Gov. Walker lauds Wisconsin National Guard during Armed Forces Week

By 1st Sgt. Vaughn R. Larson

Wisconsin National Guard

Gov. Scott Walker thanked members of the Wisconsin National Guard May 18, the eve of Armed Forces Day, for their commitment to the state and nation, and said he and other governors are committed to keeping a strong Guard.

"We're committed to working with our congressional delegation in the federal government because we believe a well-prepared, well-armed [military] is important for our nation," Walker said in Witmer Hall at Joint Force Headquarters in Madison, Wis. "But we also believe very strongly that the most efficient, the most cost-effective and the most practical way of doing that is investing in our Guard."

Walker noted that Wisconsin National Guard members bring not only their military training to the table, but their civilian work experience as well.

"That can't be replicated anywhere else," he continued, "so we're going to continue to fight for that because we want a strong Guard in Wisconsin and the 49 other states, and throughout this country."

Walker related an account where a woman approached him to meet her son's commander in chief.

"She gave me this bracelet," he said, pointing to one of two on his left wrist. "I told her I'd put it next to this one," worn in honor of a fallen service member from Janesville. "It reminds me of how words can't explain the debt of gratitude we have to all of you. To every one of you here, to the 10,000 strong in the Guard here in the state of Wisconsin, and to all others, in the Guard around the country, in the Reserves and in the active duty service, for what you do as a commitment to your country. We just can't thank you enough."

Walker said he is frequently asked how Wisconsin service members cope with deploying multiple times.

"It's part of our history - that's who we are," he explained. "From World War I, the 'Greatest Generation' of World War II, and Korea and Vietnam, two decades ago in Desert Storm … every step of the way we've had a proud tradition that dates all the way back to those first Soldiers from Wisconsin, who went out in record numbers to fight in our nation's Civil War.

"We're proud because of our heritage," Walker continued. "We're proud because of who we are. Thank you for helping that live on."

Troops Speak Out: Armed Forces Day Really Does Matter

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

May 18, 2007 – Ask someone serving in the military, and you might be surprised to hear them tell you just how much Armed Forces Day means to them. As the country commemorates its 57th Armed Forces Day tomorrow, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines say they're grateful for a special day set aside to recognize them and their service. It's particularly important, they say, while the country is at war.

After 14 years in the Army and two deployments to the Middle East, Army Sgt. Robert Clark said he welcomes a day honoring the men and women in uniform.

"For us in the military, it's a big thing," said Clark, a member of the Fort Hood, Texas-based Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 21 Field Artillery Regiment. "It's a day set aside for us to be recognized."

"It really does mean something to us," said Marine Staff Sgt. Kalvin Smith, a communications sergeant for The Basic School at Quantico, Va. "It lets us know that people care about us, and makes us feel really good."

"It keeps our morale up," agreed Marine Cpl. Dan Triemert, crew chief aboard a C-130J Hercules aircraft based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. "It reminds you that people care, and helps people realize what we go through out there."

"It lifts you up," said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Timothy Beidleman, an aviations electronics technical based at Andrews Air Force Base.

Beidleman, a veteran of three deployments, said Armed Forces Day helps servicemembers stand back and remind themselves how important they are to the country.

"It wasn't until I got back home from Iraq that I realized the impact of what I do," he said. "So a day that helps us think about that is important."

Air Force Capt. William Cooper, a chaplain with the 436th Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base, Del., said formally recognizing the men and women does more than "recharge and reinvigorate" the troops. It also gives a chance for their families and the American public to pause and take note of their contributions. "It builds support," he said.

Staff Sgt. David Butcher, an 11-year veteran of the Air Force, said that's especially important when U.S. troops are serving in harm's way. "That's when we need the support of our local community," he said.

"Especially in today's day and age, when we have so many people sacrificing so much, it's a way to recognize the personal aspect to their service and their contributions," agreed Marine Corps Maj. Garrett Miller, site commander at the Anacostia Naval Annex in Washington.

Miller called Armed Forces Day an opportunity to honor the people giving so much for their country. "We have individuals there who are serving and even dying, and this is some small way to recognize them and give back," he said.

"It's a chance for people to express their appreciation of the military," said Air Force Capt. Scott Kramer, assigned to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency at Fort Belvoir, Va. "It's a good day for people to say, 'Yes, we do support the military - the volunteers who keep this country free.'"

That support matters regardless of what people think about the war politically, said Army staff Sgt. Sean Hackett, an artilleryman from Fort Bliss, Texas. "People can be against the war; that's fine. But they have to recognize our military. We are loyal Americans, and the military is the backbone of freedom.

"Without our military, our country can't have that freedom," Hackett said.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates issued a proclamation urging people to take a few minutes this weekend to express appreciation to the military.

"Both at home and abroad, our servicemembers are hard at work, carrying on a proud tradition of service and sacrifice," he said. "They fight without pause and without complaint, and their dedication helps ensure the freedoms we enjoy."

Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to attend the three-day Joint Service Open House that kicked off here today and serves as the military's official Armed Forces Day observance.

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Gates Cites Troops' Tenacity in Armed Forces Day Message

American Forces Press Service

May 17, 2007 – Today's servicemembers reflect the same determination shown by those who fought for America's freedom more than 200 years ago, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in a message issued as the annual Armed Forces Day observance approaches. Armed Forces Day -- always the third Saturday in May -- is observed May 19 this year.

Gates said many people are familiar with the opening of Thomas Paine's treatise called "The Crisis," written in defense of the then-fledgling American Revolution: "These are the times that try men's souls."

Less familiar, he said, is a later passage from Paine's essay: "I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ... He whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death."

Paine marched with Gen. George Washington and his men "as they suffered unbroken defeat across much of New Jersey in 1776," Gates said.

"He felt, first-hand, their lack of supplies needed to wage war or even subsist," Gates said. "Yet he witnessed many who pursued the cause of liberty unto death."

Noting that he has met hundreds of today's servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere, the secretary praised their courage and resolve despite the difficulties they face.

"They and their comrades undertake dangerous missions, and endure physical hardships and separation from their families," he said. "Yet they remain firm at heart. Their bravery is beyond measure. Today's young patriots carry the same determination Paine must have seen in their predecessors over two centuries ago."

Gates said the nation appreciates its servicemembers and their families, and he expressed the hope that all Americans will observe Armed Forces Day accordingly.

"The American people, as one, are deeply grateful for the service and sacrifice of men and women in uniform and their families, and for their unshrinking commitment to pursuing the principles of our nation," he said. "As we pause this Armed Forces Day to reflect on their service, I hope that each one of us will find a way to show them, as Paine encouraged in his treatise, 'the love and thanks' of a nation."

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