If you subscribe to the National Alliance of Families’ Bits N Pieces, you have surely read that the House subcommittee on Military Personnel will “suddenly” be having hearings on the POW/MIA Issue. Why? Well, they claim that they haven’t gotten an update on the Issue in over a decade and that it was time they did.
From Bits N Pieces:
House Sub-Committee on Military Personnel to Hold Hearings - On June 25th we learned that the House Sub-Committee on Military Personnel would hold hearings on the POW/MIA issue. While we welcome the Committee decision to hold its first hearings on the POW/MIA issue since 1998, the Committee and Congressional leadership should understand that these hearings are not a substitute for passage of H.Res 111.
Hearings simply give organizations and individuals a chance to present a picture as they see it and to make recommendations on future efforts. These hearings do not provide the opportunity for in depth investigations of the type required to properly address new POW/MIA information discovered and developed since the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs issued its final report in January 1993.
The first hearing is scheduled for 2:00 PM July 10th. You can watch and/or listen to the hearing via the internet at http://armedservices.house.gov/audiocast.shtml Testifying that day will be Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs (DPMO) Charles Ray and Admiral Donna Crisp, Commander of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC.) Dates for future hearings have not been set. When they are we will let you know.
Lynn goes on to say that no series of hearings on the Hill will substitute for a House Select Committee which House Res. 111. I couldn’t have said it better myself!
If you will be working or unable to listen in to the first session on July 10th, The POW Warrior will be live blogging the event here so feel free to check in from time to time during the day to get some insight on what is being told to Congress about the Issue by DASD Charles Ray and JPAC Commander Rear Admiral Crisp. There testimony should be rather interesting!
*************
Also, The POW Warrior would like to congratulate Paul Carro and Gus Dante, both members of the Alliance and Rolling Thunder of NJ for their recent recognition as POW/MIA Activists of the Year. Gus and Paul, pictured above with Roger Hall (center) were instrumental with the success of the co-sponsorship campaign for House Res. 111. If you recall, in June of ‘07 were had approximately 60 co-sponsors on the list. Paul and Gus went mobile and knocked on the doors of Congress, they were on a mission!
That mission now totals 280 co-sponsors, that is approximately 64% of Congress in support of House Res. 111.
It looks like Bon Jovi has some competition for their nickname “The Boys from New Jersey”, Paul and Gus may be overtaking that name in the very near future!
Thank you Guys!
The POW Warrior
