Norton to Speak at D.C. Army National Guard Farewell Ceremony Tomorrow

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will speak at the send-off of the D.C. Army National Guard's 273rd Military Police Company tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the D.C. National Guard Armory (2001 East Capitol Street, SE). Norton, who has seen off every deployment and welcomed every return of the D.C. National Guard during her congressional service, will give remarks to the 79 District National Guard Military Police troops who will be deploying to Afghanistan.

"There will be some poignancy in the send-off of our Guard troops when so many are finally coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan," Norton said. "Military Police are among the most valuable troops because they are needed wherever troops are stationed, whether abroad or at home. This is not the first time since 9/11 that we have sent our Guard troops to war. They go with great courage, but too often the public does not realize the personal and financial sacrifices that Guard troops and their families make. I will express our gratitude at the send-off.

For years now, Norton has gotten annual appropriations to encourage the enlistment and retention in the D.C. National Guard by providing financial assistance to attend undergraduate, vocational, or technical courses through the District of Columbia National Guard Retention and College Access Program. Normally, most funding for the National Guard comes from states, but because the D.C. National Guard is 100 percent federally run, and because the mayor lacks jurisdiction to call them up, Norton has insisted that the annual education funding come from the federal government. Norton thanked appropriators for including $375,000 in funding again for the District of Columbia National Guard Retention and College Access Program in the fiscal year 2012 omnibus.

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