Recognizing the 116th Anniversary of the U.S. Army Reserve

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the founding of the U.S. Army Reserve. On April 23, the Army Reserve will celebrate 116 years of service by our citizen soldiers who stand ready to answer the call to serve, bringing critical skills and capabilities to the Nation, while defending America's freedoms and liberties.

Across the United States of America, brave and dedicated men and women with great passion for service answer the call, no matter the personal sacrifice, to come together and make up the U.S. Army Reserve. Over the course of its long and storied history, our Reserve force has utilized a diverse set of professional skills, educational backgrounds, and experiences to honor and serve our great country.

Since the activation of the modern-day Army Reserve's predecessor the Medical Reserve, the United States has mobilized more than 1.3 million soldiers, trained, equipped and prepared to perform their duties at home and abroad. On any given day, upwards of 9,000 Army Reserve soldiers are mobilized or deployed to 23 countries worldwide in support of combatant commands, while tens of thousands of others in the Reserve train for deployments or participate in joint exercises to strengthen national alliances and partnerships across the globe.

The resilience of the Army Reserve is critical to our national security in responding to constantly changing and evolving challenges our country and allies face each day. To reinforce the Army and the joint force today and into the future, the Army Reserve supports all aspects of a soldier's life--family, employment, and education goals-- integrating a rewarding uniformed experience and getting our citizen soldiers back to the fundamentals in defense of our Nation's interests.

In the great State of Arkansas, 2,184 soldiers and 38 units contribute an economic impact of $130 million to our State's economy.

As our reservists prepare for their next 116 years of service, they can take pride knowing they are a part of one of the most experienced forces in our Nation's history. I am grateful for the sacrifices each and every one of them make every day. As we look to the future, I am proud to be able to support our Army Reserve in achieving its mission of ``Ready Now'' and ``Shaping Tomorrow!''

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