[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3519-3520]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            CITIZEN SOLDIER AND AMERICAN PATRIOT RELIEF ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon. Madam Speaker, yesterday the Oregon National 
Guard's 42nd Air Ambulance Company, headquartered in our State capital, 
Salem, Oregon, received word it had been activated in support of 
Operation Enduring Freedom.
  The Air Ambulance is no stranger to call-ups. They were last 
activated to serve in Bosnia, where they garnered heavy acclaim. Nor is 
the Oregon Guard a stranger to call-ups. Although we have just over 
6,000 Guardsmen and women, Oregon trails only Texas and Georgia in the 
number of activated troops, and each of those States has 20,000-plus 
soldiers and airmen.
  That is a testament to the Oregon Guard's military readiness, 
especially in light of the fact that we do not have any active duty 
military bases in our State, except for Umatilla Depot, which is 
largely a repository for chemical weapons.
  As I speak, F-15s from the Oregon Air Guard are patrolling the skies 
above North America, being assisted by air traffic control units. All 
this is happening while an additional 500 Guardsmen are preparing for a 
lengthy deployment in the Sinai Desert, and a

[[Page 3520]]

military intelligence company from Lake Oswego is rotating through 
Bosnia.
  Madam Speaker, these deployments come at a high personal and 
professional cost. Activated Guardsmen and women not only leave behind 
their families, they leave behind careers and their own businesses. 
Additionally, the Pentagon often activates these units for 179 days, a 
day short of the 180-day-period which would give nonprior-service 
Guards VA benefits. Many of these activated troops lose their private 
health insurance, forcing their families to enroll in military health 
insurance plans, which means a whole new set of doctors, dentists, and 
pharmacists to deal with.
  The list of hardships goes on and on. They are well known to anyone 
who cares about the impact this war is having on our local communities. 
That is why I think it is important that our Guards and Reservists 
receive more than just a pat on the back for the job they are doing in 
this war against terrorism.
  I am developing comprehensive legislation which would remedy some of 
the concerns I just mentioned. The Citizen Soldier and the American 
Patriot Relief Act recognizes the sacrifices made by our citizen 
soldiers, and I look forward to sharing it with my colleagues.
  Until then, I ask that every American keep all of our troops in their 
thoughts and their prayers. It is because of our military men and women 
and their service, and their service alone, that we enjoy the privilege 
of meeting in this institution, free from terror and other failed 
attempts to strip away our liberty.
  I thank all of our military men and women for their service.

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