Charles Skelton: “As a stalwart supporter of our troops and as cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 177, I am pleased to join my…”

“As a stalwart supporter of our troops and as cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 177, I am pleased to join my colleague and my friend, the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services, the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), in support of this bill. This resolution commends and expresses the Nation's sincere appreciation to the men and women in uniform and our allies who served and are serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. It also recognizes the outstanding contributions of the Department of Defense civilian employees and civil and defense contractors who have contributed tremendously to the success of these operations. And it urges communities across the country to honor and welcome home these brave and courageous patriots. Today we have an all-volunteer force that proudly stands watch over the Nation's interests both here and abroad. Over 1.4 million active duty service members and an additional 875,000 citizen soldiers, National Guardsmen and Reservists, part-time volunteers, comprise the finest, best-trained fighting force the world has ever seen.”