 
     earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my 
     soldiers. I will be loyal to those with

[[Page H8839]]

     whom I serve; seniors, peers and subordinates alike. I will 
     exercise initiatives by taking appropriate action in absence 
     of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral 
     courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to 
     forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, 
     leaders!

  The creed of the Noncommissioned Officer of the United States Army 
captures the essence of how these individuals live their daily lives. I 
am honored to have introduced this resolution and I urge my colleagues 
to join me in support of House Joint Resolution 44 to commend the 
service of the Army's Noncommissioned Officers.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, 
urging all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Markey of Colorado). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Marshall) that 
the House suspend the rules and agree to the joint resolution, H.J. 
Res. 44.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on 
the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order 
that a quorum is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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