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Wilson Opening Statement for Hearing on Military Resale and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Overview

March 12, 2009
Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2009

Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, today released the following prepared remarks for the subcommittee’s hearing to receive an overview of military resale and morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) programs.

“This subcommittee has had a longstanding commitment to improve the quality of life of the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. One way we have shown that commitment is through efforts to sustain and even expand the MWR, commissary and exchange benefits. We must continue that aggressive approach.

“Our witnesses today have diverse responsibilities that span the complex worlds of MWR, installations, commissaries and exchanges. They also face difficult challenges.

“Given the wartime, high operations tempo of the Armed Forces today, the need for the organizations represented here to provide their product – quality of life – to their customers has never been greater. Moreover, the demand of their customers – active, Guard, reserve, retirees, and their families – for quality of life improvements and an expansion of the benefit has never been higher.

“I sincerely appreciate the efforts by our witnesses to provide wider opportunities for reserve and National Guard personnel here in the United States to take advantage of the commissary and exchange benefits. I am also thankful for the leadership, exemplified in our witnesses today, that has worked continuously to provide support to all military personnel, their families, and to retirees.

“As a veteran, I know firsthand of your providing modern, people friendly facilities. The highest compliment I can give you is that my wife and my mother-in-law, who is a widow of a veteran, are very satisfied customers of the Commissary and PX at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. With a higher percentage of married service members than ever before, your services are needed more than ever before.”

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