Boustany Video Address Expresses Strong Support for Fort Polk

Statement

Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., M.D., (R-South Louisiana) released a video address that will be played at the Listening Session at Fort Polk today expressing strong support for the base.

Hello, I'm Congressman Charles Boustany. I have the privilege of representing Lafayette, Lake Charles, and the surrounding parishes in the United States House of Representatives. I'm sorry votes in Washington are keeping me from being with you today in person, but I wanted to send you a video expressing my strong support for today's Listening Session.

We know that Fort Polk, the "Home of Heroes," is a critical training ground for our soldiers before deploying worldwide. State-of-the-art combat readiness training through the Joint Readiness Training Center housed right here at Fort Polk is an integral part of what makes the United States military the most battle-tested and capable on Earth.

This base is also important to the Louisiana economy. Fort Polk is our state's largest non-state government employer, providing direct and indirect jobs to thousands of Louisianans. In 2013, the base generated $1 billion in payroll -- dollars that are reinvested right back into our state's economy. When I had the privilege of visiting Fort Polk this November, I was reminded of the outstanding and varied capabilities this base provides to our military.

Even so, Fort Polk is much more than that. It is a community of families and friends. I am continually blown away by the unparalleled grassroots support for Fort Polk across Southwest, Central, and North Louisiana. Events like today send a loud and unified message to the Army leadership that Fort Polk must be protected.

As your representatives, my colleagues and I will continue to fight to broadcast today's message to the powers that be in Washington. But I firmly believe this message is most powerful when it's spoken in your voice. That's what today's Listening Session is all about.

Thank you for your hard work protecting this installation. Keep it up. I look forward to working with you to ensure Fort Polk endures as a thriving installation well into the next decade and beyond.

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