Legislation Passes House Honoring Pa Guardsmen On Their Return From Iraq

Press Release

Today the House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring the Pennsylvania National Guard. The resolution, H.Res. 754, honors the citizen-soldiers of the National Guard of the State of Pennsylvania, including the 56th Brigade Combat Team (Stryker) of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard on its return to the United States from deployment in Iraq. Congressman Tim Holden was the sponsor of this resolution.

During the deployment of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), Congressman Holden had the opportunity to visit them at Camp Shelby, MS and Fort Polk, LA in November 2008 and then in Iraq in June 2009.

In his floor statement before the House, Congressman Holden declared, "The Pennsylvania National Guard is the only National Guard who hosts a Stryker Brigade. And, [Mr. Speaker], that did not happen by a lottery held at the Pentagon. It happened because of the strong professionalism, the training and the work that this brigade has done previously in their deployment. They are the second-most deployed National Guard unit of any in the country. And the reason is because of the job that they do when they are asked and they are called upon to serve our country and to serve the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

Congressman Holden later stated, "Again, as a member of the Pennsylvania delegation speaking in concert with the other members of the delegation and on behalf of this entire body, I want to congratulate and commend the 56th Stryker Brigade on their performance."

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