[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15339]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               TWELFTH ANNIVERSARY OF WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

  (Ms. GABBARD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, today, as Congress focuses on the 
government shutdown, our Nation quietly marks the close of our 12th 
year at war in Afghanistan.
  While the country talks about a Federal Government shutdown and the 
divisive partisan politics that are standing in the way of progress, 
the harsh reality and hell that is war seem a distant memory for most. 
Meanwhile, we have over 54,000 troops serving in Afghanistan today. To 
all of our troops, thank you for your service and the sacrifices that 
you and your families have endured.
  Two thousand one hundred and forty-three U.S. servicemembers have 
been killed in Afghanistan to date, leaving behind families who will 
never again feel their warm embrace. Let us honor those who have served 
and who continue to put their lives on the line and do our best to 
bring them home. Let us remember their great sacrifices and set aside 
the pettiness in our own lives that divides us, and let us remember 
their great service and ask ourselves constantly how best can we be of 
service.

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