[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6697-H6699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CAPTAIN RHETT W. SCHILLER POST OFFICE
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 5873) to designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 218 North Milwaukee Street in Waterford, Wisconsin,
as the ``Captain Rhett W. Schiller Post Office''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5873
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. CAPTAIN RHETT W. SCHILLER POST OFFICE.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 218
[[Page H6698]]
North Milwaukee Street in Waterford, Wisconsin, shall be
known and designated as the ``Captain Rhett W. Schiller Post
Office''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be
a reference to the ``Captain Rhett W. Schiller Post Office''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Clay) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Cao) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
On behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
it is my honor to rise in support of H.R. 5873. This measure designates
the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 218 North Milwaukee
Street in Waterford, Wisconsin, as the Captain Rhett W. Schiller Post
Office.
H.R. 5873 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from
Wisconsin, Representative Paul Ryan, on July 27, 2010. The measure was
referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which
ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on July 28, 2010.
The measure enjoys the support of the entire Wisconsin delegation to
the House, and I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for introducing
this measure. I would also like to thank Chairman Towns and Ranking
Member Issa for their support for the bill.
Captain Rhett W. Schiller was born on November 7, 1980 in Racine,
Wisconsin. His family later moved to Waterford, Wisconsin. In 2003,
Schiller graduated from West Point and was commissioned as a 2nd
Lieutenant of Infantry. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort
Bragg, North Carolina, first as a platoon leader in Company B, and
later Executive Officer for Company A of the 3rd Battalion, 505th
Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Schiller's brigade was deployed to New Orleans in September, 2005 to
assist with relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. His unit was
deployed and conducting relief operations only 7 hours after the
assignment was announced. The standard deployment time is 18 hours
after notification.
In 2006, Captain Schiller was assigned to 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry
Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. On his 100th
day in country, while leading a squad of six paratroopers and six Iraqi
Army soldiers on a canal clearing operation near Balad Ruz, Diyala
Province, Captain Schiller's unit came under small arms fire. Captain
Schiller was killed in action on November 16, 2006.
Mr. Speaker, Captain Schiller is remembered as a hard-charging leader
who did everything he could to take care of his soldiers, raising the
spirits and motivation of everyone around him. His life and
achievements over the course of his service speak volumes about all of
our brave servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in
defense of our Nation. Let us now pay tribute to the life of Captain
Rhett Schiller through the passage of this legislation. I urge all of
our colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5873.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
It is my honor today to rise in support of H.R. 5873 to designate the
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 218 North
Milwaukee Street in Waterford, Wisconsin, as the Captain Rhett W.
Schiller Post Office. Mr. Speaker, it is altogether fitting and proper
that we name this post office in Waterford for Captain Schiller to
honor a true American hero and his service to our country.
Captain Rhett W. Schiller was born on November 7, 1980 in Racine,
Wisconsin. Upon graduation from high school in 1999, Captain Schiller
was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point by my
distinguished colleague from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan). Captain Schiller
graduated from West Point in 2003 with a major in Chinese and was then
commissioned as an infantry officer. He was assigned to the 82nd
Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
In September of 2005, after Hurricane Katrina devastated the gulf
coast, Captain Schiller and his unit were deployed to New Orleans to
come to the aid of millions along the gulf coast, including the
citizens of the district that I represent. It took only 7 hours for
Captain Schiller's unit to gear up and deploy to New Orleans. According
to Major Tom Earnhardt, Army spokesperson for Captain Schiller's
division, the typical deployment time is 18 hours. He described Captain
Schiller's work to get his unit deployed to New Orleans in only 7 hours
as extraordinary and a truly remarkable achievement. On behalf of the
constituents whom I represent and the millions of people who were
impacted by Hurricane Katrina, I want to thank Captain Schiller and the
other brave men and women who came to our aid in a time of need.
In 2006, Captain Schiller was made a company executive officer and
was deployed to serve in Iraq as part of a reconnaissance, surveillance
and target acquisition team. Sadly, on November 16, 2006, his 100th day
serving in Iraq, Captain Schiller was killed in action when his unit
came under attack and encountered small arms fire.
Captain Schiller was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart,
Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal, among others,
for his service to our country. Described by his troop commander as the
``epitome of the Army officer and an Airborne Ranger,'' Captain
Schiller's love for the Army and his country was always apparent.
{time} 1120
He was known as an officer who led by example, and according to his
squadron commander, ``raised the spirits and the motivation of all
those that knew him.''
Mr. Speaker, it is proper that we pass this legislation to honor the
memory of a true American hero, U.S. Army Captain Rhett W. Schiller,
who made the ultimate sacrifice promoting freedom and protecting our
country. I urge all Members to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the
author of this legislation, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan).
Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. I thank my colleagues on a bipartisan basis
for doing this.
As the chief sponsor of this, I rise in support of H.R. 5873, which
would designate the United States Postal facility at 218 North
Milwaukee Street in Waterford, Wisconsin, as the ``Captain Rhett W.
Schiller Post Office.''
In 1999 I had the pleasure of appointing Rhett, Captain Schiller, to
the United States Military Academy at West Point, an institution from
which he subsequently graduated with a major in Chinese. Following his
graduation, Captain Schiller was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort
Bragg, first as a platoon leader in Company B and later as an executive
officer for Company A of the 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry
Regiment.
In 2006 he was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment,
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Very cool. It was in
this capacity that he was deployed to Iraq as part of a Reconnaissance,
Surveillance, and Target Acquisition Team.
On his 100th day in the country, while leading a squad of six
paratroopers and six Iraqi Army soldiers, Captain Schiller's unit came
under small arms fire during a canal cleaning operation. Captain
Schiller was killed in action on November 16, 2006.
He has earned the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious
Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense
Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Army Ranger Tab, the Expert
Infantryman Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Master Parchutist
Badge, and he graduated as the honor graduate from his Reconnaissance
and Surveillance Leadership course. Captain Schiller also qualified for
the Army Commendation Medal.
I knew Rhett Schiller. He was a young man coming out of Waterford,
[[Page H6699]]
Wisconsin, in Racine County, idealistic, energetic, extraordinarily
gifted, and patriotic. He became a leader in our military in the Army.
He served under the command of a very personal close friend of mine,
Colonel Andy Poppas from Janesville, Wisconsin, who I grew up with, who
also went to West Point, and was his commanding officer.
When we heard that he was killed in action, Andy and I had emailed
each other at that time about this. Colonel Poppas emailed Rhett's dad,
who had put long years over at S.C. Johnson Wax.
From his own commanding officer, who, like I said, is a good friend
of mine, this is a story of a man who was brave. This is a story of a
man who cared about his country and who cared about the men and women
he served with and who put himself in harm's fire so that he could
protect those around him, those he was serving with.
And this is the stuff that makes our country great. It is this kind
of dedication, this kind of sacrifice that the best and brightest
within our communities come to the military to serve our country and
all that it stands for. This is why we do these bills, why we do this
dedication, and why it is so wholly proper and fitting to dedicate this
post office in Waterford, Wisconsin, the ``Captain Rhett W. Schiller
Post Office.''
I'm so proud to do this. I am pleased that my entire Wisconsin
delegation are cosponsors of this legislation so that we can have this
proper and fitting memorial so that when young people go through the
post office, they will know that one among their ranks in their
community stood up, offered bravery, service to country. And that is
the kind of example that makes this country the freest, greatest, most
exceptional, and prosperous country in the world. And I'm just so proud
to have known Rhett Schiller and so proud to actually sponsor this
legislation.
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
continue to reserve.
Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, I urge that all Members support this very
meaningful legislation to name the post office after a true American
hero.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting this measure, and I want to thank our colleague from
Wisconsin for bringing to the attention of this body the service of
Captain Rhett Schiller to this country.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 5873.
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. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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.
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