[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 21647]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 287--HONORING AND EXPRESSING GRATITUDE TO THE 1ST 
  BATTALION OF THE 133RD INFANTRY (``IRONMAN BATTALION'') OF THE IOWA 
                             NATIONAL GUARD

  Mr. HARKIN (for himself and Mr. Grassley) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 287

       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 April and May 
     of 2006 in the al-Anbar Province of Iraq, one of the most 
     dangerous parts of Iraq;
       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 
     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 al-Anbar Province;
       Whereas the members of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry 
     have logged over 4,000,000 mission miles, and have delivered 
     over \1/3\ 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 mission 
     of the United States in Iraq: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate 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 the return home of the Battalion from its 
     deployment in Iraq.

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