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.

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.

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.

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.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird).

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.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and, most importantly, in strong support of the men and women of the 81st Brigade and of our entire National Guard, not only in Washington State but across the Nation.

These brave men and women have served our country multiple times, as my colleagues have said, not just in times of war but in times of peace. We have had catastrophic flooding in my district a number of times, and the National Guard has always been there to respond to that call. It has been my great privilege to join our National Guard during their training in Yakima, during deployment ceremonies here Stateside, at Camp McCoy, then again in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and back home.

I will tell you, as we all know, they make us proud every single day. They are truly the finest that America has to offer, and it is their example of courage, professionalism, integrity, and compassion more than anything else, in addition to their combat and civilian skills, which help them successfully complete their mission at home.

I want to particularly congratulate General Timothy Lowenberg, who has been an outstanding leader of the Guard, again during both war and peacetime; Colonel Sabatini, whom I met with this last week on a homecoming visit with the troops; and Daniel Kern, who served in Afghanistan while many of the other Guardsmen were in Iraq.

Particularly, I want to thank the families. As Congressman Smith mentioned, the families serve as well. While their loved ones are overseas and are in harm's way, it is the families back home--the moms and dads, the brothers and sisters, and the children--who keep the home fires burning, and we must not forget them.

In knowing the fact that our unit is back home, we must keep in our hearts all those who are still deployed and who have been deployed.

I also want to mention the employers. Employer support of the Guard and Reserves is an incredibly important organization. They make sure that, when our men and women are deployed overseas, they have a chance to come home and resume their employment. Also, there are the educators who are helping people. There are our community colleges and universities and our vocational and technical education schools, which are helping retrain our soldiers when they come home.

Most importantly, I think it's essential that we acknowledge that Iraq is a better place because of the service of these men and women. Afghanistan is a better place. Our country is a better place, and we are grateful, and we cannot express in words our profound respect and gratitude.

I thank the gentleman for introducing the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 627, a resolution honoring Washington's National Guard, and specifically the members of the 81st Brigade Combat Team. The brave men and women of the Army National Guard who make up the members of the 81st Brigade recently returned to Washington after a one-year deployment to Iraq where they served with honor, valor and distinction.

The 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team is headquartered in Seattle, and is comprised of units from all over our state filling its ranks. Deploying to Iraq in August of 2008, this Brigade spent the next year in support of the mission of Operation Iraqi Freedom and our efforts to protect America and promote freedom and security in the Middle East. During their time in Iraq, the members of the Brigade were most frequently tasked with convoy security, force protection, provincial reconstruction and base operations.

Many members of the 81st Brigade live in Central Washington, with units headquartered in Pasco, Yakima and Moses Lake within my district. These soldiers are also members of our local communities. They are husbands and wives, small business owners, lawyers, and farmers. Not only do they fight to protect our freedoms overseas, but they also work every day for a brighter future back home.

The deployment of combat troops does not just affect those serving in Iraq, however. I must also recognize the support and sacrifice of the families of these brave soldiers. The patient and steadfast support of all the wives, husbands, mothers, fathers and children should be applauded; I send my thanks to each and every one of them today.

Our community and the entire nation are proud of these brave men and women, and we are glad to see them home safely. Soldier-citizens who voluntarily make such a tremendous sacrifice are what have kept our nation safe, free and strong for over 200 years. The work performed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom is important--requiring personal commitment and sacrifice. Your service to our country will not be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my strong support for H. Res. 627, legislation I co-sponsored honoring the citizen soldiers of the National Guard of the State of Washington, including the 81st Brigade Combat Team of the Washington Army National Guard.

The National Guard plays a vital role in the defense of our communities and country. When we need them, they are always there, whether it be responding to a natural disaster at home or deploying to a combat zone overseas. The men and women of the Washington National Guard are our friends and neighbors, and their dedication and patriotism make us all very proud every time they put on the uniform.

More than 11,000 Washington State citizen soldiers have answered the call to duty since 9/11, including the 81st Brigade Combat Team that recently returned home from a mission in Iraq. Tragically, Specialist Samuel Stone, of Port Orchard, Washington, was killed during the deployment.

Outside my office in the Longworth House Office Building I have placed pictures of all the soldiers from the State of Washington who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every day, visitors coming to or passing by the 7th Congressional District Office stop and look at the faces of the fallen. In so doing, we honor those who have died in service to their country and consider the consequences of sending soldiers off to war.

We are proud of the men and women of the Washington National Guard who willingly place themselves in harm's way to protect our lives, property and country. They deserve public recognition and our heartfelt thanks. I think of H. Res. 627 as a medal awarded to every citizen soldier for service above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you on behalf of a grateful State and Nation.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support and as a cosponsor of House Resolution 627, which does recognize the service and sacrifices of members of the 81st Brigade Combat Team, Washington Army National Guard, during the unit's recent tour of duty in Iraq.

I want to commend Representative Smith for putting forth this legislation. The 81st Brigade came home in August, having successfully completed its second overseas rotation. While in Iraq, its men and women performed admirably in a range of missions that included convoy security, force protection, provincial reconstruction, and base operations support.

The 3,500 remarkable men and women who comprised the brigade combat team came not only from the Washington State Army National Guard but from around the country, which is so typical of our Guard units today. That so many citizen soldiers came from so many different locations and different walks of life and operated so successfully is a tribute not only to the patriotism and to the commitment of those men and women but also to their professionalism, adaptability and leadership.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution that expresses the House's gratitude to the 81st Brigade Combat Team for their service to our Nation. It commends them upon the completion of their most recent deployment, and it recognizes their achievements.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.