[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 84 (Monday, May 18, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S2318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Military Appreciation Month

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, the month of May is dedicated to America's 
finest. We observed Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day last 
week, and the entire month of May is Military Appreciation Month. Armed 
Forces Day was Saturday, and next week, we will observe Memorial Day 
and remember all those who have laid down their lives in America's 
service. It is an extraordinary thing they do, the men and women who 
sign up to join our military. They don't simply choose service; they 
choose a kind of service that may require them to sacrifice everything. 
And they do it willingly, proudly, for love of their country, for love 
of their fellow soldiers, and for love of their fellow man.
  We live in a country of unmatched blessing, and it can be easy to 
take that for granted, to take our prosperity, our freedom, our peace, 
and safety as a given. But they are not a given; they are secured for 
us and have been secured for us by the men and women of the U.S. 
military. That is not patriotic rhetoric; that is a fact. None of the 
blessings we enjoy as citizens of the United States would last long in 
the absence of the men and women who commit their lives to defending 
them.
  My job as a Senator gives me the privilege of regularly getting to 
interact with our military men and women. That might be at Ellsworth 
Air Force Base talking to airmen about recent B-1 or MQ-9 combat 
operations or the fast approaching B-21 mission. It might be welcoming 
home South Dakota National Guard troops or our 114th Fighter Wing from 
a deployment. It might be greeting veterans on an Honor Flight here in 
Washington, DC. It is a privilege to talk to men and women who have not 
only chosen to serve a cause greater than themselves but have committed 
to giving their lives for that cause if necessary. Their pride, their 
professionalism, their enthusiasm, their wholehearted embrace of our 
country's ideals--there is nothing more inspiring and uplifting than 
meeting the men and women of the U.S. military.
  I have talked about our Armed Forces' willingness to sacrifice, to 
lay down their lives if necessary to protect our country. Across the 
river from the Capitol Building where we stand, at Arlington National 
Cemetery, rows upon rows of white markers bear witness to the men and 
women who have made that ultimate sacrifice. And not just on Memorial 
Day but every day--every day--we need to remember them, to remember 
that our freedom has been secured for us at a great cost, and to live 
in such a way as to honor that sacrifice.
  No discussion of the service of our military men and women is 
complete without mentioning their families. They, too, embrace a cause 
greater than themselves. They also serve and often without recognition. 
They endure long absences from their loved ones, missed birthdays and 
date nights and dinners, frequent moves, new schools, and job changes. 
And for some, their loved one never comes home. Just as we remember our 
soldiers this month, we remember their families--their families--and 
what they, too, have given in the service of our country.
  As we celebrate Military Appreciation Month, Armed Forces Day, and 
Memorial Day, my prayers and gratitude are with the men and women of 
the U.S. military. God bless and protect them as they stand on guard 
for us.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant executive clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.