[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 17036-17037]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 WELCOMING THE MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD

  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, it is my great pleasure to welcome the

[[Page 17037]]

brave and courageous members of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th 
Infantry back to Minnesota today. For nearly 2 years, these troops have 
selflessly and honorably served our State and our Nation, demonstrating 
a level of commitment and sacrifice beyond anything our country could 
ask of them.
  To welcome these soldiers home properly, it is important to roll the 
calendar back to September of 2005, when these men and women learned 
that they would soon deploy to Iraq for a 12-month mission. The news 
was difficult for a lot of Guard troops and families in our State. Many 
of them had already been deployed on active duty to Bosnia or Kosovo 
since September 11, and they knew how hard it would be to say goodbye 
once more to their families, friends, and communities.
  Because of their previous service, many of these troops were not 
required to go to Iraq. They had already answered the call to defend 
this great land, and they could have let others take their turn this 
time, but that is not the spirit of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 
34th Infantry. Instead, with the same commitment that their unit has 
shown since the Civil War, these troops donned their uniforms, made 
their arrangements, kissed their moms and dads, husbands, wives, and 
children goodbye, and returned to the fray to serve their country.
  For 6 grueling months, these soldiers conducted their mandatory 
``uptraining'' on the other side of our country at Camp Shelby in 
Mississippi and Fort Polk in Louisiana. And just like their Minnesota 
1st infantry comrades who mustered at Fort Snelling 144 years earlier, 
the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry received ratings of 
``outstanding,'' ``excellent,'' and ``perfect'' on their various 
training demonstrations throughout the winter of 2005.
  In March of 2006, when the unit had already been away from home for 
half a year, it was time to travel the 6,000 miles to the Middle East 
and Iraq. Before they left, I had the pleasure of attending their 
departure ceremony in Mississippi alongside my colleagues of the 
Minnesota congressional delegation and our Governor. There were steaks, 
music, beer cans, smiles, flags, hugs, and sadly, a lot of tears.
  But there was one clear thing everyone had in common that day at Camp 
Shelby: Pride. Pride in serving their country. Pride in defending our 
freedom. Pride that their loved one was going to perform their duty in 
a manner consistent with the finest traditions of the U.S. military.
  And off they went. Different units and different companies fanned out 
in locations across Iraq. Some of them in Fallujah and Taqaddum in 
Anbar Province, some at Camp Scania near Nippur, and the largest number 
at Camp Adder in Talil.
  And the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry didn't take much 
time to make an impact on the ground. By the end of May, when the ink 
on their transfer authority had barely dried, the 1st Brigade Combat 
Team of the 34th Infantry had already built a reverse osmosis water 
plant for the people of al-Feiz. It would be the first of many success 
stories they would accomplish and be proud of.
  Over the course of the next few months, the 1st Brigade Combat Team 
of the 34th Infantry endured the trials of a unit at war. With every 
successful patrol, there was a longing for far away loved ones. For 
every completed reconstruction project, there was anticipation of a 
return trip home. And on the hardest of days, there was the mourning of 
a fallen comrade.
  And so it went with these selfless soldiers through the end of 2006 
and into 2007. When the New Year broke, it brought with it a new energy 
and a refocused eye on their March 2007 return. But their March return 
was not to be, as the story of these men and women veered onto a 
different path.
  On January 10, of this year, these soldiers and their families 
endured a shock that none of them expected. Afternoon reports from CNN 
and Fox News began to trickle through our State and Nation, indicating 
that the unit would be extended until this summer. When the official 
word from the Pentagon confirmed this fact later that day, it shook all 
of us to our core and left us with more questions and concerns than we 
could find answers to.
  But like Minnesotans always do, they somehow found a way to move 
forward. The support of their families strengthened them. The spirit of 
their communities rallied around them. And the countdown from January 
to July gradually went from months to weeks to days while the moment 
that seemed like it would never get here finally did: Their return.
  Their deployment kept them in Iraq 25 days longer than any other unit 
serving in this war. During their time, they drove over 4,500 round 
trip convoy missions completing 99 percent of them on time. That's over 
2.2 million miles of convoys in Iraq from the south central part of the 
country to the Jordanian and Syrian borders. And I don't think anyone 
needs a reminder of the dangers of IEDs on these convoys, but just for 
the record, this unit discovered over 350 of them before they were 
detonated. In other areas they fought al-Qaida and provided critical 
security to our military bases, saving countless lives of their 
comrades in arms.
  They also worked hard to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi 
people. In their time in Iraq, the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th 
Infantry completed over 90 reconstruction projects from water and 
powerplants to road construction and media expansion.
  And now, after nearly 2 years of sacrifice and dedication, on behalf 
of a grateful State and Nation we have the privilege to welcome these 
fine men and women back to the North Star State. With their return will 
come new challenges. As Maj John Morris, Chaplain of the Minnesota 
National Guard, often says, we have to support our troops before, 
during, and after their deployments. I look forward to joining with my 
colleagues in the Minnesota delegation to do our part to energize the 
State to bring these troops all the way home.
  I have no doubt there will be plenty of handshakes, hugs, and welcome 
home ceremonies across our State in the coming days and weeks for this 
admirable group of Americans. I hope I am there to personally welcome 
home as many as I can, but because I know I can't make it to all of 
them--and because I would rather they get home and go fishing than 
spend their time talking to me--I want to express in the Record the 
eternal appreciation I have for the service of the 1st Brigade Combat 
Team of the 34th Infantry.
  You gave up time, income, and family togetherness. You risked 
everything so all our lives could be safer and more free from fear. 
When your Nation called you to serve, you didn't take a poll, you 
didn't equivocate, you didn't even question why. You served because you 
were called to and you did your duty with perseverance, excellence and 
strength. Your active duty service is now complete, but our debt of 
gratitude will never end. On behalf of all Minnesotans, we welcome you 
home.
  Thank you and may God Bless you.

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