[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 27759]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO LANDSTUHL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER HOSPITAL PERSONNEL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 16, 2009

  Mr. SKELTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to personally thank and 
commend the 2,837 personnel--including Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine 
Corps, and Department of Defense civilians and contractors, and 
coalition liaisons from Canada, Poland, Jordan, and Australia--of the 
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
  These dedicated folks do yeoman's work in providing world class 
comprehensive care to our warriors wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom 
and Operation Enduring Freedom and to more than 52,000 American 
military personnel and their families in the Kaiserslautern Military 
Community. They also provide specialized care to nearly 245,000 
American military personnel and their families throughout the European 
Theater.
  I can personally attest to the phenomenal work done at Landstuhl. 
During a visit to Iraq over Thanksgiving 2005, Congressman Tim Murphy 
and I were injured in a motor vehicle accident. After receiving 
excellent care at the Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, we were moved 
by C-17 to Landstuhl. I spent several days in room 7 of the Intensive 
Care Unit there. It is not an understatement to say that the care I 
received was outstanding. I am sure any of our troops who have been 
treated there and their families would attest to the same.
  Along with my committee's ranking member, Buck McKeon, I will soon be 
leading a congressional delegation to visit wounded servicemembers and 
all who care for them at Landstuhl for Thanksgiving dinner. Given the 
spirit of that holiday, this statement--which I will frame to present 
to the personnel there--is a fitting tribute to the excellence they 
deliver every day.
  Landstuhl averages over 1,000 total inpatients per month, with a 
daily average of 20 surgical cases, and 21 admissions and discharges 
per day. They also bring new life into the world, with an average of 
three live births per day. They provide specialized care in fields 
ranging from cardiology to infectious disease to neurology. If it is 
medically possible, the professionals at Landstuhl make it happen. Our 
servicemembers know that they and their families will be taken care of.
  Perhaps most importantly, though, Landstuhl plays a critical role in 
caring for our warriors wounded in combat and bringing them back home. 
After initial treatment in theater, critical care air transport teams 
bring wounded servicemembers to Landstuhl for stabilization and 
treatment before being transported to Andrews Air Force Base. The folks 
at Landstuhl see the vast majority of our wounded and injured in 
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and they 
administer the best that modern medicine has to offer.
  I also praise the nonmedical services offered at Landstuhl, including 
liaisons for finance and personnel issues, invitational travel orders 
for family members and transportation from the airport, issuance of 
basic civilian clothing and sundry items, and AAFES vouchers and 
personal shoppers, among other services. This comprehensive care 
provides the right environment to begin the healing process.
  Here, I must also thank those who embody the giving spirit of our 
Nation. I speak, of course, of the selfless service of the American Red 
Cross volunteers, Fisher House volunteers and staff, and the members of 
the USO who make themselves available to our servicemembers and their 
families 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No need is too big or too 
small and no problem too difficult for this group. Their perseverance, 
creativity, and unyielding commitment to helping others have humbled 
many a hardened warrior, and we are indeed fortunate to have their 
support.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to know that we have such an immensely 
capable group of people looking after the health and well-being of 
servicemembers and their families. As chairman of the Armed Services 
Committee and as a former patient, I pay great tribute to the 
excellence and sacrifice of all who serve at Landstuhl Regional Medical 
Center. They all deserve our thanks and support.

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