Charles Skelton: “Mr. Speaker, this morning I had the rare opportunity to have breakfast with three bright young United States Navy…”

“Mr. Speaker, this morning I had the rare opportunity to have breakfast with three bright young United States Navy lieutenant commanders, one a submariner, one a surface warfare officer and the other a pilot of F-14s. It was interesting in talking to them about their future, the future of the United States Navy, that they reflected to me what I know all the young officers must say and feel about their work and about their contribution to national security. In relation to the pilot, I heard about the dire need for spare parts, about the need for more highly trained mechanics and the need of the help we should give to the families. Mr. Speaker, these are the young men and young women who are flying missions last night and tonight over Iraq. They are the ones of whom we are asking so very much, and yet we, who are constitutionally required to raise and maintain the military, have left some of them with spare parts problems and inadequate personnel, and yet we expect them to be letter perfect. Thus far they have.”