[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12249]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                             ARMY RESERVES

 Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to a 
special group of Americans--the members of Company B, 7th Battalion, 
158th Aviation Regiment. The dedication and patriotism of this Army 
Reserve unit from Olathe, KS, truly makes all Kansans and Americans 
proud.
  In October 2005, Pakistan suffered a severe disaster when a 7.6-
magnitude earthquake devastated the country. This unit, known as the 
Spartans, was in the midst of training at Fort Sill, OK, to prepare for 
its deployment to Afghanistan when they received orders to assist in 
the humanitarian relief efforts. The unit immediately responded by 
disassembling their entire fleet of Chinook helicopters, flying to 
Afghanistan where they reassembled their aircraft, and then deploying 
to Islamabad to participate in relief efforts. All this was 
accomplished in a mere 4 days--a phenomenal feat. During the 5 months 
of this operation, the Spartans flew 2,633 missions where they 
delivered more than 18 million pounds of supplies, transported almost 
7,000 refugees, and medically evacuated 311 casualties. This mission 
proved to be the longest and largest helicopter relief mission in the 
history of the United States.
  Following their relief mission, the unit deployed to Afghanistan to 
provide heavy-lift support for combat operations at Kandahar Airfield 
in southern Afghanistan. During their 7-month deployment, the unit 
contributed to three major offensive operations by transporting troops 
and supplies in some of the most difficult conditions for aviation 
operations.
  In early October 2006, the unit returned to Pakistan for Operation 
Promise Keeping, a mission to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the 
earthquake. The unit delivered more than 87 tons of steel sheets, 
cement, and construction materials to help with rebuilding efforts in 
Pakistan.
  This weekend, at the Army Aviation Association of America's annual 
convention, the unit is being recognized as the Army Reserve Aviation 
Unit of the Year. The Pakistani people will forever remember the 
servant hearts of these military members. It is with an overwhelming 
sense of gratitude that I wish to recognize these fine service members 
and their families for their dedication to the cause of freedom and 
congratulate them on their much deserved award.

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