Senator Ayotte Honors National Guard for 375 Years of Service
Statement
U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Readiness Subcommittee, issued the following statement today recognizing the 375th birthday of the National Guard.
"Today we pay tribute to the generations of brave men and women of the National Guard who have answered our country's call to service for the past 375 years. Coming from a Guard family, I am also mindful of the contributions of America's Guard families, whose love, support, and sacrifice allow our service members to do their job.
"Since September 11th, 2011, the Guard has become an operational force with unprecedented levels of readiness. More than 2,000 New Hampshire Guardsmen have deployed overseas in support of combat and peacekeeping operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The progress our nation has achieved in those two countries would not have been possible without the contributions of our citizen soldiers. That progress has come with a heavy price. Four New Hampshire Guard members have made the ultimate sacrifice since 9/11 - a sacrifice we must never forget.
"The Guard continues to be on the front lines of protecting our homeland, and responding to domestic crises and natural disasters. New Hampshire's Guard members have helped victims of floods and ice storms, and conducted search and rescue missions for lost hikers.
"The Guard's dual mission of protecting our homeland and supporting our overseas missions has made it clear that our citizen soldiers deserve a seat at the decision-making table at the Pentagon. That's why I was pleased to cosponsor a bipartisan amendment to the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, which has been incorporated into the final bill, to create a permanent seat for the Chief of the National Guard Bureau on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"I join Americans and the citizens of New Hampshire in expressing my deepest thanks for the Guard's 375 years of brave and dedicated service to our nation."
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