Congressional Record—Senate

January 22, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S67 [From the Lexington Herald-Leader, Jan. 13, soldiers became an all-too-common part of Some House leaders, including Speaker Jody 2008] Storm’s job. Richards, attacked Storm’s comments as a GENERALLY SPEAKING; RETIRING GUARD ‘‘Sergeant Potter had died,’’ he recalled, ‘‘shameless, partisan diatribe.’’ The Louis- CHIEF’S MISSION: ‘‘TAKE CARE OF THE ‘‘and then it was just one right after an- ville Courier-Journal ran an editorial saying TROOPS’’ other.’’ Storm should be replaced as adjutant gen- It was particularly painful because Storm, (By Jim Warren) eral. through his many years in the guard, person- Storm maintains that his ‘‘whole deal’’ al- LEXINGTON, KY.—The pace of life is slower ally knew many of those who were lost. ways was ‘‘to take care of the troops.’’ these days around Donald Storm’s Elizabeth- ‘‘I’m going to admit that it took a toll on Nowadays, he believes the work and sac- town home. me,’’ Storm said. ‘‘I don’t think I fully un- rifices of the soldiers in Iraq are beginning to No more dashing to catch planes for Iraq. derstood how much of a toll it was at the pay off. He sees the decline in violence since No more late-night phone calls about sol- time. But it was the toughest thing I ever last summer as proof that ‘‘we have turned diers lost. No more need to put on the uni- went through . the losses of these soldiers the corner.’’ The question, he says, is wheth- form. and the tremendous sacrifices of their won- er the improvement can be sustained as U.S. After a 37-year military career, Storm, the derful families. I just grieved with all of troops sent over for the ‘‘surge’’ start return- former Kentucky adjutant general, is re- them.’’ ing home in coming weeks. learning civilian life. Storm, a native of Laurel County, began ‘‘I pray that we can sustain this,’’ he said. Storm had hoped to be retained as adju- his military career as an enlisted man, serv- ‘‘You never know in that part of the world tant general in the new administration of ing in Vietnam in 1971–72. He never planned because there are so many factions to deal Gov. Steve Beshear. But the governor chose to be a soldier—he says he just wanted to get with. to replace him with Brig. Gen. Edward W. a college education—but he quickly found ‘‘But, boy, it sure does look great now. And Tonini, 61, former chief of staff for the Ken- that he liked the regimentation and the val- if we can pull it off, it would be one of the tucky Air National Guard. ues of life in uniform. He joined the Ken- greatest accomplishments ever for world Storm could have elected to remain in uni- tucky National Guard after his Army enlist- peace . because the enemy we face is real. form, but that would have required him to ment ended. He was commissioned a first They want to destroy the western world and move to another state guard program with a lieutenant in 1981, beginning a steady rise all the freedoms we enjoy.’’ slot for someone of his rank, or take a post through the ranks. By the time Storm took Storm won’t be in uniform to see the vic- at the National Guard Bureau in Wash- over the top job, he had held virtually every tory he hopes for. But he says the biggest ington. But he chose retirement, and respite major post in the Kentucky Guard. thing he will miss is simply serving in the from the stresses and strains of commanding Storm sometimes sounds like a social phi- Kentucky National Guard. the Kentucky National Guard during its losopher when he speaks on the importance ‘‘The Kentucky National Guard is probably most difficult period in more than 30 years. of military service. the best Guard unit in America,’’ he says. Storm did not escape controversy during ‘‘Military power,’’ he says, ‘‘is one of the ‘‘That’s what some three- and four-star gen- his tenure, but is generally remembered for four types of power you must have to support erals will tell you. And it’s because of all working hard to support the troops he led. a nation state—information power, diplo- these great Kentuckians who have stood up, During his watch, the Kentucky Guard matic power, economic power and military particularly after 9/11, to serve the State and sent thousands of soldiers to Iraq and Af- power. The fifth common denominator is the the Nation. I’m so proud of the way they an- ghanistan, losing troops in both countries. It will of the people.’’ swered the call.’’ sent units to Louisiana to help in the recov- No one had to convince Storm that invad- ery from Hurricane Katrina, and dispatched ing Afghanistan and Iraq were the right f about 1,000 soldiers to help monitor the U.S.- things to do. He said he had seen the plight REPORT ON FOREIGN TRAVEL TO Mexico border in Operation Jump Start. Add of the common people in both lands and felt THE UNITED KINGDOM, ISRAEL, peace-keeping duties in Bosnia, and Home- that liberating them was a proper use of PAKISTAN, JORDAN, SYRIA, AUS- land Security assignments, and about 9,400 American force. Kentucky Army and Air National Guard He admits that he didn’t expect the war in TRIA, AND BELGIUM members were deployed over the course of Iraq to drag on this long, though he says he Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I rise Storm’s tenure—more than the entire mem- knew it would be ‘‘a long hard road’’ once to comment about a trip which I made bership of the state guard when Storm be- the insurgency kicked into high gear in 2004. over the recess during the period from came adjutant general. But he says he was never discouraged, even December 22 of last year to January 4 Storm was the guard’s chief of staff in De- when polls began to show declining citizen cember 2003, when incoming Gov. Ernie support for the war. of this year on travels which I under- Fletcher appointed him to be adjutant gen- ‘‘I could see the light at the end of the tun- took with visits to the United King- eral, succeeding D. Allen Youngman. nel, which was something that our people dom, Israel, Pakistan, Jordan, Syria, ‘‘Little did I know then that I would face here at home didn’t have the opportunity to Austria, and Belgium. some of the things I had to face,’’ Storm see,’’ he said. ‘‘I knew that if we stayed the The stop which Congressman PAT- said. course . that removing Saddam . would RICK KENNEDY and I made in Pakistan Sgt. Darrin Potter of Louisville, the first bode well for free people and the other coun- was an extraordinary visit, a shocking Kentucky National Guard member lost in tries in that part of the world.’’ combat since Vietnam, had died in Iraq Storm says he personally saw off every visit, and a visit at a time of great about two months before Storm’s promotion. Kentucky guard unit as it left for the war tragedy. Many others would follow during the next zone except one (he was on his way to Iraq On Thursday, December 27, Congress- four years. Officially, 15 Kentucky Guard himself at the time), and greeted every unit man KENNEDY and I were scheduled to members were lost in combat while Storm when it came home. He made eight trips to meet with Benazir Bhutto in was in command. He personally includes two Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait to visit Ken- Islamabad. She had set the meeting for others who were on inactive guard status tucky troops and encourage them. 9 p.m., at the end of a busy day of cam- when they were killed while working for pri- ‘‘I tried to make it my business to meet as paigning. While we were preparing to vate security firms in Iraq. Once a guard many of the soldiers as I could, and let them member, always a guard member, Storm be- know how much the people of Kentucky ap- go that night to an earlier dinner with lieves. preciated their service,’’ he said. ‘‘You know, the President of Pakistan, President Today, he admits that losing soldiers was it’s not about generals. It’s about soldiers Musharraf, and then plans to go on to the one part of his job he wasn’t prepared and airmen.’’ meet with Benazir Bhutto, we were in- for. Storm, however, drew some fire in April formed, within 2 hours of our planned The period from March through September 2005, after a Kentucky Guard member in Iraq meeting with Ms. Bhutto, that she had 2005 was particularly bloody, for example, went public with complaints that his unit been brutally assassinated. It was obvi- with six guard members killed in action. was saddled with old, inadequately armored That year also saw one of the Kentucky trucks. It happened shortly after a Kentucky ously a great shock, a great loss to Guard’s proudest moments, as members of guardsman died when a roadside bomb deto- Pakistan, obviously, a great loss to her the Richmond-based 617th Military Police nated near his vehicle. Storm responded that family, and really a loss to the world Company fought off a furious insurgent at- he didn’t agree with the soldier going outside because she had the unique potential to tack on a convoy at Salman Pak on March channels to raise a complaint, but that he unite Pakistan and to provide leader- 20, 2005.

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