[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 64 (Wednesday, April 14, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE CORPUS CHRISTI ARMY DEPOT (CCAD)

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FILEMON VELA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 14, 2021

  Mr. VELA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Corpus Christi 
Army Depot (CCAD) as it celebrates 60 years of operations as the 
premier rotary winged helicopter repair and maintenance facility for 
the United States Army. Established on March 10, 1961 as the U.S. Army 
Transportation Aeronautical Depot Maintenance Center (ARADMAC), Naval 
Air Station, Corpus Christi, it was accepted by the U.S. Army on April 
21, 1961 and officially re-designated as the CCAD in 1974.
  CCAD has become a critical asset in Army readiness since helicopters 
first took center stage of combat operations during the Vietnam War. 
Throughout Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley, the names Huey, 
Chinook, Black Hawk, and Apache evoke pride in our Veterans, active 
duty personnel, and retired service members and civilians alike, 
whether in war or peacetime. Members of CCAD served valiantly on the 
USNS Corpus Christi Bay (formerly the USS Albemarle) during the Vietnam 
War as the Army's sole floating maintenance depot and saved time, 
money, and lives during the conflict.
  Thousands of troops and civilian contractors have walked the halls, 
worked in the hangars, turned the wrenches, flown the aircraft and 
dedicated themselves to the operation of CCAD since 1961. Their 
commitment to the mission of the United States Army safeguards the 
freedom and security that citizens of the United States enjoy today.
  I am proud to honor CCAD, and I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing and showing deep appreciation for the service of all 
personnel of the CCAD, past, present, and future. Even in the midst of 
a global pandemic, like a battle-hardened soldier, CCAD remains strong, 
committed, and dedicated to ``Keep the Army Flying''.

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