[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF THE SOMERSET COUNTY MILITARY FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. MARK S. CRITZ

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 29, 2012

  Mr. CRITZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a military support group 
in my district that provides deployed members of our armed forces and 
their families with material support, emotional comfort and spiritual 
sustenance.
  Founded in 2003, the Somerset County Military Family Support Group 
sends deployed service members monthly packages containing food, health 
products, books, letters and games. The group also counsels family 
members of deployed military personnel, takes part in festivals and 
parades in order to pay homage to the sacrifices of our soldiers, 
gathers and distributes information about pressing issues facing 
members of the military and their families and holds annual candlelight 
vigils to honor all those who have worn our nation's colors in battle.
  Because the group is comprised largely of veterans and individuals 
from military families, its members understand the physical and 
psychological strain our troops experience each day they are separated 
from their families, and the emotional turmoil the family members of 
these service members are forced to endure as a result of knowing that 
someone they love is in harm's way. That they chose to use their first-
hand knowledge of these struggles to craft a renowned military support 
program speaks to their capacity to turn hardship into an outstanding 
gift for others.
  Mr. Speaker, while all of us appreciated the valor and sacrifices of 
our troops, only the most talented and proactive among us are able to 
act on this appreciation in a way that makes an impact on thousands of 
lives. The Somerset County Military Family Support Group has not only 
accomplished this, but has done so while spreading the spirit of 
service throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. All of us should seek to 
emulate the selfless efforts of its members in our own efforts to 
promote the greater good.

                          ____________________