PRESS RELEASES

6/02/2005

Editor's note: This column was published last week in the "Special Tribute To The Troops" section in "The Hill," a newspaper in Washington, D.C. U.S. Rep. Alexander was asked to write the special column because his Fifth Congressional District, which currently has 588 guardsmen deployed, and another 2,332 mobilized, ranks 15th out of all the congressional districts nationwide.

The answer is found in their eyes

WASHINGTON -- I will never forget the look that I saw in so many soldiers' eyes on an early spring morning about a year ago.

There were many men and women of the Louisiana National Guard Company A of the 199th Support Battalion packing their duffle bags and loading supplies onto trucks inside of the Jonesboro Armory, preparing to head to Iraq.

Many of those young men and women, donning camouflage that day, were the very same individuals responsible for driving their children to school, working a shift at the paper mill and preparing meals for their families the day before.

Now, their responsibility was to protect and serve their nation, and the determination to answer the call to duty was found in each soldier's eyes.

A year has passed since those soldiers said goodbye to their family members and left to serve overseas.

Many of them have returned to the normalcy that they left behind and have resumed the life that they had cherished before leaving.

I've talked with many of our soldiers from my hometown who have just returned from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I've asked them, among other questions, if they had to do it all over again, would they go overseas and fight for American freedoms and ideals?

Not one soldier has told me that he or she regrets making the sacrifices.

Sure, it was hard to see young men and women say goodbye to their spouses and children for a long period of time.

There were parents and grandparents crying when the Louisiana National Guard Company A caravan left the city limits of Jonesboro that day.

And, during the long absences, there were times when many families faced financial setbacks and hardships caused because fathers and mothers--primarily breadwinners as civilians--suffered a loss in pay when they became full-time soldiers.

Our men and women serving in the National Guard have performed tremendously for our nation in the War on Terrorism.

I'm especially proud that the district which I represent--5th District, Louisiana, currently has 588 guardsmen deployed, and another 2,332 mobilized -- ranks 15th out of all the congressional districts nationwide.

I realize that those are just numbers to some Members of Congress and reporters, but those numbers represent actual moms and dads, sisters and brothers, school teachers and preachers, and every day citizens.

What shocks and awes me--and many others--is that our National Guardsmen are comprised of every day people, doing every day things, who are ultimately trained to do extraordinary things on the battlefield.

In the last few years, Americans have witnessed what National Guardsmen have accomplished on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq.

I'm well aware that there will be other National Guardsmen called up to continue fighting and protecting America's freedoms and ideals, and I wouldn't be surprised if many of those National Guardsmen called to duty are residents of my congressional district.

It will be hard for many of these National Guardsmen to leave their responsibilities of everyday life to go overseas, but if anybody doubts whether or not these National Guardsmen are willing to accept the sacrifices that freedom demands, then one only needs to travel to the 5th Congressional District and look into the eyes of a National Guardsman.

They will find the answer there.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman, serves the 5th Congressional District. He can be reached at either of his two district offices--Alexandria (318-445-0818) or Monroe (318-322-3500).

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Contact: Adam Terry
(202) 225-8490

 

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