Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of California. I thank Ranking Member Visclosky for giving me the opportunity to discuss something that will assist in our natural disaster response.

The Air National Guard employs advanced capabilities to assist in civil search and rescue operations during natural disasters and is capable of locating and rescuing people where civilian authorities cannot.

The Air National Guard uses sophisticated technology to assist in time-sensitive emergency operations, including the AS-4 Pod, which includes wide-area infrared sensors optimized for survivor detection, integrated communications, and specialized radar for maritime, flood, and swift water recovery.

Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, the California wildfires, and Superstorm Sandy highlight the need to outfit the Air National Guard with this important capability. I hope you will consider adding this vital piece of equipment to the list of equipment considered for priority purchasing with the use of the National Guard and Reserve equipment account, which is governed by this legislation.

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