Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 812 recognizing the significant contributions of the Military Working Dog Program to the United States Armed Forces, and I thank my good friend from New Jersey for bringing forth this resolution. As my colleagues have stated, military working dogs have served side by side with the brave men and women protecting our Nation. They serve as loyal companions in combat and beyond to their handlers. Many of these working dogs serve on the front lines as bomb sniffing dogs, detecting explosives and other threats, but also working narcotics detection, patrols, and even as sentries, alerting our brave soldiers when they are in danger. Back in 2005, then Air Force Tech Sergeant Jamie Dana and her military working dog Rex were traveling in a convoy in Kirkuk, Iraq, after searching several villages for explosives. Rex, a 5-year old, 80- pound German shepherd, had been working with Dana for more than 3 years. Returning to base that evening, her Humvee was hit by an improvised explosive device. Dana was the most badly injured in the convoy, and was rushed to the operating room by helicopter, continuously asking if Rex had survived the blast. ``My heart was broken,'' Dana said. ``He was my best friend. Rex and I were together 24/7, and my life was in his hands, just as his life was in mine. I thought he was dead.'' Dana then went through several surgeries and defied the odds, continuing to improve and get better.…”