[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 116 (Wednesday, July 29, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2059]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

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                          HON. PETER J. ROSKAM

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 2009

  Mr. ROSKAM. Madam Speaker, pursuant to Republican standards on 
disclosure for Member project requests, I am submitting the following 
information regarding projects I support for inclusion in H.R. 3326, 
the Departments of Defense Appropriations Act of 2010.
  Congressman Peter J. Roskam: H.R. 3326 Department of Defense, Gas 
Technology Institute's Advanced Power Generation Unit for Military 
Applications. In partnership with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, 
the Gas Technology Institute will use this $650,000 in funding to 
develop an advanced power generation unit for military applications. 
The unit developed as a result of this research project will have dual-
use applications as military or commercial portable power or vehicle 
auxiliary power units (APU). The novel fuel cell power unit is highly 
efficient, clean, and very quiet. GTI will work with the U.S. Army 
Research Laboratory to develop and validate the performance, 
efficiency, and emissions of this new power generation unit and 
identify applications that address the needs of Army Technology 
Objectives ATO related to reduced energy consumption and increased 
carried energy density for power systems. This technology will also 
have commercial applications for commercial vehicle auxiliary power 
units (e.g., to address anti-idling laws) and back-up power systems for 
improved reliability. Vehicles that sit and idle for extended periods 
of time, such as long haul trucks and transit and school busses, 
currently use nearly 1.5 billion gallons of diesel fuel annually 
(during idling). In addition, the military has specialized needs for 
quiet power systems for field deployment for individual soldiers, 
vehicles, and other remote power requirements. This high-risk, high-
impact technology offers the promise of substantially reducing the 
capital cost of fuel cell-based power systems by avoiding the use of 
expensive, foreign-sourced precious metals such as platinum that are 
common in current fuel cell power systems.
  Congressman Peter J. Roskam: H.R. 3326 Department of Defense, Helmets 
to Hardhats Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment and Employment. 
The Helmets to Hardhats program will use this $3,000,000 in funding to 
provide infrastructure support to help members of the armed forces in 
transitioning from active duty into skilled employment in the 
construction industry. Most career opportunities utilizing the program 
are connected to federally-approved apprenticeship training programs. 
This training is usually provided by trade organizations at no or 
minimal cost to the servicemember. This program even provides the 
extensive training that is sometimes necessary for military personnel 
without prior experience in the building and construction trades. In 
fact, most of the servicemembers that are successfully placed start 
with virtually no experience in their chosen field. All participating 
trade organizations conduct three to five year ``earn-while-you-learn'' 
apprenticeship training programs that teach veterans everything 
necessary to become a construction industry professional with a 
specialization in a particular craft. Because these apprenticeship 
programs are regulated and approved at both the Federal and State 
levels, veterans can utilize their Montgomery GI bill benefits to 
supplement their income while learning a valuable skill. The program 
creates valuable links to ideal careers for guardsmen and reservists, 
and it helps to smooth the transition into a valuable and sustainable 
career that lessens the time that a veteran-in-transition will be 
dependent on other services. The Helmets to Hardhats program in 
Illinois is the most innovative in the nation, offering job placement 
assistance in dozens of fields. Through the leadership of the Illinois 
Teamsters, Helmets to Hardhats hosted the first-ever Chicago-area 
veterans' job fair in August 2007. Over 400 veterans were placed with 
job training, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities as a 
result. To date, more than 39,000 veterans have been placed with jobs 
nationally.

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