[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9621]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE

 Mr. CRAIG. Madam President, today with great pride I honor 
Mountain Home Air Force Base for their recent achievement of winning 
the Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence for 
an Air Force base. Over 85 Active-Duty Air Force installations competed 
this year for the award, and I was extremely pleased to get word that 
Idaho's own Air Force base came out the winner.
  Over the years, I have worked very closely with the different wing 
commanders at Mountain Home Air Force Base to ensure that their 
installation will provide our soldiers with the best living conditions 
and optimal training space to ensure that should they be called to 
duty, they would be fully prepared. I know firsthand that the work 
being done both at home and abroad by our airmen and soldiers at 
Mountain Home Air Force Base is among the best our military can offer.
  Over 500 airmen and crew from Mountain Home Air Force Base are 
currently deployed in Afghanistan in support of our joint mission with 
NATO to provide freedom and security from terrorist, and they are 
serving with great courage and determination. I know that their fellow 
servicemembers, the Idaho delegation, and all of Idaho await their 
return and they will be greeted with a hero's welcome. Although they 
are not in Idaho to celebrate this very prestigious honor from the 
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Commander 
in Chief, I know that their contributions greatly aided in Mountain 
Home Air Force Base receiving this award.
  COL Tony Rock, wing commander of the 366 Fighting Wing at Mountain 
Home Air Force Base, expressed his pride of winning this award but gave 
the credit to the 4,000-plus men and women who operate the base on a 
daily basis. Colonel Rock was quoted as saying, ``This award validates 
the hard work, commitment and pride of all our Gunfighters who work 
together to make Mountain Home the best base in the Air Force. I am 
simultaneously humbled and awed to be part of this team and lead our 
Gunfighters as we continue to prove we are the premier combat wing in 
the entire Air Force.''
  I couldn't agree more with Colonel Rock's statement.
  Again, I would like to extend the appreciation and congratulations of 
myself and all of Idaho to the soldiers and civilians at Mountain Home 
Air Force Base for their incredible work serving and protecting our 
Nation.

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