Rahall Honors National Guard Service, Reaffirms Congressional Support

Press Release

Continuing his efforts in support of the National Guard, U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) introduced legislation, which has garnered bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, to recognize 375 years of service of the National Guard and affirm Congressional support for maintaining a strong and well-equipped National Guard service.

"The American people owe an enormous debt of gratitude to our National Guard. Budget cuts proposed earlier this year would fall disproportionately on our Guard, affecting the resources they need for their services on the home front, as well as the front lines. And that goes for the support this country owes to their families, and when they return to civilian life looking for gainful employment," said Rahall, a senior member of the National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus. "The Congress of the United States of America has a duty to rise to the occasion and act with the words of a great general, George Patton, firmly set in their resolve: "The soldier, Patton said, "is the Army.'"

Rahall cosponsored H.Con.Res. 129 with Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) to counter the budget proposed earlier this year by the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense that would make dramatic cuts to the Air National Guard and would have eliminated thousands of jobs across the country. The resolution expresses Congressional support for the National Guard and ensures these citizen soldiers will continue to be supported in meeting their mission at home and abroad.

"In West Virginia, we are very proud of the men and women of our National Guard," said Rahall. "From the far corners of the globe to the flooded main streets of our storm weary towns and disaster areas in our state, they have consistently answered the call of duty. They have my pledge that here, in the halls of Congress, I will defend them -- the men and women in the Guard and all service branches -- against "willy-nilly' budget "gimmickery' that has as a bottom line saving a buck, but puts them in harm's way abroad or here at home."

Rahall introduced the "Guardians of Freedom Act" (H.R. 644) last year, to elevate the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Rahall worked in a bipartisan manner to successfully pass the legislation, which was signed into law in December making the Chief of the National Guard Bureau a statutory member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), providing a strong voice for decisions regarding National Guard force structure and equipment levels.

Rahall was awarded the "Charles Dick Medal of Merit" Award by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) to honor his support of the National Guard. NGAUS called Rahall's legislative achievement the Guard's biggest victory in more than a century. Additionally, Rahall was awarded the G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Eagle Award by the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) for his support of the Guard. EANGUS presents the annual award to select members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives who have contributed outstanding and exceptional service to the National Guard.

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