[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6946]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  THANKS TO OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, just 3 days ago, I was in the war-torn 
region of Kosovo along with many of our colleagues from the House and 
Senate.
  And, as a veteran of two wars, I know the great sacrifice that our 
U.S. military men and women are making for our country and for world 
peace. And I am thankful that I was able to travel to the Kosovo region 
to personally thank these brave soldiers, sailors, and airmen for their 
service to our great Nation.
  I want to take this opportunity to reinforce my commitment to them in 
what may very well be the most trying time in their life. I thank them 
and America thanks them for having the courage to carry out this 
selfless duty to our country.
  From both the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars, I am personally and 
gravely aware of the enormous challenges that these brave men and women 
face. Having been deployed far away from my family for countless weeks 
and months, I can relate to the myriad of emotions that these troops 
and their families must be experiencing during this very traumatic time 
in the world.
  Our prayers and our full support are with them. May God speed and 
bring each of them home safely and as soon as possible.

                          ____________________