Kent Conrad: “as this conflict begins, all of us pray for a swift and decisive victory, and the safety of our brave men and women in…”

“as this conflict begins, all of us pray for a swift and decisive victory, and the safety of our brave men and women in battle. North Dakota has sent thousands of sons and daughters to wage this fight at home and abroad, including more National Guard members per capita than any other State. Along with the men and women from the airbases in Minot and Grand Forks, North Dakotans will bear a heavy burden in this conflict. I know they will be strong. I pray they will be safe. I have great confidence that the fourteen B-52s deployed from Minot Air Force Base and their crews will turn in a brilliant performance, once again demonstrating the awesome power and effectiveness of these reliable planes and their expert crews. B-52s made a huge contribution to our success in Afghanistan, helping to turn the tide quickly against the terrorists. They were decisive in the last gulf war, and I know they will again play a key role. The Grand Forks base is operating at a greater tempo than at any time in its history, flying its massive tankers and providing the air bridge that allows our forces to operate against an enemy halfway around the world. Our National Guard members have been called up to bases inside the United States, ready to support operations on the ground, and we hope, the operations that will be necessary after a victory.”