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***image1***The top Sailor for Navy Reserve had special words of thanks July 29 to a contingent of Sailors deployed for one year at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
“You are incredibly, incredibly special,” said Vice Admiral John G. Cotton at an Admiral’s Call during his visit with 350 active component and reserve component sailors deployed to LRMC as the Fleet Hospital Great Lakes Platform.
“This is just unbelievable. There are people alive today because of you,” the admiral said before a large assembly of doctors, nurses and related support personnel. Their dedication and commitment was clearly evident in the fact that 68 Sailors volunteered to remain on staff for an additional year, he said.
The admiral also praised the Sailors for the even broader role they play in the Global War on Terrorism, noting their role as expeditionary citizen warriors dates back 231 years.
That expeditionary mindset is especially vital today in the Middle East where the presence of the U.S. and its allies is like a glowing candle that attracts thugs instead of bugs. And, that is where the U.S. should remain and stay the course to eradicate the problem, he said.
“What happens if we stop?” he asked. “If we don’t do away games, we do more home games,” the admiral said of how the threat could increase for the United States.
Admiral Cotton’s message was heard and appreciated by a Navy contingent that is motivated by its role at LRMC, said Capt. Joan Olson, deputy director for Navy personnel at LRMC.
“It’s really been a phenomenal experience for us,” said Captain Olson. “Most of us have trained our entire adult lives for an opportunity such as this, and our Sailors have performed with grace and humility while serving wounded servicemembers from downrange who pass through here on their return home.”
