[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





   HONORING THE LEGACY OF THE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (SAC) ELITE GUARD

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON BACON

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 30, 2024

  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of the 
Strategic Air Command (SAC) Elite Guard, as they celebrate their 
reunion this August.
  Founded in 1956 by the visionary General Curtis Lemay, the Guard 
wasn't simply a security unit, it was the cornerstone of safeguarding 
our nation's most critical assets. Following WWII, the security 
surrounding our strategic air assets were woefully inadequate. Because 
of this, Lemay sanctioned Detachment ``A'' of the 3902nd Air Police 
Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, which later became known as the SAC 
Elite Guard.
  Having had the privilege of serving as a SAC intel briefer, I can 
attest to the elite men and women that served in the Guard. They were 
hand-picked, rigorously trained, and became guardians not just of 
installations and resources, but those who shielded our nuclear 
arsenal, and served as our planet's greatest deterrence.
  The Guard's mission was threefold: securing SAC Headquarters, 
protecting the Commander and Vice Commander, and as SAC ambassadors at 
official dignitary functions representing SAC with honor. Serving 
during the Cold War had its many complications, and the weight of 
responsibility all service men and women carried was immense, yet the 
Guard never faltered. The Guard pushed themselves to the limit, both 
physically and mentally, and the weight of these responsibilities 
forged an unbreakable bond between them, because they knew even the 
smallest mistake could have devastating consequences.
  In 2004 the SAC Elite Guard Association was formed by former SAC 
Elite Guardsmen Sgt Mike Paventi and Sgt Herbert ``Bill'' Marshall. The 
association's mission was to maintain a social connection to those men 
and women that served and protected SAC Headquarters. The Guard's 
reunion each year is a chance to honor the legacy they built together. 
A chance to remember all our fallen comrades, whose sacrifices will 
never be forgotten, and a chance to reconnect with the brothers and 
sisters in arms who shared the Guard's extraordinary experience.

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