CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE S8700
August 3, 2009
S. RES. 235
Whereas the
airborne forces of the
Armed Forces have a long and honorable history as units of
adventuresome, hardy, and fierce warriors who, for the national security
of the United States and the defense of freedom and peace, project the
effective ground combat power of the United States by Air Force air
transport to the far reaches of the battle area and, indeed, to the far
corners of the world;
Whereas August 16 marks the anniversary of the first
official Army parachute jump on August 16, 1940, an event that validated
the innovative concept of inserting United States
ground combat forces
behind a battle line by means of a parachute;
Whereas the United States experiment with
airborne infantry attack
began on June 25, 1940, when the Army Parachute Test Platoon was first
authorized by the Department of War, and was launched when 48 volunteers
began training in July 1940;
Whereas the success of the Army Parachute Test Platoon in
the days immediately before the entry of the United States into
World War II led
to the formation of a formidable force of airborne units that have
served with distinction and have had repeated success in armed
hostilities;
Whereas among those airborne units are the former 11th,
13th, and 17th Airborne Divisions, the venerable
82nd Airborne Division,
the versatile 101st
Airborne Division (Air
Assault), and the airborne regiments and battalions (some as
components of those divisions, some as separate units) that achieved
distinction as the elite
75th Ranger Regiment, the
173rd Airborne Brigade, the 187th Infantry (Airborne)
Regiment, the 503rd, 507th, 508th, 517th, 541st, and 542nd
Parachute Infantry Regiments, the 88th Glider Infantry Regiment,
the 509th, 551st, and 555th Parachute Infantry Battalions, the 325th
and327th Glider Infantry, and the 550th Airborne Infantry Battalion;
Whereas the achievements of the airborne forces during
World War II prompted the evolution of those forces into a diversified
force of parachute and air-assault units that, over the years, have
fought in Korea,
Vietnam, Grenada,
Panama, the Persian Gulf
region, and
Somalia, and have engaged in peacekeeping operations in
Lebanon, the Sinai
Peninsula, the Dominican Republic,
Haiti,
Bosnia, and
Kosovo;
Whereas the modern-day airborne force that has evolved
from those World War II
beginnings is an agile, powerful force that, in large part, is composed
of the 82nd Airborne Division, the
101st Airborne Division
(Air Assault), and the 75th Ranger Regiment;
Whereas the modern-day airborne force also includes other
elite forces
composed entirely of airborne trained and qualified special operations
warriors, including Army
Special Forces,
Marine Corps Reconnaissance units,
Navy SEALs, and
Air Force combat control teams, each of which is part of the
United States Special
Operations Command;
Whereas in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the
United States on September 11, 2001, the 75th Ranger Regiment, special
forces units, and units of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st
Airborne Division (Air Assault), together with other units of the Armed
Forces, have been prosecuting the war against terrorism by carrying out
combat operations in
Afghanistan, training operations in the Philippines, and other
operations elsewhere;
Whereas in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the
United States on September 11, 2001, airborne units played a pivotal
role in the war in
Afghanistan, including the unflinching pursuit of the enemies of
the United States during the battles of Mazar-I Sharif, Kabul,
Qala-i-Jangi, Tora Bora,
and Operation Anaconda;
Whereas United States paratroopers, which include the
82d Airborne Division, 75th Ranger Regiment, Special Operations Forces,
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat team, and elements of the
4th Brigade
25th Infantry Division,
have demonstrated bravery and honor in an effort to pursue the enemies
of the United States, to stabilize Afghanistan, and to strive for calm
in a troubled region;
Whereas in the aftermath of the announcement of
Operation Iraqi Freedom
by President George W.
Bush in March 2003,
the 75th Ranger Regiment, special forces units, and units of
the
82nd Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division
(Air Assault), the 173rd Airborne Brigade,
and the
4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) of the
25th Infantry Division,
together with other units of the Armed Forces, have been prosecuting the
war against terrorism, carrying out combat operations, conducting civil
affairs missions, and assisting in establishing
democracy in Iraq;
Whereas the airborne forces are, and will continue to be,
at the ready and the forefront until the
Global War on Terrorism
is concluded;
Whereas of the members and former members of the United
States airborne forces, all have achieved distinction by earning the
right to wear the "Silver Wings of Courage" of the United States
airborne forces, thousands have achieved the distinction of making
combat jumps, 69 have earned the
Medal of Honor,
and hundreds have earned the
Distinguished Service
Cross, Silver Star, or other decorations and awards for displays
of such traits as heroism, gallantry, intrepidity, and valor;
Whereas the members and former members of the United
States airborne forces are all members of a proud and honorable
fraternity of the profession of arms that is made exclusive by those
distinctions which, together with their special skills and achievements,
distinguish them as intrepid combat parachutists, special operation
forces, and, in former days, glider troops;
Whereas the history and achievements of the members and
former members of the airborne forces of the
United States Armed Forces warrant special expressions of the
gratitude of the people of the United States; and
Whereas, since the airborne community celebrates August
16 as the anniversary of the first official jump by the Army Parachute
Test Platoon, August 16 would be an appropriate day to recognize as
National Airborne Day:
Now, therefore, be it Resolved,
That the Senate—
(1) designates August 16, 2009, as ‘‘National Airborne
Day’’; and
(2) calls on the people of the United States to observe
National Airborne Day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and
activities. |