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Matt Mead on Homeland Security |
In my budget message, I discuss one benefit, the veteran's tuition waiver, which suffered from last year's session cuts. To address the issue in the interim, I moved money to fix the program during that interim period but it's just a short-term fix. I favor a long-term commitment to those who joined the Guard on the promise of tuition assistance was in place. I also favor some form of support for new recruits.
The bravery and sacrifice of these individuals is beyond anything else, above all else. We can never repay them, but we will never forget them.
In 2013, our Guard had 2797 members. These men and women of the Guard volunteer to defend what we hold dear. They deploy overseas, with all the risks attendant in such deployment. They serve here at home for defense purposes and in disaster assistance. They have been tremendous--for example, with the serious floods of 2011 and the severe wildfires of the last two summers.
The same recognition is due those currently serving in the US military and our veterans. All of us--in fact the whole country--stand on the shoulders of our veterans. We pay tribute to them today and every day.
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