[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 105 (Tuesday, July 8, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H5831]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              AFGHANISTAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Jones) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, shortly before the July Fourth break, we had 
three marines from Camp Lejeune, which is in my district, who were 
killed during combat operations in Afghanistan: Staff Sergeant David H. 
Stewart, Lance Corporal Brandon J. Garabrant, and Lance Corporal Adam 
F. Wolff. May I, at this time, extend my deepest sympathy to the 
families of these three brave marines.
  Mr. Speaker, recently much attention has been given to the chaos 
building in Iraq. However, we must not forget that there is still chaos 
in Afghanistan.
  In June of this year, I visited Walter Reed Medical Center in 
Bethesda, Maryland. I met three soldiers from Fort Bragg who had lost 
one leg each in Afghanistan. I met two marines from my district at Camp 
Lejeune.
  One marine, 23 years old, had lost two legs and an arm. His father, 
from Louisiana, was standing beside his exercise mat, which is about 3 
or 4 feet off the ground. To look in the eyes of the father, to see the 
pain, the sadness, and the worry about the future of his 23-year-old 
son, I cannot describe today on the floor of the House. I don't know 
the words to describe the pain I saw in the eyes.
  Then I went to see the second marine from Camp Lejeune, who in 
February of this year stepped on a 40-pound IED and lost both legs. I 
could only look at him and hope for the best as he told me about his 
wife and his 8-month-old baby girl.
  Mr. Speaker, beside me today, I have the photograph on this poster of 
two young ladies whose father was Sergeant Kevin Balduf, stationed at 
Camp Lejeune. The little girls' names are Eden and Stephanie. They are 
standing at the grave site of their father.
  Sergeant Balduf and Colonel Palmer--Sergeant Balduf, again, was 
stationed at Camp Lejeune and Colonel Palmer at Air Station Cherry 
Point, which is also in my district in eastern North Carolina--were 
sent to Afghanistan to train Afghans to be police officers. The night 
before Sergeant Balduf and Colonel Palmer were killed, Sergeant Balduf 
emailed his wife, Amy, and said, ``I don't trust them. I don't trust 
them. I don't trust any of them.'' The next day, he and Colonel Palmer 
were shot and killed by the Afghans they were trying to train.
  Mr. Speaker, Afghanistan is not worth the treasure or the blood that 
has been spent there over the last 12 years. We have no more business 
thinking we can change the Middle East, because history has proven 
Afghanistan and Iraq will never change, no matter what. Iraq was an 
unnecessary war. It was manufactured intelligence by the previous 
administration. It was an unnecessary, unjust war where 4,000 Americans 
were killed, 30,000 were wounded, and 100,000 Iraqis were killed 
themselves.
  Mr. Speaker, I will close today by quoting a man for whom I have 
great respect, because he and I agree on our foreign policies. His name 
is Pat Buchanan:

       Is it not a symptom of senility to be borrowing from the 
     world so we can defend the world?

  We in Congress continue to spend money over in Afghanistan--and now 
Iraq--from money that we borrow from other countries. It makes no 
sense.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I say to Stephanie and Eden: Your father was 
a hero. He will never be forgotten.
  I will say to all the families and the children of those who lost 
loved ones: Your loved ones will never be forgotten. They have done so 
much for this country.
  May God continue to bless America and may God continue to bless those 
in uniform, and may God continue to bless America.

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