John Rutherford: “I thank my good friend from Texas for yielding. Madam Speaker, today I stand before you proud as an American and the son…”

“I thank my good friend from Texas for yielding. Madam Speaker, today I stand before you proud as an American and the son of a Navy veteran. Throughout my life I had the opportunity to witness our servicemembers' unwavering commitment to this Nation. I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of our all-volunteer force in the United States military. In January 1973, the Department of Defense replaced mandatory service with an opportunity for brave men and women to voluntarily step up and serve. Over 15 million proud Americans have served over the last five decades with more than 2 million voluntarily serving today. These American heroes epitomize patriotism through their courage, honor, and selflessness and represent the cornerstone of our military's unparalleled strength. We may think of our military strength in regard to weapons systems and ships and aircraft, but, Madam Speaker, this does not highlight our biggest military advantage, which is our people. We have the most professional military in the world with a clear command and control structure. As we face recruiting challenges among the services, we must remind our younger generations of the honor to serve, protect, and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. {time} 1730 I have to tell you, I am very hopeful for our future when I think of the brave men and women who will join our all-volunteer force over the next 50 years.…”