[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 165 (Thursday, September 23, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5100-H5101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          CHARLESTON AIR WING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
South Carolina (Ms. Mace) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, it has been 3 weeks since the U.S. withdrew 
troops from Afghanistan. Today, I rise to pay tribute to the heroes who 
paid the ultimate sacrifice in carrying out Operation Allies Refuge, 
and I would like to especially recognize the members of Joint Base 
Charleston Airlift Wing and their spouses who supported the overall 
mission.
  I begin with a moment of silence for the 13 soldiers who selflessly 
gave their lives Hamid Karzai Airport on August 26.
  I also am recognizing this morning the courageous effort of our 
servicemembers stationed in Charleston as they evacuated U.S. citizens, 
Special Immigrant Visa holders, and vulnerable populations from 
Afghanistan.
  With one of the largest C-17 fleets in the country, the Lowcountry of 
South Carolina is proud of our soldiers at Joint Base Charleston that 
were tapped to support our airlift efforts. Reservists in the 315th 
Airlift Wing even helped deliver a baby on board one of their flights.
  Back at home, Joint Base Charleston spouses put together pallets of 
supplies, sending over 10,000 pounds of food, baby wipes, drinks, and 
clothing overseas.
  The Taliban now have control over Afghanistan. It has led many to 
question what we have accomplished there over the last 20 years.
  But there is no question of the unbelievable effort put forth by our 
airmen and airwomen, our veterans who served in Afghanistan, and those 
that loved and supported them and their families during the war.
  Today, I think about the 124,000 people who now have freedom and the 
thousands of Americans and allies who have been safely returned home, 
and I am proud of the difference the Lowcountry has made in those 
efforts. God bless our troops, God bless the Lowcountry, and God bless 
America.


                             Parris Island

  Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, as the House continues to consider the 2022 
National Defense Authorization Act, I wanted to take this opportunity 
to highlight the Parris Island Protection Act. This critical bill will 
preserve Parris Island Marine Corps Recruiting Depot for decades to 
come. Parris Island is responsible for training over a million brave 
marines, including every enlisted female marine that has ever served in 
our Marine Corps.
  Not only is Parris Island critical to our national defense, but it is 
also an integral part of the Lowcountry community. It is responsible 
for the creation of over 6,000 jobs and generates almost $800 million 
in economic activity every year.

  Sadly, this Congress' version of NDAA is one of the first 
authorizations not to include any protections against base realignment 
and closures. I was disappointed to see that absent these usual 
protections, my amendment to protect Parris Island was not made in 
order this week as we went through amendments for the NDAA.
  I look forward to working with the House Committee on Armed Services 
to ensure Parris Island remains open, functional, and continues to 
contribute to the best and brightest in our national defense.


                           Clean Energy Week

  Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, as National Clean Energy Week comes to a 
close, I rise today to bring attention to a spectacular environmental 
protection effort in my district and the efforts of the 32nd annual 
South Carolina beach and river sweep, which brought volunteers down to 
clean up Old Town Bluffton and the May River.
  This was the single largest statewide volunteer cleanup of beaches, 
marshes, and waterways. We know how to take care of our environment in 
South Carolina's First Congressional District. In fact, across the 
State we have thousands of volunteers participating every single year. 
South Carolina's residents

[[Page H5101]]

along the coast are passionate about keeping our sparkling waters 
pristine and our beaches pure.
  This year we had an untold number of kids that participated and 
showed up for the community cleanup. This impact was immeasurable. 
Seeing our youngsters, our students, and our children participate in 
environmental cleanups, we are setting ourselves up for success in the 
Lowcountry and our future by educating our kids who have a passion and 
love for the Lowcountry, who love our ecosystems, and want to keep them 
clean. We love seeing our students serving in their community.

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