On the recordMay 26, 2011
As we approach this Memorial Day holiday, I am humbly reminded of the distinguished service and sacrifice of so many of our fellow Americans, who are proudly serving our country in the armed forces around the world. Many of those men and women are members of the National Guard and Reserve Components. Many are from my home state of West Virginia. For 35 years, I have been privileged to represent the people of southern West Virginia, and it is with humble sincerity I say, our West Virginia National Guard is a model example of a commitment to excellence, and professional dedication to America's defense. From the home front to the front lines, they are a well-trained, highly dedicated force empowered by Congress to protect life and property. Since the terrorist attacks on September 11th nearly a decade ago, we have called upon our National Guard and Reserve Components to assume more mission responsibility with far more complexity, not only here at home, but in theaters around the globe. Our Guardsmen and Reservists are true American patriots. We have asked them time and again to mobilize and deploy with more frequency than any other time in our history. We call upon our men and women to fulfill missions of public safety and security on and between our borders here at home, and send them to foreign lands to combat terrorism abroad. They are among the first to be called in a domestic disaster and often the last to leave a battlefield.…
