Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Page H1250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN RECOGNITION OF COLONEL PETER NEZAMIS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Bost) for 5 minutes.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Colonel Peter
Nezamis of Belleville.
It was recently announced that Colonel Nezamis will be promoted to
brigadier general and will lead the Illinois Air National Guard, where
he will lead over 3,000 personnel.
He commanded the Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing at
Scott Air Force Base, which received the Outstanding Unit Award, under
his guidance.
Colonel Nezamis has commanded numerous expeditionary operations and
flew over 275 combat and combat support hours. He first joined the Air
National Guard in 1986 and has served our State and Nation over 30
years.
Colonel Nezamis, we know you will serve the State and Nation to the
best of your ability, and congratulations in your new role.
Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I also rise to bring awareness about a coming
crisis in our Nation's agricultural workforce.
According to USDA, the average age for a farmer is now 58 and has
been on the rise for over 30 years. Our Nation faces a shortfall of
700,000 agricultural workers over the next 20 years.
How can we reverse this trend? According to the Department of Labor,
45 percent of armed servicemembers are from rural America. Many of our
returning heroes struggle to find employment after serving our Nation.
Agriculture is a sensible solution to fill the economic gap our
veterans face. That is why I joined with my friend and colleague on the
House Agriculture Committee, Al Lawson of Florida, to introduce the
Vets to Ag Act. Our bill streamlines the process for veterans getting
apprenticeships in the agricultural industry.
Despite dysfunction in Washington, we are still fighting for
bipartisan, commonsense solutions to help our farmers and our veterans.
I encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan effort.
Human Trafficking Prevention Month
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I also rise today in recognition of Human
Trafficking and Prevention Month.
Human trafficking cases are on the rise nationwide. As the
grandfather of 11 grandchildren, I am angry about that. My appreciation
goes out to members of law enforcement who are on the front lines
combating these crimes and making our communities safer.
Programs like the Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign help
combat human trafficking. The program works to make sure, if
trafficking victims are taken over the border, they are rescued or have
a resource that they can turn to for help.
These are important steps, but there is still so much more work
remaining. Both parties must work together to do our part in wiping out
this evil before it does any more harm.
____________________
