[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 161 (Thursday, December 13, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8018-S8019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

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                376TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL GUARD

  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, one of the best things about a good day in 
the Senate is when we get a chance to visit with friends from home. 
Earlier today, I had a chance to visit with the Hopkins family. They 
run a small business in Delaware. And I have had the great joy of 
spending time with our U.S. Congressman, John Carney, our incoming 
speaker of the house, Pete Schwarzkopf, and friend Quin Johnson today. 
All of this has brought to mind something I wanted to speak to for a 
moment, if I might.
  I rise today to mark the 376th anniversary of a great American 
institution that is critical to our safety here and abroad--the 
National Guard.
  The National Guard goes back to the citizen soldier tradition of our 
colonial-era militia of citizens who took up arms or who came together 
for collective action in times of natural disaster or of threat. The 
National Guard today, 376 years later, still has that dual mission--to 
serve our communities by responding to domestic emergencies and to 
deploy, when needed, to serve and protect our Nation overseas. While 
they do all this, they also often hold down full-time civilian jobs. In 
their daily lives, National Guard troops are teachers and police 
officers, firefighters and office workers. When called upon by their 
Governor or Commander in Chief, they change their uniforms and report 
for duty as civilian soldiers.
  In my home State, our Delaware National Guard is on the front lines 
every day, whether keeping our streets safe after a storm, deploying to 
Iraq or Afghanistan, or traveling to other parts of the country to help 
our citizens recover and cities rebuild in the wake of a natural 
disaster. Organized and managed so capably by Major General Frank 
Vavala, the Delaware National Guard has the capability to keep us safe. 
They transport people and supplies on land and through the air. They 
defend our Nation in cyber space. They support law enforcement's fight 
against illegal drugs. They are on the scene of any suspicious chemical 
or biological event, and they enable friendly forces to communicate 
with each other in war zones.
  When duty calls, the Delaware National Guard is there. The 153rd 
Military Police Company, for example, was deployed to Iraq, where they 
logged hundreds of combat patrols on some of the most dangerous streets 
in the world and trained Iraqi police officers in all aspects of their 
profession. In January, this unit will deploy again, this time to 
Afghanistan.
  The 126th Medical Aviation Battalion was deployed to Afghanistan, 
where they flew 400 priority medevac missions for over 500 critically 
injured patients, about half to unsecured landing zones outside of 
secure walls or fortified structures.
  These are just two examples of the many ways the Delaware Guard 
protects our Nation overseas. But they are also vital to our security 
here at home. When there is a blizzard, the National Guard uses their 
humvees and heavy trucks to transport Delawareans with medical 
emergencies. When Superstorm Sandy struck last month, 120 soldiers 
traveled with heavy equipment to assist with recovery efforts in New 
York and New Jersey. When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 
2005, two C-130 aircraft left from New Castle airports the next day 
carrying the first of what would be 400 troops from Delaware who 
assisted with gulf coast recovery efforts.
  The National Guard is resourceful, ready to serve, and they go 
everywhere they are called. These are truly citizen-soldiers.

[[Page S8019]]

  When I was the county executive of New Castle County, Delaware, we 
had as many as seven different county employees at different times 
deployed overseas, many of them police officers called up for their 
National Guard service--folks who are the epitome of serving at home 
and serving abroad. So it is with a very personal sense of the needs 
and the challenges when I thank those employers who recognize that even 
when they are not at their desks, even when they are not contributing 
to their employer, our National Guard members are making a vital 
contribution to our community and to our country.
  Tomorrow morning I am going to the Pentagon, where I will talk with 
leaders there about critical needs in an age of ongoing budget 
austerity. One of the priorities I am fighting for is a responsible 
investment in our National Guard. These heroes deserve more than our 
gratitude, they deserve our rock-solid commitment to ensuring they have 
the resources they need to do their jobs.
  The National Guard plays a unique dual role in our security--as first 
responders and as a reserve force for foreign conflicts. We have to 
make sure they have the equipment and support for both their military 
missions and their domestic missions.
  I am proud this year the President signed into law legislation that 
would give the Chief of the National Guard Bureau a seat at the table, 
a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I was glad to work to help build 
bipartisan support for this bill because I believe the Joint Chiefs 
need someone at the table who has seen the full capabilities and range 
of operations and the unique challenges and resources of the National 
Guard firsthand.
  So 376 years after its founding, the National Guard continues to grow 
and evolve to meet the security challenges of the United States in the 
21st century. I believe the Guard of the future must continue to 
fulfill both sides of their vital dual mission. Additionally, it must 
be a place where highly skilled soldiers and airmen can continue to 
serve their country while also working in and serving civilian 
communities. The Guard can and should be a bridge between the military 
and civilian response to threats facing the United States, not the 
least of which are cyber attacks and terrorism.
  On this anniversary, the National Guard remains essential to the 
safety and security of Americans at home and abroad, and today I would 
like to thank the soldiers and airmen of the Delaware National Guard as 
well as the entire National Guard family at home and abroad for their 
service and dedication to our country. Thank you, and happy birthday.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.

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