05.26.17

Sullivan Honors Alaskans of the Week: Alaska’s Missile Defenders

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) spoke yesterday on the Senate floor in recognition of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance’s 2017 Missile and Base Defenders of the Year: SSgt. Jonathan Rivera-Calderon, SSgt. Stanislav Barilov, Capt. Erik Haugen, TSgt. Mark Lockwood, Sgt. Nathan Williams, Sgt. Travis Hall, Maj. Michael Long, Capt. Anthony Montoya, 1st Lt. Rachel Simmons, SSgt. Caroline Domenech, and Sgt. Jose Aponte. The members of the Alaska Army and Air National Guard were recognized as part of Senator Sullivan’s series, “Alaskan of the Week.”

The following is the statement submitted to the Congressional Record:

TRIBUTE TO MISSILE AND BASE DEFENDERS OF THE YEAR

Mr. President, every week I have been coming down to the Senate floor to honor an individual who is serving in my great State of Alaska, who is helping to make our State, his or her local community, or even our country a better place. We call these individuals our Alaskan of the Week.

Alaska carries a mystique. We all know that. I am a little biased, but it does, rightfully so. It is a beautiful State. We all think it is the most beautiful State in the world. I encourage everybody who is watching from the Gallery or on TV to make sure they take at least one trip to Alaska sometime in their life. You will love it. It will be the trip of a lifetime.

But Alaska is much more than just a beautiful State. It is actually a State that is critically important to America--critically important to our country. We have abundant natural resources: fish, metals, minerals, and oil and gas. They are resources that help feed our country, help build our country, and help power our country.

Further, given today's threats, we are also the most strategically located State in the country. In fact, General Billy Mitchell, father of the Air Force, said in testimony to the Congress in the 1930s that Alaska was ``the most important strategic place in the world,'' which could control Asia, North America, and Europe. He said that whoever controls Alaska controls the world.

In Alaska, we are the hub of combat airpower for the Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world. We are also a vital expeditionary platform, with some of the Army's best trained troops, who can deploy anywhere in the world on a moment's notice. Importantly, we are the cornerstone of our country's missile defense system.

What makes this military triad truly exceptional is the Arctic-tough women and men in uniform supporting each of these pillars of America's military might in Alaska, who work day and night to ensure that our country is safe.

Following Armed Forces Day a few days ago, where we honor all of those who currently serve in the military--and we are all going to be celebrating in a few days Memorial Day to honor those who gave their lives serving our country--I recognize a group of proud Alaskans who help protect our country. These individuals were recently awarded the 2017 Alaska Missile Defender of the Year award from the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. Today, they are our Alaskans of the Week.

These are National Guard service members from the Alaska Army and Air National Guard who have demonstrated leadership, excellence, and selfless commitment in their operation of the U.S. Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, at Fort Greely, and the Early Warning Radar system at Clear Air Force Station in Alaska, over the past year. Essentially, these are the men and women who keep our country safe with America's most sophisticated missile defense system. So I would like to read their names on the Senate floor.

Base defenders of the year from the 213th Space Warning Squadron at Clear Air Force Station: SSgt Jonathan Rivera-Calderon and SSgt Stanislav Barilov.

Missile defenders of the year from the 213th Space Warning Squadron at Clear Air Force Station: Capt. Erik Haugen and TSgt Mark Lockwood.

Base defenders of the year from Fort Greely: SGT Nathan Williams and SGT Travis Hall.

Best crew winners from the 49th Missile Defense Battalion, Delta Crew: MAJ Michael Long, CPT Anthony Montoya, 1LT Rachel Simmons, SSG Caroline Domenech, and SGT Jose Aponte.

These Alaskan missile defenders continue to stand ready and excel as they protect our country and our citizens from an increasingly diverse set of national security threats. They are just a few of the 300 men and women missile defenders in interior Alaska who, every day, protect the entire United States. They like to call themselves the ``300 protecting the 300 million.'' I think of them as modern-day Spartans, the 300 Spartans who fought alongside King Leonidas to protect Greece in 480 BC. That is who they are, modern-day Spartans.

The mission of these men and women is to protect the entire country from a rogue missile threat--whether from North Korea, Iran, or another country--that could hit any city in America. This is what they do 365 days a year, 24/7. They are on call on Christmas, New Year's, and Super Bowl Sunday. They are tough, well-trained, and they are committed patriots of America.

We face a dizzying array of threats across the globe. But the one that keeps not only me but many Members of the Senate and our military up at night right now is the threat from North Korea. There is no doubt that North Korea and the leader of that country are intent on obtaining and nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile that can range our entire country. Recent unclassified briefings on this issue have said it is no longer a matter of if but when North Korea is going to have this capability.

To protect us from this impending threat, this advancing threat, a number of us introduced a bill this past week to enhance our missile defense system across the country. While Alaska's missile defenders currently keep us safe, like many in our military they need more training and better technology so these brave men and women can do their job and continue to keep America safe in the future.

Leading up to Memorial Day, I want to make sure to thank all who have served and continue to serve our Nation in uniform. I especially honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and, of course, their families. I also want to make sure I recognize Alaska's missile defenders. While millions of Americans will be outside this weekend, having a barbecue and celebrating Memorial Day, every American in this country can rest assured that these brave missile defenders in Alaska, men and women like the Spartans of old, stand watch to defend our freedoms. They are doing it today and they will do it on Memorial Day, just like they do every day of the year.

That is why all of them, in my view, merit the award of Alaskans of the Week.

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