[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 136 (Monday, September 21, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S6855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING CAPTAIN KRISTEN GRIEST AND FIRST LIEUTENANT SHAYE HAVER 
                 ON THEIR GRADUATION FROM RANGER SCHOOL

  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Armed 
Services Committee be discharged from further consideration of and the 
Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 257.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 257) congratulating Captain Kristen 
     Griest and First Lieutenant Shaye Haver on their graduation 
     from Ranger School.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to honor and congratulate CPT 
Kristen Griest and 1LT Shaye Haver for their historic accomplishment of 
being the first two women soldiers to complete U.S. Army Ranger School 
and earn their highly coveted Ranger tabs.
  Earning the right to wear a Ranger tab is not for the faint-hearted. 
The rigors of the course test even the strongest service members. Many 
try; few succeed.
  Through their grit and determination, Captain Griest and Lieutenant 
Haver have demonstrated that character, courage, and tenacity, not 
gender, are the hallmarks of great servicemembers and leaders.
  Just as teamwork and dedication are the benchmarks for military 
effectiveness, they are also the mandates of the U.S. Army Rangers who 
are tasked with our Nation's most challenging and difficult missions. 
Captain Griest and Lieutenant Haver, along with their fellow Ranger 
School classmates, braved the challenges and serve as role models for 
girls and boys--women and men--in the United States and around the 
world. This integrated class answered our Nation's call to service. 
They stood shoulder-to-shoulder, enduring the course's extreme mental 
and physical stress, together. Each carried his or her own weight, and 
at times the weight of others, proving that integration represents not 
just a lofty goal, but an achievable reality. Their collective and 
distinguished accomplishments embody the values of our Armed Forces and 
our Nation.
  The journey toward integration, however, has been hard fought. Before 
them, the first African Americans and women who answered the call to 
service laid the foundation for making integration possible. These 
pioneers inherently understood the importance of their contributions to 
the realization of integration. They also recognized the undeniable 
truth that an integrated and balanced force is a successful force both 
on and off the battlefield.
  The effectiveness of a military unit is almost always determined by 
the cohesion of its individual members, their dedication to the team, 
and their commitment to the mission. No individual servicemember can 
succeed by his or her efforts alone. Success is forged from equality 
and integration.
  As we celebrate Captain Griest's and Lieutenant Haver's historic and 
inspiring achievements, we express our pride and gratitude for their 
personal courage and sacrifice. I am confident that the military and 
our country are more battle ready as a result. I am also confident that 
Captain Griest and Lieutenant Haver will continue to serve with 
distinction as they ``lead the way'' as our Nation's newest U.S. Army 
Rangers. As a result of their milestone achievements, they have 
inspired a nation.
  With this in mind, I am pleased to offer this resolution with 
Senators Mikulski, Ayotte, Baldwin, Boxer, Cantwell, Capito, Ernst, 
Feinstein, Fischer, Gillibrand, Heitkamp, Hirono, Klobuchar, McCaskill, 
Murkowski, Murray, Shaheen, Stabenow, Warren, Perdue, Murphy, Kirk, 
Tester, Flake, Reed, Donnelly, Grassley, Blumenthal, Isakson, Warner, 
Leahy, Franken, Rubio, Heinrich, Coons, Thune, Merkley, and Gardner, 
honoring and recognizing the patriotism and historic contributions to 
the United States by Captain Griest and Lieutenant Haver, and extend my 
best wishes and heartiest congratulations.
  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 257) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in the Record of 
September 17, 2015, under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')

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