[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 17, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S5692]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING WASHOE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S AIR NATIONAL GUARD

 Mr. HELLER. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and 
congratulate the Washoe County School District's Air National Guard for 
receiving the Secretary of Defense Freedom Award.
  Former Secretary of Defense, William Perry, developed the Secretary 
of Defense Freedom Award under the Employer Support of the Guard and 
Reserve office in 1996. Each year, up to 15 awards are presented to 
employers in three categories: large business, small business, and the 
public sector. The award honors employers who have shown exceptional 
support to their Guard and Reserve employees and have gone above and 
beyond what is federally mandated to ensure that their military 
employees are well taken care of. This esteemed award is the highest in 
a series of Department of Defense employer awards, and I congratulate 
Washoe County School District's Air National Guard on being selected as 
one of only 190 employers to receive this award.
  Washoe County School District's Air National Guard's extraordinary 
level of support they provide to their servicemembers is admirable, and 
I am both humbled and honored to acknowledge Washoe County School 
District's Air National Guard here today. During deployment, the school 
district takes the time to send emails and care packages to our brave 
men and women. Its support services also extend to the members' 
families. Washoe County teachers volunteer their own time to help 
children and spouses who are in need of assistance by babysitting, 
housecleaning, and running errands. The school district has also been 
commended for the support it showed after a fellow Guardsman and 
teacher, Michael Landsberry, was killed defending students during a 
shooting at Sparks Middle School last year.
  Each and every day, our troops are serving the United States to 
protect the freedoms we enjoy today. They dedicate their lives to serve 
this great Nation and constantly make grave sacrifices to ensure the 
safety of our country. Our servicemembers and their families deserve 
our gratitude and thanks, and as a member of the Senate Veterans' 
Affairs Committee, I am committed to keeping our Nation's promise to 
care for them. There is no way to adequately thank the men and women 
that lay down their lives for our freedoms, but Washoe County School 
District's Air National Guard has shown an unwavering dedication and 
commitment to ensuring that our servicemembers and their families are 
getting the support that they deserve.
  I ask my colleagues and all Nevadans to join me in congratulating 
Washoe County School District's Air National Guard and know that they 
serve as an example for the rest of the Silver State.

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