[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9712]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       THE LITTLE ROCK DIFFERENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TIM GRIFFIN

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2012

  Mr. GRIFFIN of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
Little Rock Air Force Base (LRAFB) and the LRAFB Community Council, 
both of which are located in central Arkansas, which I represent.
  This week, the Community Council was presented with the Abilene 
Trophy, which recognizes the community that provides the ``finest 
support'' to an Air Mobility Command unit.
  This is the second time the LRAFB Community Council has received this 
award, and it's truly a testament to their dedication to military 
families, to their community, and to their nation.
  LRAFB has always enjoyed the support of the surrounding community. In 
fact, LRAFB was founded in 1952 when community leaders raised $1 
million to buy property from more than 150 private landowners and 
donated the property to the U.S. Air Force to create LRAFB.
  In 2011, when LRAFB was hit by a tornado, the community responded by 
adopting affected families. Two weeks later, LRAFB was similarly 
responsive, assisting local families affected by flooding.
  This supportive and cooperative relationship goes beyond just 
``neighbors helping neighbors.'' Last year, LRAFB's Joint Education 
Center became a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of 
Jacksonville and LRAFB, and, to fund this project, the residents of 
Jacksonville voted to tax themselves to raise $5 million to put toward 
the overall project.
  The relationship between LRAFB and the community is unique, and, 
together, they are one team and responsive to the needs of each other. 
They serve as examples of excellence. This is how LRAFB and the 
Community Council differentiate themselves from other communities with 
air bases and what led to the creation of ``The Little Rock 
Difference.''
  ``The Little Rock Difference'' initiative was unveiled this week by 
the Community Council. It establishes the characteristics of the 
relationship between LRAFB and the local community, and it is based on 
the LRAFB mantra ``Rock & Role.''
  ``Rock'' is for ``The Rock,'' which is the nickname of LRAFB and how 
the community affectionately refers to LRAFB. ``Role'' is for the 
guiding principles of ``ROLE''--``Responsive,'' ``One Team,'' 
``Leading,'' and ``Excellence''--which the LRAFB community and the 
local community embody.
  I congratulate the LRAFB leadership and the members of the Community 
Council for their dedication in creating and implementing ``The Little 
Rock Difference'' and for their ongoing efforts fostering strong and 
positive relations between the people of Arkansas and the men and women 
who protect our country.
  I am proud to be a part of such a fine group of men and women 
dedicated to their nation and to their community, and I congratulate 
them on their success.

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