Jon L. Christensen: “I rise today to welcome the 26 men and women of the 786th Quartermaster Battalion led by battalion commander LTC Michael…”

“I rise today to welcome the 26 men and women of the 786th Quartermaster Battalion led by battalion commander LTC Michael McDonald back home to the Virgin Islands. It was an emotional homecoming yesterday after 14 long months, as all honored the memory of McDonald's cousin, LTC David Canegata III, and MSG Floyd Lake, who died when their Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq in January. Just last week I joined the families at the interment in Arlington Cemetery of the commingled remains of the 12 men and women who were lost that day. MSG Hillis Benjamin, speaking for her fellow soldiers, summed up that running the base in Taji and making sure the troops were fully supplied had been a long, hard deployment for the battalion, and Commander McDonald thanked the soldiers for their 'professionalism, commitment and patriotism,' attributing their success to their working together as a strong team. Mr. Speaker, I join my community in thanking God for their safe return and pray for the safe return of all of the members of the VI National Guard and all the other brave men and women who are serving today in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, Mr. Speaker, it is time to begin to bring all of the troops in Iraq home.”