Jon Tester: “As we begin this new year and this new Congress, I would like to ask the Senate to stop and reflect on the service of…”

“As we begin this new year and this new Congress, I would like to ask the Senate to stop and reflect on the service of the men and women of our military. Every day, hundreds of thousands of men and women in all branches of our military are performing jobs that place them in harm's way and at the tip of the spear. In particular, I would like to thank the 229 men and women of the Montana National Guard who have deployed or will be deploying this month. Just in the past week, 46 airmen from the Montana Air National Guard security forces left the sub-zero temperatures in Montana for training at Fort Bliss, TX. From there, they will head to Kyrgyzstan. Another 120 soldiers of the Montana National Guard's 639th Quartermaster Battalion left Helena for Fort Lewis, WA before they leave for Iraq. And later this month, 63 soldiers from our 189th Aviation Battalion will go to Fort Sill to prepare for a tour in Iraq. We feel a great deal of pride when sending our strongest and most dedicated Montanans overseas. We feel a great deal of hope too. Leaving Montana to answer the call of duty isn't just another assignment. It is a symbol of commitment and courage. We will always appreciate their service, their hard work, and their willingness to protect Montana and America. They say Montana is just a small town with a lot of long streets, and that means that when 229 guardsmen deploy overseas, it impacts a great deal of the State.”