[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14347]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO THE 5TH SPECIAL FORCES GROUP

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARSHA BLACKBURN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 23, 2011

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, fifty years ago, a prestigious group of 
soldiers were activated into the 5th Special Forces Group at Ft. Bragg, 
North Carolina. Deployed today from Ft. Campbell, Kentucky and serving 
in regions known and unknown, the men and women of the 5th Special 
Forces work to gain and secure freedom's cause for the oppressed 
throughout the world.
  The green beret is not the only thing that sets the 5th Special 
Forces Group apart. Divided into five active duty and two Army National 
Guard groups, the Special Forces are an integral part of the United 
States Army and her missions throughout the world. From Vietnam to 
Afghanistan, these honored soldiers continue to carry out the legacy of 
excellence, victory, and fidelity to the contract of democracy. 
Outfitted with the best and the brightest the Armed Forces has to 
offer, the 5th Special Forces Group celebrates 50 years of special 
operations as one of the most decorated and well-known Army units.
  We owe much of our freedom to those who, like the 5th Special Forces, 
dedicate their lives to the tenets of this mighty country. With 
unequalled speed and resolve, they both captured high-profile targets 
in the Global War on Terror and brought humanity and compassion to 
areas of the world struggling under humanitarian crisis. As the 5th 
Special Forces Group continues their work to liberate those in the 
bonds of oppression, I ask my colleagues to join with me in honoring 
the mighty work done by the 5th Special Forces and congratulate them as 
they celebrate 50 years of bringing freedom to the world's darkest 
places.

                          ____________________