[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 154 (Tuesday, November 30, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7698-H7699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1520
HONORING FORT DRUM'S SOLDIERS OF 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION
Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 1217) honoring Fort Drum's soldiers of the 10th
Mountain Division for their past and continuing contributions to the
security of the United States, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1217
Whereas the 10th Mountain Division was first activated as
the 10th Light Division on July 15, 1943, at Camp Hale,
Colorado;
Whereas the 10th Mountain Division began a rigorous
training regimen designed to prepare for the imminent
invasion of Axis-controlled Europe;
Whereas, on January 7, 1944, the 10th Mountain Division
patch was authorized, featuring a blue background with two
red-crossed bayonets forming the Roman numeral for 10,
emblazoned over a powder keg representing the Division's
explosive power;
Whereas, in November 1944, the 10th Light Division was
redesignated the 10th Mountain Division and soldiers were
first authorized to wear the blue and white ``Mountain'' tab;
Whereas the 10th Mountain Division first entered combat on
January 1945, being deployed to the North Apennine Mountains
in Italy opposite battle-hardened German mountain troops;
Whereas soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division assaulted
the German lines along the Monte Belvedere-Monte della
Torraccia Ridge in a series of stunning attacks that broke
the German Apennine front;
Whereas, on April 14, 1945, the 10th Mountain Division
served as the vanguard of the Fifth Army's drive to the Po
Valley, suffering tremendous casualties in a hail of
artillery, mortar, and small arms fire from German troops;
Whereas the 10th Mountain Division continued its relentless
drive to liberate Italy, culminating in the Division's
occupation of Lake Garda and preventing the escape of German
troops to the north through the Brenner Pass;
Whereas the 10th Mountain Division saw one of its soldiers,
Private First Class John D. Magrath posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor;
Whereas, on November 30, 1945, the 10th Mountain Division
was temporarily inactivated;
Whereas, on July 1, 1948, the 10th Mountain Division was
reactivated at Fort Riley, Kansas, as a training division,
preparing 123,000 soldiers for Cold War service and combat in
the Korean Peninsula;
Whereas, between 1955 and 1958, the 10th Mountain Division
was redesignated a combat infantry division and deployed to
West Germany, protecting strategic North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) points against possible Soviet
aggression;
Whereas, on June 14, 1958, the 10th Mountain Division was
again temporarily inactivated;
Whereas, on February 13, 1985, the 10th Mountain Division
(Light Infantry) was activated in the heart of the North
Country on Fort Drum, New York;
Whereas, during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm,
10th Mountain Division soldiers contributed support personnel
to the 24th Infantry Division in Iraq;
Whereas, in December 1992, 10th Mountain Division soldiers
deployed to Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope,
bringing much-needed security to relief operations;
Whereas, on May 4, 1993, 10th Mountain Division soldiers
began supporting Operation Continue Hope under the direction
of the United Nations Operations in Somalia (UNOSOM II);
Whereas, on October 3, 1993, and October 4, 1993, 10th
Mountain Division soldiers of 2d Battalion, 14th Infantry
fought a brutal gun battle through Mogadishu to secure an
evacuation route for Rangers surrounded in the city;
Whereas the 10th Mountain Division spearheaded Operation
Uphold Democracy in Haiti from September 19, 1994, to January
15, 1995, conducting the United States Army's first carrier-
based air assault;
Whereas, following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the
United States, units of the 10th Mountain Division first
deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in late
2001, fighting to secure remote elements of Afghanistan
against Taliban forces;
Whereas, in 2003, the 10th Mountain Division headquarters
and 1st Brigade returned to Afghanistan to battle insurgents
in remote areas of the country and provide humanitarian
assistance;
Whereas, from May to December 2003, the 2d Brigade, 10th
Mountain Division headquarters, and 4th Battalion, 31st
Infantry deployed to Afghanistan in support of Task Force
Phoenix and training for the Afghan National Army;
Whereas, in July 2004, the 2d Brigade, 10th Mountain
Division, deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom, securing the areas west of Baghdad and enduring more
enemy contacts and casualties than any other unit in Iraq at
the time;
Whereas the 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq in
late 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, bringing
security to embattled areas in and around Baghdad;
Whereas the 2d Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq in
August of 2006, moving in to an area referred to as the
``Triangle of Death'', vastly improving security and enduring
a grueling 15-month deployment;
Whereas the 10th Mountain Division headquarters and 3d
Brigade Combat Team deployed again to Afghanistan in 2006,
serving in the eastern Afghanistan-Pakistan border region;
Whereas the 1st Brigade Combat Team returned to Iraq in
2007, conducting stability and security operations in Kirkuk
and training the Sons of Iraq to protect their neighborhoods
from insurgent violence;
Whereas, in April 2008, the 10th Mountain Division
headquarters and 4th Brigade Combat Team deployed to Baghdad,
coordinating and fighting large-scale operations such as
Operation Phantom Phoenix;
Whereas, in January 2009, the 3d Brigade Combat Team
deployed to the Logar and Wardak provinces in Afghanistan,
guarding the southern approaches to Kabul and bringing much-
needed security to both provinces; and
Whereas the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division continue
to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, with their families
supporting them through arduous deployments: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the achievements of the soldiers serving in
the 10th Mountain Division, as well as citizen-soldiers of
the Army Reserve and National Guard who have fought with the
10th Mountain Division during its 60-year history;
(2) expresses its gratitude to the family members of the
10th Mountain Division for their tireless service and
sacrifice on behalf of the United States;
(3) commends the North Country community for their
unwavering support of Fort Drum and the men and women serving
in uniform; and
(4) offers its heartfelt condolences to the family and
friends of the 10th Mountain Division soldiers who have given
the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Owens) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. OWENS. 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
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
The United States Army's 10th Mountain Division, stationed on Fort
Drum, New York, has a long and storied history of defending the
American way of life.
The 10th Mountain Division was first activated as the 10th Light
Division on July 13, 1943, at Camp Hale, Colorado. From there, the
brave soldiers who made up the 10th Mountain Division's first unit
immediately began a rigorous training regimen designed to prepare for
the imminent invasion of Axis-controlled Europe. They first entered
combat in January of 1945 as they were deployed to the North Apennine
Mountains in Italy, opposite battle-hardened German troops, which
marked the beginning of a relentless drive to liberate Italy from the
clutches of the enemy.
As the nature of warfare has changed throughout the decades, the 10th
Mountain Division has adapted to defend the Nation against foreign
threats. From its work as a training division preparing soldiers for
Cold War service to deployments in West Germany, Somalia, Mogadishu,
and Haiti, and the current war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, the
10th Mountain Division has served to maintain both national and global
stability.
On February 13, 1985, the 10th Mountain Division was activated in the
heart of the North Country at Fort
[[Page H7699]]
Drum. Following the September 11 attacks, units of the 10th Mountain
Division were deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Since
then, the unit has played a role in major offenses throughout the war
on terror that have brought stability to embattled areas in the Middle
East. For more than 65 years, the brave men and women and their
families who make up the 10th Mountain Division have endured untold
sacrifices to make the Nation safer and more secure.
Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to recognize the achievements of the
soldiers serving in the 10th Mountain Division, as well as citizen
soldiers of the Army Reserve and National Guard who have fought with
the 10th Mountain Division during its 60-year history. I would like to
thank the family members of the 10th Mountain Division for their
tireless service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States, and I
commend the North Country community for their unwavering support of
Fort Drum and the men and women serving in uniform.
Finally, I speak for the House of Representatives when I offer my
condolences to the family and friends of the 10th Mountain Division
soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of
freedom.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1217, as amended,
which honors the Fort Drum soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division for
their contribution to the security of the United States. I am honored
to pay tribute to the current and former members of the 10th Mountain
Division who have stood steadfastly and courageously defended and
served this great country on our shores and in distant lands.
First activated in Colorado in 1943 during the early stages of World
War II, the division known as the 10th Light Division prepared to join
the fight against the Axis in Europe. When it finally entered combat in
1945, the division broke through battle-hardened German mountain troops
in the Italian North Apennine Mountains. Victory was won in hard-fought
battles in places like Po Valley, where the division suffered
tremendous casualties. It was during the campaign in Italy that the
division's own Private First Class John D. Magrath was posthumously
awarded the Medal of Honor.
Following World War II, the 10th Mountain Division trained soldiers
at Fort Riley, Kansas, and was deployed to West Germany to protect
NATO. In 1985, the division began its long and storied relationship
with the people of the North Country when it was located on Fort Drum,
New York. Since then, the 10th Mountain Division has participated in
Operation Desert Storm, Operation Continue Hope in Somalia, where it
fought through the streets of Mogadishu to assist Rangers who were
surrounded in the city, and Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti.
In late 2001, following the September 11 attacks, the division
deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to oust the Taliban
in Afghanistan. Subsequently, the division returned to Afghanistan in
2003, 2006, and 2009. At the same time, the 10th Mountain Division has
played a vital role in the successes of Operation Iraqi Freedom,
deploying to Iraq for sometimes up to 15 months in 2004, 2005, 2007,
and 2009. Today, these incredible soldiers continue to serve in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
Sadly, the valiant service of the 10th Mountain Division has not been
without enormous sacrifice. Throughout its history, members of the
division have paid the ultimate price to ensure our freedom.
Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not also pay tribute to the
incredible families of these brave soldiers who waited at home while
their loved ones answered our Nation's call. The entire Nation owes the
soldiers and veterans of the 10th Mountain Division a debt of
gratitude. To each and every one of them I say, ``Climb to glory.'' We
are proud of their service. And, therefore, Mr. Speaker, I strongly
urge all Members to support this resolution.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1217, as amended.
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. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. 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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