June 18, 2002 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H3639 between good and evil, and they are isiana. In 1943, when the Army called for lin- nation is immune, and all nations must not willing to live in a world where evil guists to join the newly formed Office of Stra- act decisively to protect against this prevails. tegic Services (OSS) [predecessor of the Cen- constantly evolving threat. In honor of the Airborne, the Special tral Intelligence Agency], Colonel Bank We must recognize that the threat of Forces and for Colonel Shimkus, I close stepped forward. Under the Command of terrorism is a permanent condition, by saying simply: Colonel William B. (‘‘Wild Bill’’) Donavan, and we must take action to protect Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door Colonel Bank parachuted into occupied America against the terrorists that Leap right out and count to four. France in the Rohne Valley to train and fight seek to kill the innocent. If your main don’t open wide, with the French resistance. Colonel Bank was Since September 11, 2001, all levels of You got a reserve by your side. made Chief of Guerilla Operations. He oper- government and leaders from across Airborne. ated in the area of Avignon and Nimes, along the political spectrum have cooperated Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, with other OSS Jedburgh Teams. Colonel like never before. We have strength- the fog and friction of war ruled the day when Bank was involved with some of the most in- ened our aviation security and tight- seven American special operations forces died triguing operations and personalities of that ened our borders. We have stockpiled on an isolated mountaintop in Afghanistan. era. He was actively involved with the famous medicines to defend against bioter- The battle at Takur Ghar took place during Operation ‘‘Iron Cross’’—the plot to assas- rorism and improved our ability to Operation Anaconda. U.S. military officials sinate Adolph Hitler. combat weapons of mass destruction. sent a special operations reconnaissance ele- Following World War II, Colonel Bank We have dramatically improved infor- ment to a key piece of terrain. As the team served as Commander of Counter-Intelligence mation sharing among our intelligence reached the 10,000-foot mountaintop, the in Bavaria until 1950. He also served in Korea, agencies, and we have taken new steps team’s assault helicopter took immediate where he was the executive officer of a Regi- to protect our critical infrastructure. ground fire. In the course of the next two mental Combat Team. From 1951–1952, Colo- Our Nation is stronger and better hours, the special operations team went back nel Bank was assigned to the Special Oper- prepared today than it was on Sep- to rescue their mate, who had fallen out the ations Branch, Psychological Warfare Staff at tember 11. Yet, we can do better. I pro- back of the assault helicopter. He continued to the Pentagon. It was here that the idea for the posed the most extensive reorganiza- fight until his death. That fight is a microcosm First Special Forces Group took form. On tion of the Federal Government since of men and women who are in the Army’s June 19, 1952, this idea became reality. This the 1940s by creating a new Department Special Forces. The military personnel that occurred when Colonel Bank activated the of Homeland Security. For the first fought on Takur Ghar, displayed dedication 10th Special Forces Group, the original Spe- time we would have a single Depart- bravery, selflessness courage and unity. This cial Forces unit. Colonel Bank commanded the ment whose primary mission is to se- is who our Special Forces are. Group at Bad Toelz, Federal Republic of Ger- cure our homeland. Soon after the Sec- The Special Forces Regiment uses a many until 1954. In 1986, Colonel Bank was ond World War, President Harry Tru- twelve-member team concept. It assigns multi- honored with the title of Colonel of the Regi- man recognized that our Nation’s frag- faceted missions including counter-terrorism, ment for all U.S. Army Special Forces. mented military defenses needed reor- direct action, strategic reconnaissance, psy- The Army Special Forces live quietly by ganization to help win the Cold War. chological warfare, civil affairs, and training their motto ‘‘De Oppresso Liber’’, Latin for ‘‘To President Truman proposed uniting our foreign military and para-military forces in Free the Oppressed’’. Therefore, I salute the military forces under a single entity, counter-insurgency operations. Special Forces United States Army Special Forces and Colo- now the Department of Defense, and Soldiers are teachers who are trained in for- nel Aaron Bank on the historic significance of creating the National Security Council eign languages and are called on to teach the 50th anniversary of the founding of the to bring together defense, intelligence, military skills to people around the world. They United States Army Special Forces. and diplomacy. President Truman’s re- operate in urban, jungle, desert, mountain, Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield forms are still helping us to fight ter- maritime, and arctic environments and are back the balance of my time. ror abroad, and today we need similar sometimes called on to survive for months at The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. dramatic reforms to secure our people a time behind enemy lines. SIMPSON). The question is on the mo- at home. Speical Operations Forces are an elite, spe- tion offered by the gentleman from President Truman and Congress reor- cialized military unit which can be inserted be- North Carolina (Mr. HAYES) that the ganized our Government to meet a very hind the lines to conduct a variety of oper- House suspend the rules and agree to visible enemy in the Cold War. Today ations, many of them clandestine. Special Op- the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. our Nation must once again reorganize erations Forces are characterized by ‘‘com- 364, as amended. our Government to protect against an binations of specialized personnel, equipment, The question was taken; and (two- often-invisible enemy, an enemy that training and tactics that go beyond the routine thirds having voted in favor thereof) hides in the shadows and an enemy capabilities of conventional military forces.’’ the rules were suspended and the con- that can strike with many different SOF personnel are carefully selected and un- current resolution, as amended, was types of weapons. Our enemies seek to dergo highly demanding training. U.S. Army agreed to. obtain the most dangerous and deadly SOF include 26,000 soldiers from the Active A motion to reconsider was laid on weapons of mass destruction and use Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve who the table. them against the innocent. While we are organized into Special Forces units, Rang- f are winning the war on terrorism, Al ers units, special operations aviation units, Qaeda and other terrorist organiza- HOMELAND SECURITY ACT OF civil affairs units, psychological operations tions still have thousands of trained 2002—MESSAGE FROM THE PRESI- units, and special operations support units. killers spread across the globe plotting DENT OF THE UNITED STATES Special operations forces and predecessor attacks against America and the other (H. DOC. NO. 107–227) U.S. units have played a role in most U.S. nations of the civilized world. conflicts. In 1985, Congress noted that the The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- Immediately after last fall’s attack, I U.S. SOF provide an immediate and primary fore the House the following message used my legal authority to establish capability to respond to terrorism. from the President of the United the White House Office of Homeland Colonel Aaron Bank is truly a legend. If life States; which was read and, together Security and the Homeland Security were like fiction, Colonel Bank would be the with the accompanying papers, without Council to help ensure that our Federal leading character in one of the most dramatic objection, referred to Union Calendar response and protection efforts were stories of the 20th century. He is called the and ordered to be printed: coordinated and effective. I also di- ‘‘Father of the Green Berets.’’ Colonel Bank To the Congress of the United States: rected Homeland Security Advisor Tom was born in New York City in November of I hereby transmit to the Congress Ridge to study the Federal Govern- 1902. As a young man he lived in Europe and proposed legislation to create a new ment as a whole to determine if the learned French and Russian. He enlisted in Cabinet Department of Homeland Se- current structure allows us to meet the the U.S. Army in late 1939 and graduated curity. threats of today while preparing for from OCS in 1940. He was commissioned in Our Nation faces a new and changing the unknown threats of tomorrow. the Infantry and served as the Tactical Officer threat unlike any we have faced be- After careful study of the current of a railroad battalion at Camp Polk in Lou- fore—the global threat of terrorism. No structure, coupled with the experience VerDate 11-MAY-2000 01:36 Jun 19, 2002 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K18JN7.070 pfrm09 PsN: H18PT1 H3640 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 18, 2002 gained since September 11 and new in- homeland security by minimizing the from terrorist attacks and natural dis- formation we have learned about our duplication of efforts, improving co- asters. To fulfill these missions, the enemies while fighting a war, I have ordination, and combining functions Department of Homeland Security concluded that our Nation needs a that are currently fragmented and inef- would incorporate the Federal Emer- more unified homeland security struc- ficient.