Mr. President, I would like to express my sincerest sympathies to the families of the those who have lost loved ones in two unrelated incidents involving the United States military in Hawaii during the past week.

On Friday evening, the U.S.S. Greeneville collided with the Ehime Maru, a Japanese fishing vessel. I join President Bush in expressing my regret to the people of Japan for this tragedy. My heart goes out to the families of the nine people who are still missing following this incident.

On Monday evening, two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters crashed during a training exercise at the Kahuku Military Training Area, resulting in six deaths. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and units who are mourning the loss of their loved ones. I also wish a speedy recovery to those soldiers who are recovering from injuries sustained in this accident.

I am certain that the investigations into these incidents will be thorough and comprehensive. But my purpose today is not to question why these incidents occurred, but to express the genuine sadness and concern that I share with the people of Hawaii and the rest of the nation over these two unfortunate episodes.