[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 21]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 29386]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SALUTING THE COMMAND, CREW AND AIR WING OF THE U.S.S. ``RONALD REAGAN''

                                 ______
                                 

                   HON. CHARLES W. ``CHIP'' PICKERING

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 16, 2005

  Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, the newest carrier in the United States 
Navy is engaged in final training and preparation in the Pacific Ocean 
and will soon be deployed to the Middle East to support our national 
interests, defend freedom and spread liberty to a more stable world. 
Nearly 6,000 Navy personnel call the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan home and 
serve both day and night in her courageous mission to provide ``peace 
through strength.''
  Many of the personnel on the Reagan hail from Mississippi, and we our 
proud of our men and women who serve from the magnolia State. I often 
tell my colleagues that Mississippi has the full military package: Our 
citizens serve bravely in our Armed Forces, our bases train top pilots 
and protect important facilities, our universities provide cutting edge 
military research and technology, while companies and manufacturers 
earn top military contracts to produce the equipment our modern 
soldiers need for today's battles. I take personal honor in sharing the 
title ``Mississippian'' with these soldiers. We at home are proud of 
the Mississippians serving on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan.
  Many of the aviators and crew onboard the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan 
trained at Naval Air Station Meridian in my district in Mississippi. 
NAS Meridian is an essential, necessary and critical component of our 
national security network. This valuable and effective facility, and 
the community that supports it, adds strength to the character and 
performance of the United States Navy. We send these personnel to the 
U.S.S. Ronald Reagan and to our Navy forces around the world to serve 
with honor, courage and commitment.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope Congress joins me in saluting the command, crew, 
and air wing ofthe U.S.S. Ronald Reagan. Their training and preparation 
allows the United States to advance our priorities around the globe, 
and remain secure at home. The U.S.S. Ronald Reagan's designation is 
CVN 76 and the crew practices daily the ``Spirit of 76'' in honor of 
their ship and the year of our independence, 1776. Their service will 
continue to keep us free. For the next half-century, the U.S.S. Ronald 
Reagan will serve the American people in times of peace and times of 
war, and I take this time to honor her and the forces on board as they 
prepare for her maiden deployment.

                          ____________________