Honoring Our Armed Forces

HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I would like to take a few minutes to pay tribute to a truly remarkable individual whom I have had the privilege to know and work with, U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Patrick Sargent. Pat Sargent worked in my office for a year as a Congressional Fellow in 2001. He is a helicopter pilot and is currently the commander of the 421st Medical Battalion stationed in Germany. Lt. Colonel Sargent served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and is scheduled to return for a second deployment shortly.

This past August, Pat received the General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Award by the Tuskegee Airmen Inc., an organization dedicated to preserving the amazing legacy of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen. This award is conferred annually to "a field grade officer who has exhibited outstanding performance in both professional and community service." It is the highest award given by this organization, and this year was the first time this honor has gone to an Army aviator.

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen? They were a group of American heroes who every American should know about. In recent years we have seen a surge in interest in World War II and the experiences of American servicemen who served in the worst conflict humanity has ever seen. Movies such as "Saving Private Ryan" have done much to illustrate the sacrifices of our World War II veterans, and we have begun construction of a World War II Memorial on the Mall here in Washington. All of these veterans sacrificed for the allied cause against totalitarianism.

But the Tuskegee Airmen faced an additional struggle on top of the war against the Axis Powers. They fought prejudice here at home, and they succeeded on both fronts. During World War II, the U.S. military began an experiment to determine whether African Americans were capable of successfully piloting combat aircraft. This "experiment" eventually evolved into the 332nd Fighter Group, consisting of four squadrons of fighter aircraft piloted entirely by African Americans. Under the command of then-Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, the 332nd flew 200 missions escorting U.S. bombers over Europe. It was the only U.S. fighter group of the war that never lost a bomber under its protection.

Pat Sargent is a modern-day descendent of those brave men. As I noted, he commands the 421st Medical Battalion. With 45 Black Hawk helicopters, 40 ground ambulances, 118 wheeled vehicles, and 591 personnel, it is the U.S. Army's largest medical evacuation battalion. Serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Pat became the first African American to command a medical evacuation battalion in combat in our Nation's history. The motto of the 421st is "Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime." It is only three words in length, but it is telling nonetheless. The battalion's men and women are deployed to sites across the globe, including the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. They perform medical evacuations not only for American soldiers but for allied troops, wounded enemy soldiers that have been taken prisoner, and injured civilians. In Iraq, helicopters from the 421st on MedEvac missions are routinely fired upon. Think about that. The crews of these helicopters, these amazing men and women, are being shot at as they strive to bring life-saving medical care to Iraqis and Americans alike. Anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Colonel Donald Gagliano, commander of the 30th Medical Brigade of which the 421st Battalion is a part, commented on Pat's recent award: "This exemplary senior Army aviator is the quintessence of excellence. He is the epitome of the Tuskegee Airman, and his character, demeanor and professionalism are reflective and very similar to that of Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr."

I cannot adequately pay tribute to Pat without also discussing his wife Sherry. She is also a Lt. Colonel in the Army and is currently stationed in Iraq as part of the 1st Armored Division. She and Pat met early in their careers, while they were both in training to become officers. Together they have a lovely daughter Samantha. Sherry has been in Iraq since the spring and is not scheduled to leave until spring, 2004.

As Pat and Sherry have found themselves both deployed overseas, they have had to make arrangements for someone to look after Samantha. Fortunately, Sherry's parents have been able to relocate to Germany indefinitely to help care for Samantha.

The Sargent family illustrates the fact that when our Nation calls upon our military to deploy, be it for peacekeeping, for combat, or for another type of operation, the sacrifices are borne by more than just those individuals who wear a military uniform.

September 11, 2001, was, of course, a tragic day for all Americans. Some of us were touched more directly than others. As I stated, Pat Sargent spent 2001 as a Congressional Fellow in my Washington, DC office. During that time, his wife was working at the Pentagon. On that terrible morning of September 11, Sherry Sargent learned that two aircraft had struck the World Trade Center. She walked down the hall to an office with a TV in order to learn what was going on. At 9:40 AM, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the portion of the Pentagon where Sherry Sargent's office was located. She lost many friends and coworkers that day. Had she been in her office she would almost certainly have been among those who were killed or injured. As soon as he learned of the attack on the Pentagon, Pat rushed to the scene to locate Sherry. He caught the last shuttle bus from Capitol Hill to the Pentagon before the area was sealed off. After a long search on the crowded Pentagon grounds, Pat was able to find Sherry and learn that she had, fortunately, survived the attack.

In an e-mail to my office a few months ago, Pat noted that "High-tech weapons played a part in the success of this war; but, it was won with human capital-America's sons and daughters." He expressed his thanks for all that Congress has done to support our men and women in uniform.

Well, Pat, I want to thank you-and all of our dedicated service men and women-for your sacrifices, your commitment, and your bravery. And I congratulate you for your receipt of the General Benjamin O. Davis Award, an honor you richly deserve.