Political Quotes

“Mr. President, in Oregon, we just honored the return of 2,700 members of the Oregon National Guard's 41st Brigade Combat Team. Although the 41st's service in Iraq was Oregon's biggest single contribution to a war effort since World War II, it is not the only one. The soldiers of the Oregon National Guard's 162nd Engineer Company are currently clearing roads in Afghanistan. The 1249 Engineer Battalion in Salem, OR, is preparing to deploy to Afghanistan this winter, and about 600 soldiers from Eastern Oregon will be part of the 116th Cavalry when it deploys to Iraq this fall. I know I will return to the floor of the Senate to talk about the bravery and service of these men and women. But today I want to talk about the often unrecognized other half of these deployments--the military families that support the service members and keep things together at home. The spouses, sons, daughters, parents, grandparents and community supporters who work together and toil alone to pay the bills, get the kids to school, and help find employment while their loved ones are away. May 8 is Military Families Appreciation Day in Oregon. On this special day, our State honors the dedication and service of military families and veterans who have helped make America's military the strongest the world has ever seen. Being left behind when a loved one goes to war is not an easy mission.…”