[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 21413-21415]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING AND EXPRESSING GRATITUDE TO THE 1ST BATTALION OF THE 133RD 
                  INFANTRY OF THE IOWA NATIONAL GUARD

  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 568) honoring and expressing gratitude to the 
1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry (``Ironman Battalion'') of the Iowa 
National Guard.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 568

       Whereas 476 members of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry of 
     the Iowa National Guard were mobilized for active duty in 
     September and October of 2005;
       Whereas 80 members of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry 
     have been providing essential support to the Battalion from 
     Iowa National Guard installations in Waterloo, Iowa, and 
     Dubuque, Iowa, and at least 490 members of the 1st Battalion, 
     133rd Infantry were deployed to Iraq in April and May of 
     2006;
       Whereas the members of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry 
     have been serving bravely and honorably since those dates in 
     the al-Anbar Province of Iraq, one of the most dangerous 
     parts of the country;
       Whereas the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry deployed as part 
     of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division, 
     which has completed the longest continuous deployment of any 
     Army National Guard unit during Operation Iraqi Freedom;
       Whereas the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry is the longest-
     serving Iowa Army National Guard unit since World War II;
       Whereas the CBS program ``60 Minutes'' devoted an entire 
     hour to telling the story of the 1st Battalion, 133rd 
     Infantry on May 27, 2007;
       Whereas the members of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry 
     have completed over 500 missions providing security for 
     convoys operating in the al-Anbar Province;
       Whereas the members of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry 
     have logged over 4 million mission miles, and have delivered 
     over one-third of the fuel needed to sustain coalition forces 
     in Iraq;
       Whereas the members of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry 
     have detained over 60 insurgents;
       Whereas the members of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry 
     were scheduled to return home in April 2007, but had their 
     tours of duty extended until July 2007;
       Whereas the members of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry 
     left behind civilian jobs, friends, and families in order to 
     serve the United States;
       Whereas 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry members Sergeant 1st 
     Class Scott E. Nisely and Sergeant Kampha B. Sourivong gave 
     the ultimate sacrifice for their country when they were 
     tragically killed during combat operations near Al Asad, 
     Iraq, on September 30, 2006; and
       Whereas the United States will be forever indebted to the 
     soldiers and families of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry 
     for their sacrifices and their contributions to the United 
     States mission in Iraq: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives honors and 
     expresses gratitude for the service and sacrifices of the 
     members and families of the 1st Battalion of the 133rd 
     Infantry of the Iowa National Guard upon their return home 
     from their deployment in Iraq.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 568, 
introduced by my colleague from Iowa, Mr. Braley, which recognizes the 
bravery and the tremendous self-sacrifice of the 1st Battalion of the 
133rd Infantry of the Iowa National Guard.

                              {time}  2030

  Beginning in September of 2005, this ``Ironman Battalion'' was 
mobilized for active duty, and by April 2006, 490 members were deployed 
to al-Anbar Province to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. Since 
deploying as part of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry 
Division, this Iowa battalion has completed the longest continuous 
deployment of any Army National Guard unit during the Iraqi war, and is 
the longest deployed Iowa Guard unit since the Second World War.
  They have completed over 500 missions and logged over 4 million 
mission miles, delivering over one-third of the fuel needed to sustain 
coalition forces in Iraq.

[[Page 21414]]

  While performing operations in Anbar, this battalion dutifully 
detained over 60 insurgents, and they remained steadfast and strong 
when their tour was extended at a time when this country needed their 
leadership.
  On September 30, 2006, Sergeant First Class Scott E. Nisely and 
Sergeant Kampha B. Sourivong paid the ultimate sacrifice and 
courageously laid down their lives for this Nation. It is a solemn and 
sad occasion when this country's sons and daughters give so much, and 
often words are insufficient to describe the humble gratitude and 
dignified thanks that we owe these brave soldiers and their families. 
In times of war, Madam Speaker, it is important that this Nation, this 
House, halt for a brief moment and speak with actions what words cannot 
articulate.
  I am honored to rise today on the floor of this House to express the 
thanks of a grateful Nation to the members and the families of the 1st 
Battalion of the 133rd Infantry of the Iowa National Guard upon their 
return home from their deployment in Iraq.
  The story of Iowa's 1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry is even more 
remarkable because their extended tour of duty in Iraq was a crucial 
component of the surge policy. This battalion made a great sacrifice 
that has impacted their family lives and their jobs. However, their 
unfaltering willingness to serve an extended tour allowed the National 
Guard to reset the force and begin the process of serving in more 
predictable deployment cycles. They not only sacrificed for our 
freedom, but for the betterment of their fellow guardsmen across the 
Nation.
  I want to take this opportunity to thank the men and women of the 
Iowa National Guard, including MG Ron Dardis, Iowa's Adjutant General. 
Today this House joins the Iowa delegation in bringing this deserving 
recognition of their National Guard. We want to commend Mr. Braley for 
his leadership in support of the National Guard.
  Today's resolution again highlights the important role that the 
National Guard continues to fulfill through wartime requirements. 
Indeed, the National Guard is now an operational force that can 
simultaneously provide wartime capabilities while protecting the 
homeland. And to achieve this mission, it has taken the participation 
and support of every State and territory National Guard. All of us are 
very proud of our National Guard units, and I am very proud of the 
contributions of the Guam National Guard to missions abroad and in the 
homeland. Today we recognize a National Guard battalion who has 
sacrificed above and beyond the normal call of duty and expectations 
placed upon them.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and 
commend the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Braley) for introducing it. This 
specific resolution honors and expresses gratitude for the service in 
Iraq of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, known as the ``Ironman 
Battalion'' of the Iowa Army National Guard. Their service has been 
long and honorable.
  The soldiers of this battalion mobilized in the fall of 2005, 
deployed to Iraq in the spring of 2006, were due to come home in April 
of this year, but had their tour extended until July of 2007.
  For 15 months, their ``boots on the ground'' made a difference in the 
al-Anbar Province, one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq. They 
completed more than 500 convoy security missions, logged over 4 million 
mission miles, and delivered over one-third of the fuel needed to 
sustain coalition forces in Iraq.
  The battalion came home to Iowa on July 25 to welcoming and thankful 
families and communities, completing a 22-month mobilization. That 
period of honorable service made the battalion the longest serving Iowa 
Army National Guard unit since World War II.
  While serving in Iraq, two members of the battalion were killed in 
action in September of 2006: Sergeant First Class Scott Nisely and 
Sergeant Kampha B. Sourivong.
  For their ultimate sacrifice and for the service and sacrifice of the 
members and families of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, the Nation 
owes a debt of gratitude. This resolution helps to remind us of that 
debt. Today, Congress, by this resolution, honors and thanks the men 
and women of this unit and their families for their dedication and 
selfless service to the people of America.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Iowa (Mr. Boswell).
  Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me 
this time to speak on this very important occasion.
  As an original cosponsor of this resolution, I join with my good 
friend and colleague, and many others, Representative Braley of Iowa, 
as we celebrate the great service this unit has given.
  They are brave people. You have heard the time they served. They 
returned home with the distinction of being the longest serving Iowa 
National Guard unit since World War II. I want to personally thank them 
for their service to our country. The brave men and women who make up 
the unit are something that we are very proud of, and I feel some 
relation to them, as others do in the Congress, because of my own past 
service in another war. So I appreciate it very much.
  And I am also aware of the sacrifices made by the families. And I 
think you should know that as the troops were coming up the highway, as 
they passed under bridges, there were VFW and American Legion and other 
services and families who were on the bridges with flags walking them 
home, making them know how much they were appreciated and how much they 
were missed. Those families play a very important role, which we should 
all appreciate, in ensuring freedom and liberty.
  So I want to thank the mothers and fathers and the spouses and the 
sons and daughters who had and have loved ones serving around the 
world.
  I appreciate the opportunity to speak here tonight, and hope that we 
can raise up and give recognition and appreciation to all of our men 
and women who serve our country and do it with distinction. We should 
be very proud. I am, and I know all of us are.
  Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
resolution honoring the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry of the Iowa 
National Guard. This unit returned last week from a deployment lasting 
nearly 23 consecutive months in Iraq, which is the longest continuous 
deployment of any Army National Guard Unit during Operation Iraqi 
Freedom. This distinction carries on the 1st Battalion's proud 
historical legacy: Since the Second World War the unit served more 
consecutive days in the European theatre than any other unit.
  In Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 1st Battalion carried out a critical 
mission in one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq. The unit drove over 
4 million miles providing security for convoys supplying thousands of 
U.S. troops. I want to commend the soldiers of the 1st Battalion for 
their successful completion of over 500 missions.
  These soldiers and their families have made tremendous sacrifices to 
further the U.S. mission in Iraq and for that we owe them a debt of 
gratitude. Tragically, this sacrifice included more than 25 wounded and 
the deaths of two members of the unit who made the ultimate sacrifice. 
SGT 1st Class Scott Nisely and SGT Kampha Sourivong were killed in 
combat operations on September 30, 2006. Our Nation will forever be 
grateful to these heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our 
freedoms.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
recognition of one of our Nation's finest National Guard Units.
  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the 
passage of H. Res. 568, a bill honoring and expressing gratitude to the 
members and families of the 1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry of the 
Iowa National Guard. My introduction of this bill last week coincided 
with the long-awaited homecoming of the 1-133rd, known as the ``Ironman 
Battalion,'' after a long and extended deployment in Iraq. I am glad 
that the House has moved swiftly to consider this important resolution, 
and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it today in order to pay 
tribute to this incredible group of Iowans.

[[Page 21415]]

  Last Wednesday was truly a momentous day in Iowa as the members of 
the 1-133rd were reunited with their friends, family, and loved ones at 
a homecoming ceremony in Waterloo after more than a year of service in 
Iraq. The members and families of the 1-133rd have been in Iowans' 
thoughts and prayers, and this day of reunion and celebration had been 
eagerly awaited, since the Battalion left for Iraq last spring.
  Iowans' admiration and love for the members of the 1-133rd was 
palpable in Waterloo as an overflow crowd of an estimated 8,000 people 
packed Riverfront Stadium to welcome the hundreds of men and women of 
the Battalion home. As the Battalion drove the final miles from Ft. 
McCoy in Wisconsin, Iowans lined the road to wave at the 1-133rd and 
waved American flags from overpasses. Sadly, the day was also made 
bittersweet by the absence of 1-133rd members SGT 1st Class Scott 
Nisely and SGT Kampha Sourivong, who gave the ultimate sacrifice for 
their country when they were tragically killed during combat operations 
in Iraq on September 30, 2006.
  Many of my colleagues here may already be familiar with the men and 
women of the 1-133rd if they saw the Memorial Day special edition of 
``60 Minutes'' that was dedicated to telling the story of the 
Battalion. While it is impossible for those who have not served in Iraq 
to fully understand the experiences of the 1-133rd there, or to 
comprehend the sacrifices that they and their families have made on 
behalf of our country, this program gave Americans a small glimpse of 
the challenges the members of the 1-133rd and their families faced 
throughout their long deployment, as well as 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 upon them. We saw the 
daily threats of roadside bombs, insurgents, and snipers faced by the 
members of the 1-133rd in Iraq as they helped deliver fuel to coalition 
forces. We saw families adjusting back home, and banding together to 
help one another. 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. We saw children born while fathers were overseas, and we saw 
the lives of our fellow Iowans cut tragically short. For me, the 
program reinforced what I had already learned about the members of the 
1-133rd from my frequent communications with their commanding officer, 
LTC 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.
  Throughout their long tour of duty in the al-Anbar province of Iraq, 
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. In addition, 
they have delivered over one-third of the fuel needed to sustain 
coalition forces in Iraq. Their crucial service, and their extended 
deployment, are also reflective of the critical and increasing role of 
the National Guard in our defense missions overseas. Their 
contributions to the U.S. mission in Iraq are indeed impressive and 
commendable, which is why I believe that the entire country should 
honor and thank the men and women of the 1-133rd for their service and 
their sacrifices there through the passage of this resolution.
  The 1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry of the Iowa National Guard is 
notable for other reasons as well. They are the longest-serving Iowa 
military unit since World War II. They are also part of the Army 
National Guard unit which has served the longest continuous deployment 
of any Army National Guard unit in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  The men and women of the 1-133rd have made me and so many other 
Iowans and Americans proud through their work and their sacrifices in 
Iraq, and I hope that it also gives them and their families pride to 
reflect upon their accomplishments. I feel incredibly honored and 
privileged to represent them in the U.S. Congress, and I am so pleased 
today that the entire House of Representatives will commend and thank 
them for their service through the passage of H. Res. 568.
  I am proud to have introduced this bill with the support of 70 
bipartisan original co-sponsors, including the entire Iowa 
Congressional Delegation. The strong support this resolution has on 
both sides of the aisle is reflective of the pride and gratitude that 
Americans feel towards our National Guard troops, and all of our men 
and women serving in uniform.
  I would like to thank Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton 
and his staff, and Majority Leader Hoyer and his staff, for helping to 
facilitate the swift consideration of this bill by the full House. The 
United States will be forever indebted to the members and families of 
the 1-133rd for their service and their sacrifices in Iraq, and I hope 
that this resolution comes to serve as a genuine expression of thanks 
from a grateful state and a grateful nation.
  Again, I would like to commend and thank this incredible Battalion 
for their work, and I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H. 
Res. 568 today to honor and express gratitude to the men and women of 
the 1st Battalion of the 133rd Infantry of the Iowa National Guard.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, but 
I do thank Mr. Jones for managing the resolutions this evening, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 568.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________