[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H4612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    WELCOMING THE USS ``EISENHOWER''

  (Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome home 
the aircraft carrier, the USS Eisenhower, to her aircraft carrier 
battle group, and all of its sailors and marines home to Hampton Roads 
this weekend after an extended 9\1/2\ month deployment.
  The USS Eisenhower carrier battle group has been deployed in the Red 
Sea off the coast of Israel for more than 8 months in what was the 
greatest concentration of naval power deployed to the Mediterranean in 
a generation.
  The selfless service of the men and women aboard the USS Eisenhower 
led them far from home during dangerous times for a purpose greater 
than themselves. We owe them a debt that we can never repay.
  Earlier this year, I traveled with other Members of Congress to 
Israel where we met with different groups, from senior military 
officers to everyday Israeli citizens. I cannot count the number of 
times we were thanked for sending the USS Eisenhower to sit off the 
coast of Israel after October 7.
  The Israeli people truly believe that because of our U.S. naval 
presence in the region, countless lives were saved, and Hezbollah never 
invaded Israel from the north.
  Tomorrow, I will proudly watch four of the USS Eisenhower's squadrons 
fly into Naval Air Station Oceana with their families and look forward 
to thanking them on behalf of a grateful nation.
  It is truly an honor to represent these servicemembers in Congress 
and to fiercely defend their mission and to advocate for them and their 
families.
  As a former Navy helicopter pilot and a Navy spouse of an F-18 pilot, 
I know the uncertainty their families faced during this extended 
deployment, the milestones missed, and the challenges they endured. I 
cannot wait for them to be reunited with their loved ones.
  I thank all those serving aboard the USS Eisenhower and her battle 
group, and welcome them home.

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