Political Quotes

“I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to MG Raymond Carpenter, the acting director of the Army National Guard, for his ongoing, selfless dedication and service to our country. After enlisting in the South Dakota National Guard in 1967, Major General Carpenter joined the Navy and deployed to South Vietnam. After returning to the Guard as a Vietnam veteran, General Carpenter became a commissioned officer in 1974 and has since commanded at all levels. His efforts have transformed the Army National Guard from a strategic reserve into an operational reserve force, and the Army National Guard is now at its highest level of readiness in its 375 year history. In our most recent conflicts, and through these tough economic times, General Carpenter has been credited for driving cost efficiencies that have saved millions of taxpayer dollars. General Carpenter led the Army National Guard through the drawdown in Iraq and oversaw a critical component of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, the implementation and expansion of the Guard's Agribusiness Development Teams. General Carpenter's service to our Nation has come with considerable personal sacrifice from himself and his family.…”