[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15761-15762]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 CAPTAIN RHETT W. SCHILLER POST OFFICE

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 5873) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 218 North Milwaukee Street in Waterford, Wisconsin, 
as the ``Captain Rhett W. Schiller Post Office''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5873

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. CAPTAIN RHETT W. SCHILLER POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 218 North Milwaukee Street in Waterford, 
     Wisconsin, shall be known and designated as the ``Captain 
     Rhett W. Schiller Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Captain Rhett W. Schiller Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Clay) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Cao) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  On behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 
it is my honor to rise in support of H.R. 5873. This measure designates 
the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 218 North Milwaukee 
Street in Waterford, Wisconsin, as the Captain Rhett W. Schiller Post 
Office.
  H.R. 5873 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin, Representative Paul Ryan, on July 27, 2010. The measure was 
referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which 
ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on July 28, 2010. 
The measure enjoys the support of the entire Wisconsin delegation to 
the House, and I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for introducing 
this measure. I would also like to thank Chairman Towns and Ranking 
Member Issa for their support for the bill.
  Captain Rhett W. Schiller was born on November 7, 1980 in Racine, 
Wisconsin. His family later moved to Waterford, Wisconsin. In 2003, 
Schiller graduated from West Point and was commissioned as a 2nd 
Lieutenant of Infantry. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort 
Bragg, North Carolina, first as a platoon leader in Company B, and 
later Executive Officer for Company A of the 3rd Battalion, 505th 
Parachute Infantry Regiment.
  Schiller's brigade was deployed to New Orleans in September, 2005 to 
assist with relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. His unit was 
deployed and conducting relief operations only 7 hours after the 
assignment was announced. The standard deployment time is 18 hours 
after notification.
  In 2006, Captain Schiller was assigned to 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry 
Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. On his 100th 
day in country, while leading a squad of six paratroopers and six Iraqi 
Army soldiers on a canal clearing operation near Balad Ruz, Diyala 
Province, Captain Schiller's unit came under small arms fire. Captain 
Schiller was killed in action on November 16, 2006.
  Mr. Speaker, Captain Schiller is remembered as a hard-charging leader 
who did everything he could to take care of his soldiers, raising the 
spirits and motivation of everyone around him. His life and 
achievements over the course of his service speak volumes about all of 
our brave servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in 
defense of our Nation. Let us now pay tribute to the life of Captain 
Rhett Schiller through the passage of this legislation. I urge all of 
our colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5873.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  It is my honor today to rise in support of H.R. 5873 to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 218 North 
Milwaukee Street in Waterford, Wisconsin, as the Captain Rhett W. 
Schiller Post Office. Mr. Speaker, it is altogether fitting and proper 
that we name this post office in Waterford for Captain Schiller to 
honor a true American hero and his service to our country.
  Captain Rhett W. Schiller was born on November 7, 1980 in Racine, 
Wisconsin. Upon graduation from high school in 1999, Captain Schiller 
was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point by my 
distinguished colleague from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan). Captain Schiller 
graduated from West Point in 2003 with a major in Chinese and was then 
commissioned as an infantry officer. He was assigned to the 82nd 
Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
  In September of 2005, after Hurricane Katrina devastated the gulf 
coast, Captain Schiller and his unit were deployed to New Orleans to 
come to the aid of millions along the gulf coast, including the 
citizens of the district that I represent. It took only 7 hours for 
Captain Schiller's unit to gear up and deploy to New Orleans. According 
to Major Tom Earnhardt, Army spokesperson for Captain Schiller's 
division, the typical deployment time is 18 hours. He described Captain 
Schiller's work to get his unit deployed to New Orleans in only 7 hours 
as extraordinary and a truly remarkable achievement. On behalf of the 
constituents whom I represent and the millions of people who were 
impacted by Hurricane Katrina, I want to thank Captain Schiller and the 
other brave men and women who came to our aid in a time of need.
  In 2006, Captain Schiller was made a company executive officer and 
was deployed to serve in Iraq as part of a reconnaissance, surveillance 
and target

[[Page 15762]]

acquisition team. Sadly, on November 16, 2006, his 100th day serving in 
Iraq, Captain Schiller was killed in action when his unit came under 
attack and encountered small arms fire.
  Captain Schiller was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, 
Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal, among others, 
for his service to our country. Described by his troop commander as the 
``epitome of the Army officer and an Airborne Ranger,'' Captain 
Schiller's love for the Army and his country was always apparent.

                              {time}  1120

  He was known as an officer who led by example, and according to his 
squadron commander, ``raised the spirits and the motivation of all 
those that knew him.''
  Mr. Speaker, it is proper that we pass this legislation to honor the 
memory of a true American hero, U.S. Army Captain Rhett W. Schiller, 
who made the ultimate sacrifice promoting freedom and protecting our 
country. I urge all Members to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the 
author of this legislation, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan).
  Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. I thank my colleagues on a bipartisan basis 
for doing this.
  As the chief sponsor of this, I rise in support of H.R. 5873, which 
would designate the United States Postal facility at 218 North 
Milwaukee Street in Waterford, Wisconsin, as the ``Captain Rhett W. 
Schiller Post Office.''
  In 1999 I had the pleasure of appointing Rhett, Captain Schiller, to 
the United States Military Academy at West Point, an institution from 
which he subsequently graduated with a major in Chinese. Following his 
graduation, Captain Schiller was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort 
Bragg, first as a platoon leader in Company B and later as an executive 
officer for Company A of the 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry 
Regiment.
  In 2006 he was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Very cool. It was in 
this capacity that he was deployed to Iraq as part of a Reconnaissance, 
Surveillance, and Target Acquisition Team.
  On his 100th day in the country, while leading a squad of six 
paratroopers and six Iraqi Army soldiers, Captain Schiller's unit came 
under small arms fire during a canal cleaning operation. Captain 
Schiller was killed in action on November 16, 2006.
  He has earned the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious 
Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense 
Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism 
Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Army Ranger Tab, the Expert 
Infantryman Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Master Parchutist 
Badge, and he graduated as the honor graduate from his Reconnaissance 
and Surveillance Leadership course. Captain Schiller also qualified for 
the Army Commendation Medal.
  I knew Rhett Schiller. He was a young man coming out of Waterford, 
Wisconsin, in Racine County, idealistic, energetic, extraordinarily 
gifted, and patriotic. He became a leader in our military in the Army. 
He served under the command of a very personal close friend of mine, 
Colonel Andy Poppas from Janesville, Wisconsin, who I grew up with, who 
also went to West Point, and was his commanding officer.
  When we heard that he was killed in action, Andy and I had emailed 
each other at that time about this. Colonel Poppas emailed Rhett's dad, 
who had put long years over at S.C. Johnson Wax.
  From his own commanding officer, who, like I said, is a good friend 
of mine, this is a story of a man who was brave. This is a story of a 
man who cared about his country and who cared about the men and women 
he served with and who put himself in harm's fire so that he could 
protect those around him, those he was serving with.
  And this is the stuff that makes our country great. It is this kind 
of dedication, this kind of sacrifice that the best and brightest 
within our communities come to the military to serve our country and 
all that it stands for. This is why we do these bills, why we do this 
dedication, and why it is so wholly proper and fitting to dedicate this 
post office in Waterford, Wisconsin, the ``Captain Rhett W. Schiller 
Post Office.''
  I'm so proud to do this. I am pleased that my entire Wisconsin 
delegation are cosponsors of this legislation so that we can have this 
proper and fitting memorial so that when young people go through the 
post office, they will know that one among their ranks in their 
community stood up, offered bravery, service to country. And that is 
the kind of example that makes this country the freest, greatest, most 
exceptional, and prosperous country in the world. And I'm just so proud 
to have known Rhett Schiller and so proud to actually sponsor this 
legislation.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
continue to reserve.
  Mr. CAO. Mr. Speaker, I urge that all Members support this very 
meaningful legislation to name the post office after a true American 
hero.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this measure, and I want to thank our colleague from 
Wisconsin for bringing to the attention of this body the service of 
Captain Rhett Schiller to this country.

  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5873.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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