As we celebrate Memorial Day, let us all remember we set aside this special day to honor those brave men and women who've given the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.
Sometimes lost in all the planning of barbeques and festivities is the reason we began celebrating it so many years ago – to honor those courageous men and women who died while protecting freedom and democracy. This Memorial Day, I encourage everyone to take a moment to remember those brave souls.  In addition to those who’ve lost their lives, we should also remember all the men and women who have thankfully come home, but have been wounded, sometimes severely.
This Memorial Day is a good time to reflect on what we are doing for our Service Members and our Veterans and what we need to do to better honor them and their families.
Earlier this week, I had the immense honor of spending time with Major General Mike Scaparrotti and his paratroopers unit as they prepared to deploy to Afghanistan. It was a rewarding and sobering experience to get the opportunity to spend time with these men and women as they prepare to deploy. It was a reminder of the human costs associated with the war in Iraq and the War on Terror. Most of these young men and women are facing a year or more away from their families, risking their lives to fight for our country. It is mission they accept with determination, courage and pride. I couldn’t have been more proud of them; to be an American and to be their Congressman.
In March, I had the opportunity to tour Fort Bragg to visit with members of the Wounded Warrior Battalion after hearing several concerns from soldiers and their families. It has remained a high priority for me to help Fort Bragg and the Wounded Warrior Battalion to work through the issues surrounding the unit. Last week we were happy to announce $88 million in funding for Fort Bragg’s Warrior in Transition Complex. This complex will include barracks, administration offices, a dining facility, a soldier family assistance center and other essential facilities to help wounded soldiers. When these young men and women put their lives on the line to protect our freedom and democracy, we must care for them when they are injured. They deserve the best medical care available, but the debt of gratitude we owe them does not end there. We owe them the opportunity to transition back to active duty or to civilian life.  It is my hope that the Warrior in Transition Complex will help ease those concerns.
In addition to the Warrior in Transition Complex, Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base have been awarded $111 million in Stimulus funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The funding will help with base improvements and Fort Bragg’s expansion as it integrates Force Command as directed by the BRAC Commission.
Working with fellow North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, I co-sponsored a bill to ensure a better quality of life for troops at Fort Bragg by putting local garrisons in charge of inspecting barracks.
As a member of the House Armed Service Committee, I co-sponsored the Weapons System Reform known as WASTE TKO which helps to control wasteful spending during the development of new weapons systems. This increased oversight will help contain spending overages which delay systems from getting to the troops who need them. 
We must not forget those who’ve served our country so honorably in the past. Veterans issues are of major concern to me, and I am proud of the work my staff and I have done to help them.  I have sponsored several bills including a resolution to prohibit Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled; to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom; to provide advance appropriations authority for certain medical care accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated less than 50 percent to receive concurrent payment of both retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation including eliminating the phase-in period for concurrent receipt.
My Fayetteville office hosted a Veterans’ Clinic to help veterans work through any benefit issues they may be facing.  Our door is open in all of our offices to assist veterans in resolving any issues they are having getting the benefits they so richly deserve.
On this Memorial Day, I renew my commitment to continue working to protect the interests of our troops as they continue their important mission of protecting our nation.