[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 24740-24741]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD 81ST BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM AND AIR 
               NATIONAL GUARD OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

  (Mr. REICHERT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my colleagues this 
morning in honoring the members of the Army National Guard 81st Brigade 
Combat Team and Air National Guard of the State of Washington on the 
completion of their recent deployment to Iraq.
  These soldiers and their families have shown us the sense of duty, 
the sense of honor, and the sacrifice that we all aspire to and admire. 
Many of them know the pain of losing someone, a soldier, a fellow 
warrior, giving everything to defend the freedoms that we cherish in 
this country each and every day. And all of them know the perils of 
deployment, time away from their families, their children, their 
community, and possibly the ultimate sacrifice, their life.
  This government comes here and performs its work each and every day. 
We can debate the issues each day because

[[Page 24741]]

of the dedication of these soldiers and their families. And today, 
though it's not enough, we say thank you.

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