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RECOGNIZING AND THANKING THE VIRGINIA NATIONAL GUARD
______
HON. A. DONALD McEACHIN
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Monday, February 1, 2021
Mr. McEACHIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and thank the Virginia National Guard for their outstanding work during and after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. These men and women honored the call of our country, forsaking precious time with their families, to serve and maintain our democracy.
Virginia's National Guard provided a sorely needed response on January 6, with the Quick Reaction Force out of Manassas arriving within 12 hours of receiving D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's request for assistance. In the following days, thousands of citizen-soldiers from across our great Commonwealth deployed to defend our nation's capital. These individuals made tremendous sacrifices to uproot their lives in the defense of democracy; within a matter of days, and in some cases even hours, members of the Virginia National Guard took leave from their regular jobs and deployed to Washington, D.C. without knowing when they would return home. I am especially proud of the men and women from across the Fourth Congressional District of Virginia who served, including BTroop, 2nd Squadron--183 Calvary Regiment from Suffolk, VA, 1710th Transportation Company from Emporia, VA, and 276th Engineer Battalion from Petersburg, VA.
These brave individuals remained dedicated to the mission for weeks at a time, despite the U.S. Capitol not offering the level of hospitality our heroes deserve. While in the city, they persevered while sleeping on cold floors, being shunted disrespectfully into parking garages, and lacking access to quality food. When I had the opportunity to meet with our Virginia National Guard while attending the inauguration, I was struck by how they maintained their cheerful spirit despite these challenging and weighty responsibilities. This is a testament to their true character as Virginians, who are called to service regardless of the conditions and the mission given to them. The Virginia National Guard provided crucial support for the preservation of our democracy. Due to the sacrifices of thousands of our Commonwealth's brave soldiers and airmen, in coordination with other State National Guard units from across our nation, we were able to inaugurate President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Vice President Kamala D. Harris on the same hallowed grounds where a violent mob sought to overturn the certification of our national election just two weeks prior.
Time and again, ``The Commonwealths Guardians'' have served Virginia and the United States of America and will continue to do so when called upon. The actions of our Commonwealth's brave citizen-soldiers demonstrate the indominable fortitude of the Virginia National Guard.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing and honoring the brave members of the Virginia National Guard who answered the call to service in defense of our nation's capital to ensure the preservation of our cherished democracy.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 18
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