Thomas Daschle: “on Friday afternoon of last week, I was shocked and saddened to learn that a B-1B bomber had crashed near Alzada, MT…”

“on Friday afternoon of last week, I was shocked and saddened to learn that a B-1B bomber had crashed near Alzada, MT, during a routine training mission over the Powder River military operations area. The bomber was assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, and all four crew members aboard the aircraft were killed. I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of those courageous individuals. They died in the service of their country, and I know my colleagues join me in honoring their memory and their sacrifice. The B-1 accident was the sixth military air crash in 7 days. Although there is no apparent connection between the accidents, Secretary of Defense William Cohen rightly asked the Air Force and the other branches of the Armed Forces to implement a 24-hour safety stand down to allow those who fly and maintain U.S. military aircraft to focus on safety. Despite the rash of accidents that occurred in recent days, the past year has been a relatively safe year for the Department of Defense. Fifty-five military aviation accidents occurred this year compared to 67 last year, 69 in 1995, and 86 in 1994. Although this appears to be a good trend, the Pentagon must strive to improve its safety record even further, and they are doing that. I commend Secretary Cohen for implementing a safety stand down and am confident it will yield positive results.”