Honoring the members of the United States Air Force who were killed in the June 25, 1996, terrorist bombing of the Khobar Towers United States military housing compound near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I do rise today in honor of H. Con. Res. 32, which does honor the members of the United States Air Force that were killed on the 25th of June, 1996 in the Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

This is the 12th anniversary of the terrorist bombing which killed 19 members of the U.S. Air Force and injured over 300 Americans. On that day in 1996, a truck bomb exploded outside the fence around the Khobar Towers compound.

The bomb, estimated at more than 3,000 pounds, detonated about 85 feet from a residential housing unit where U.S. troops were, killing 19 United States Air Force servicemen and wounding hundreds of other Americans. The force of that explosion destroyed or damaged six high- rise apartment buildings and shattered windows throughout the entire residential compound.

Today we honor the 19 airmen who gave their lives in the service of this great Nation. This Congress joins me in paying tribute to those men, who are individually recognized in H. Con. Res. 32.

It's important to note that 12 of the 19 men killed in the attack were based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida's First District. Several of the airmen, along with their families, were constituents. These brave men, like the men and women currently serving in our military today, were on freedom's watch, prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our Nation. As we approach Memorial Day, it's only fitting that we remember the 19 airmen killed at Khobar Towers as well as the many brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom and our security. It's my sincere hope that all Americans will give pause and honor these heroes and others for their sacrifice.

As we look back to 12 years ago, we know that Khobar Towers and the bombing there was a precursor to the terrorist attacks on the USS Cole; the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center; and the current global war on terrorism that we fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. No matter where our troops are stationed, we recognize that they are prepared to defend our security, American values, and the American way of life. It's my hope that we can prevent future attacks like the one at Khobar Towers as we aggressively fight terrorism all around the globe.

I want to personally express my deepest appreciation to the families of these heroes who were killed at Khobar Towers. We can never undo the tragedy that they have lived. We can never ease the pain, and I know it's with each of them each and every day. But I hope, and I know that my colleagues join me in this hope, that with the adoption of this resolution, they will take from our actions some solace in the fact that we do not forget those contributions and those sacrifices of their loved ones. They were much more than airmen. They were sons, fathers, brothers, and they are loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, our action on this resolution sends a message to the families of those who died, to our Nation, and to the rest of the world, that we honor the sacrifices of these 19 airmen and the families they left behind. They served with the highest distinction and professionalism which is indicative of the United States military. No one could have served better or given more.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me and the 50 cosponsors in support of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 32) honoring the members of the United States Air Force who were killed in the June 25, 1996, terrorist bombing of the Khobar Towers United States military housing compound near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I stand before you and my colleagues today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 32, honoring members of the United States Air Force who were wounded and killed in the June 25, 1996 terrorist bombing of the Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

The June blast took the lives of 19 airmen from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and destroyed the entire front of Dhahran's Khobar Towers housing compound. More than 500 U.S. Air Force troops were wounded, and 297 Middle Eastern citizens were killed or injured as a result of the bombing. Five thousand pounds of plastic explosives disguised in a water tanker truck claimed the lives of servicemembers whose families were left grieving the loss of their loved ones.

Life, our most treasured asset, is too often taken unexpectedly. It was the sworn duty of our airmen to protect and serve this country by all means, and in our commitment to them and others who have given their lives in defense of our great Nation, we honor their selfless sacrifice and take a moment to reflect upon their contribution that provides us the freedoms we enjoy today.

House Concurrent Resolution 32 extends our sympathies to the families of loved ones whose perpetrators have yet been brought to justice.

Although this tragedy acknowledges the cost we pay in our fight against terrorism, we remain proud of our courageous and steadfast troops who are no doubt the best in the world. We call upon every American today to pause and pay tribute to the brave airmen who died, and to take a moment to thank our members of the Armed Forces currently serving around the world and express our appreciation for their duty and honor to protect America's interests around the world.

This resolution recognizes the service and sacrifice of those airmen whose lives were lost on that fateful day. I strongly urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 32 in remembrance of the 19 fallen heroes on the 12th anniversary of the Dhahran terrorist bombing.

I thank my good friend and colleague from Florida (Mr. Miller) for bringing forward this measure, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Miller for bringing this resolution forward in honoring the brave men killed in the Khobar Towers bombing.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 32, honoring the 19 members of the United States Air Force who were killed, and more than 500 other Americans injured in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, by a terrorist truck bomb in June, 1996.

I want to commend my colleague on the House Armed Services Committee, Representative Jeff Miller of Florida, for sponsoring this resolution. This is the fourth time that the House of Representatives has honored on this

floor the sacrifice of those who died or were injured that day. Previous resolutions were passed in 1996, 2001 and 2005.

I note these milestones because they should remind us of important facts. One fact is that the global war on terrorism did not begin on September 11, 2001. It was well before that date that terrorists set out to kill and injure Americans on a large scale. We must never forget, and must be ever vigilant today against the continuing commitment of terrorists to seriously damage America and its interests whenever and wherever they can.

Another fact is that the 19 Air Force personnel who died at Khobar Towers in June, 1996, were defending our freedom and the national security interests of the United States. The resolution today honors them for that sacrifice.

The resolution also serves as a way to extend our continued sympathy to their families.

So, Mr. Speaker, I call upon all Americans to pause and honor the service and sacrifice of those not only 19 Americans who died in the Khobar Towers bombing, but also those who served and continue to serve in the defense of our Nation and its values. I urge my colleagues to support this most worthy resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) for that time which he might consume.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 32 to honor the 19 airmen that were killed by a cowardly act of terrorism while serving our Nation on June 25, 1996, at Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

June 1996, Mr. Speaker. That is more than 5 years before many people believe the global war on terror began. But the terrible attack on our Nation on September 11, 2001, was by no means the first attack against Americans in the global war on terror. These 19 Americans were killed, and 300 others injured, by a bomb created at the hands of vicious and deceitful extremists who oppose the principles that we all share and that these airmen were helping defend.

These American warriors were in Saudi Arabia to aid in preserving freedom for our friends in Kuwait. They were willing to risk their lives on the other side of the world, far away from their families, far from home, to support a mission to oppose tyranny. We must always remember the price these Americans paid. We must always honor their sacrifice for the freedom of others. Today, I pay tribute to these American airmen. They were brothers, fathers, and sons, and I know their families still mourn their loss. Nothing will ever replace the precious life of a lost loved one, but I offer their families my prayers and sympathy.

These 19 American airmen represent the essence of what makes our Nation great. Their selfless service and the sacrifice that they made in the name of liberty is one that we shall forever be in their debt. We should never let them be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to state my strong support for this legislation. I am grateful to my colleague Representative Jeff Miller for introducing this bill.

The terrorist bombing of the Khobar Towers in 1996 was a vicious attack upon the United States and our allies in Saudi Arabia. It took the lives of 19 brave U.S. servicemembers and hundreds of civilians were injured. This attack was and remains a clear example of the type of enemy we face in the Global War on Terrorism. And so, it is incumbent upon us all to honor the lives of those lost as we comfort the families that were forever changed by this horrible event.

As we pause to remember their lives and their sacrifice, we should recommit ourselves to doing all we can to protect Americans--those serving overseas and those here at home. We must be ever vigilant of the enemies we face and resolve to do all that is necessary to defeat terrorism wherever it may be.