[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 20756-20757]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE 1ST BATTALION OF THE 133RD INFANTRY OF THE IOWA NATIONAL 
                                 GUARD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Braley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome the members 
of the 1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry of the Iowa National Guard 
home to Iowa after a lengthy deployment in Iraq, and to honor and thank 
them for their service there.
  Today was a momentous day in Iowa as the members of the 1-133rd, 
known as the ``Ironman Battalion,'' were reunited with their friends, 
family, and loved ones at a homecoming ceremony in Waterloo. This day 
of reunion and celebration has been anxiously awaited in Iowa since the 
battalion left for Iraq last year. An overflow crowd of thousands 
packed Riverfront Stadium to welcome the hundreds of men and women 
home. As they drove the final miles from Ft. McCoy in Wisconsin, Iowans 
lined the road to wave at the 1-133rd.
  Sadly, today was also made bittersweet by the absence of two members, 
Sergeant 1st Class Scott Nisely and Sergeant Kampha Sourivong, who were 
tragically killed during combat operations in Iraq in September 2006.
  It is impossible for those who have not served in Iraq to fully 
understand the experiences of the 1-133rd, or to comprehend the 
sacrifices that they and their families have made on behalf of our 
country. However, I am glad that the Memorial Day special edition of 
``60 Minutes'' gave Americans a small glimpse of the challenges that 
members of the 1-133rd and their families have faced throughout their 
long deployment, and more importantly into their incredible 
perseverance.
  Iowans who watched the ``60 Minutes'' special featuring the 1-133rd 
saw the story of their friends, neighbors and loved ones who chose to 
serve and sacrifice when their country called them. We saw the daily 
danger faced by the 1-133rd in Iraq as they helped deliver fuel to 
coalition forces. We saw their families missing them and adjusting back 
home. We saw the hardship and heartache that was experienced by the 
members and their families when they received the news that their tour 
of duty was to be extended from April until this summer. And we saw the 
lives of our fellow Iowans cut tragically short.

[[Page 20757]]

  For me, the program also reinforced what I had already learned about 
the members of the 1-133rd from my frequent communications with their 
commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ben Corell, that they are men 
and women of great strength and character who selflessly and bravely 
put their lives on the line every day for their country in Iraq.
  The contributions of the 1-133rd have indeed been crucial to the U.S. 
mission in Iraq. Throughout their tour of duty in the al Anbar 
province, one of the most dangerous parts of the country, the 1-133rd 
detained over 60 insurgents. They completed over 500 missions providing 
security for convoys, and logged in over 4 million mission miles. They 
have delivered over one-third of the fuel needed to sustain coalition 
forces in Iraq.
  I hope that it gives members and families of the 1-133rd pride to 
reflect upon their accomplishments and to know that they are part of 
the longest-serving Iowa military unit since World War II, and part of 
the Army National Guard unit which has served the longest continuous 
deployment of any National Guard unit in support of Operation Iraqi 
Freedom. They have made me and so many others proud through their work 
and their sacrifices in Iraq, and I am incredibly privileged to 
represent them in the United States Congress.
  I believe that the entire country should commend and thank these 
members and the families of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry of the 
Iowa National Guard for their contributions to the U.S. mission in 
Iraq. That is why today I introduced a resolution in the House to honor 
and thank them for their service and sacrifices there. The strong 
bipartisan support this resolution has from 70 original cosponsors, 
including the entire Iowa congressional delegation, demonstrates the 
pride and gratitude that Americans feel toward our men and women 
serving in uniform.
  I look forward to the swift passage of this resolution in the House 
of Representatives, and I hope that it comes to serve as a genuine 
expression of thanks from a grateful State and a grateful Nation.
  We will be forever indebted to the members and families of the 1-
133rd for their service and sacrifice. Again, I would like to commend 
and thank this incredible battalion for their work, and join their 
families, friends and neighbors in welcoming them home.

                          ____________________