[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 101 (Thursday, June 26, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S4149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          RECOGNIZING SQUADBAY

 Mr. HELLER. Madam President, today I wish to recognize a 
veterans volunteer program within Las Vegas known as Squadbay for their 
continued dedication to help their fellow servicemembers transition 
back from the battlefield to their communities. This unique program 
comprised of Marine Corps combat veterans provides recently discharged 
veterans with a mission, which uses newly acquired battlefield skills, 
and provides housing and other resources.
  There is no way to adequately thank the men and women who lay down 
their lives for our freedoms, but the founders and volunteers at 
Squadbay have developed a way to assist our Nation's veterans in need 
by affording them various ways to use their training to benefit others. 
I commend this organization's continued dedication to serving Marine 
combat veterans needing to process traumatic experiences while 
simultaneously affecting a positive change in the lives of those in 
need of humanitarian assistance. Squadbay was founded by Lu Lobello, a 
brave veteran living in Las Vegas who realized the importance of having 
a mission after returning home from combat in Baghdad. Lu serves as a 
shining example of putting one's community before oneself.
  With its first mission in 2013 to the Philippines after Typhoon 
Yolanda, Squadbay's service extends far beyond our Nation's borders. By 
allowing veterans the ability to continue using their combat training 
in a new environment, with a new mission that mirrors the values of 
their military experience, Squadbay is working to create a seamless 
transition to civilian life for our veterans. By providing a safe and 
social space for combat veterans to come together and the opportunity 
to embark on humanitarian aid missions, they are affording these brave 
men and women an opportunity to work through any issues brought on by 
experiencing combat.
  As a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, I know the 
struggles that our veterans face after returning home from the 
battlefield. Congress has a responsibility not only to honor these 
brave individuals but to ensure they receive the quality care they have 
earned and deserve. I remain committed to upholding this promise for 
our veterans and servicemembers in Nevada and throughout the Nation. I 
am very pleased that veterans service organizations like Squadbay are 
committed to ensuring that the needs of our veterans are being met.
  Today, I ask my colleagues and all Nevadans to join me in recognizing 
Squadbay, an organization whose mission is both noble and charitable. 
Their commitment to helping rehabilitate our veterans by giving them an 
outlet to embark on humanitarian aid missions in a positive life-
changing scenario is admirable, and I wish them the best of luck in all 
of their future endeavors.

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