Honoring The 81st Brigade Combat Team Of The Washington Army National Gua

Floor Speech

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 627) honoring the citizen-soldiers of the National Guard of the State of Washington, including the 81st Brigade Combat Team (Heavy) of the Washington Army National Guard, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the resolution.

The text of the resolution is as follows:

H. Res. 627

Whereas the members of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard of the State of Washington reside throughout the State and come from various communities, backgrounds, and professions;

Whereas units and members of the Washington National Guard have been deployed, and are continuously being deployed, in support of United States military operations at home and overseas in Iraq, Afghanistan, and dozens of other countries;

Whereas one such unit, the 81st Brigade Combat Team (Heavy) of the Washington Army National Guard, is composed of approximately 2,478 citizen-soldiers from throughout the State of Washington, 843 soldiers from the California Army National Guard, 80 soldiers from the Texas Army National Guard, 38 soldiers from the Indiana Army National Guard, 23 soldiers from the Arkansas Army National Guard, 20 soldiers from the United States Army Reserve, 13 soldiers from the Montana Army National Guard, 2 soldiers from the Kentucky Army National Guard, 2 soldiers from the Maryland Army National Guard, and 1 soldier from each of the Alabama Army National Guard, New Mexico Army National Guard, Virgin Island Army National Guard, Wisconsin Army National Guard, Hawaii Army National Guard, New York Army National Guard, Utah Army National Guard, Minnesota Army National Guard, Massachusetts Army National Guard, Illinois Army National Guard, and Michigan Army National Guard;

Whereas the 81st Brigade Combat Team was placed on Federal active duty for a second overseas mobilization on August 18, 2008, and deployed to Iraq in October 2008;

Whereas, during the deployment of the 81st Brigade Combat Team in Iraq, the brigade was primarily engaged in convoy security, force protection, provincial reconstruction, and base operations missions; and

Whereas the 81st Brigade Combat Team returned to the United States and demobilized in August 2009, upon completion of one year of service in support of military operations in Iraq: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) expresses its gratitude to the members of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard of the State of Washington and their families for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States;

(2) commends the members of the 81st Brigade Combat Team (Heavy) from the Washington Army National Guard, the Army Reserve, and the other State National Guards specified in the preamble on the completion of their most-recent deployment in Iraq; and

(3) recognizes the achievements of the members of the 81st Brigade Combat Team, and all other formerly and presently deployed Washington Army and Air National Guard units and members, for their exemplary service.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) each will control 20 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.

GENERAL LEAVE

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Washington?

There was no objection.

Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I rise today to pay tribute to the men and women of the Washington National Guard, including the members of the 81st Brigade Combat Team, who recently returned from an overseas deployment in Iraq.

I want to thank the entire Washington State delegation, who have all cosponsored this resolution in honoring this unit for their service to our State and to our country.

Throughout the Nation, hundreds of thousands of men and women in the Guard and Reserves serve our country. Over the last 8 years, we have asked more of them than anybody could have possibly imagined, and every single time, they have answered that call at great personal sacrifice. These are men and women who have lives, they have other jobs, they have families, and it is highly unpredictable when they are going to be called up and asked to serve, and yet they always respond.

It is critical to the safety and security of our country that they do this. They do it with great courage and dedication, and they honor our country by their service.

In my home State, various elements of the Washington National Guard have been deployed over that time period overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also we must remember that the Guard and Reserves serve us here at home as well. We have had numerous emergencies in the State of Washington during that time period on which the Guard and Reserves have helped us out. As well, we have had them deployed across the country in places like Louisiana. When Hurricane Katrina hit, they were called upon to do that. Their service continues for all of us in the State and across the country.

Most recently, the 81st Brigade Combat Team, led by Colonel Ronald Kapral and Command Sergeant Major Robert Sweeney, just completed their second 12-month deployment to Iraq. The brigade primarily engaged in convoy security, force protection, provincial reconstruction, and base operations missions around Iraq during their yearlong deployment.

They made our State proud during this service, as they have during all of their previous deployments. Again, this is done at no small sacrifice both by the individual members of our Army National Guard and also by their families, who have to deal with the disruption.

One of the most important things we can do in our State and across the country is to always support the families when the men and women are deployed, and to let them know that they are not alone in their service.

Their deployment was highly successful, honored by all who watched them serve. Tragically, one member of the team died during the course of his service. Specialist Samuel Stone, of Port Orchard, was killed on May 30, 2009. We all honor his loss and his service, and I ask that we keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers.

The National Guard serves our State and our country in ways that most of us are unaware of, but it is absolutely critical to the security of our country. With our all-volunteer force, it simply could not function without men and women who are willing to take on this dual responsibility to continue in their civilian lives and who are also making themselves available for service whenever they are called, and they do not know when that is going to be.

As I said, it can be from the Governor in the State or across our country, or as has happened most recently, overseas deployments can come up when they are asked by our Federal Government to serve our Nation. Yet they are always ready, and they always respond, and they have served our Nation in a way that should make us all proud.

We literally could not have the national security we have in this country without their willingness to serve, and I thank the 81st Brigade Combat Team for their service on this most recent deployment, and I thank all those in the Washington National Guard who have served and who, today, stand ready to continue to serve. We honor their service. We thank them.

Again, I want to thank my colleagues in the Washington State delegation for unanimously signing onto this resolution honoring their service.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume just to offer closing remarks.

I want to thank Congressman Baird for his very well-expressed remarks and Congressman Shuster for his support as well. I urge us to support this resolution honoring the 81st Brigade Combat Team for their service in Iraq. I think we also need to remember, as we go forward in a number of policy areas, the support that we need to show for the Guard and Reserves and for their families, whether we're talking about dealing with their retirement issues, with the GI Bill, as Congressman Baird mentioned, with the ability to retrain and to give more service to the men and women who serve in the Guard and Reserves--anything we can do to support them and make it easier and more possible for them to continue to serve and, as Brian mentioned, to make sure that their employers continue to employ them and to work with them.

We need to do this in this House as we work not just on these resolutions but on the legislation that offers the support that is so critical to the men and women who serve in the Guard and Reserves and to their families.

With that, I urge passage.

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