108TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 177
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Recognizing and commending the members of the
United States Armed Forces and their leaders,
and the allies of the United States and their
armed forces, who participated in Operation En-
during Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation
Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and recognizing the con-
tinuing dedication of military families and em-
ployers and defense civilians and contractors and
the countless communities and patriotic organiza-
tions that lent their support to the Armed Forces
during those operations.
108TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 177
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the
United States, which killed thousands of people from the
United States and other countries in New York, Virginia,
and Pennsylvania, inaugurated the Global War on Ter-
rorism;
Whereas the intelligence community quickly identified Al
Qaeda as a terrorist organization with global reach and
•HCON 177 EH
the President determined that United States national se-
curity required the elimination of the Al Qaeda terrorist
organization;
Whereas the Taliban regime of Afghanistan had long har-
bored Al Qaeda, providing members of that organization
a safe haven from which to attack the United States and
its friends and allies, and the refusal of that regime to
discontinue its support for international terrorism and
surrender Al Qaeda’s leaders to the United States made
it a threat to international peace and security;
Whereas Saddam Hussein and his regime’s longstanding
sponsorship of international terrorism, active pursuit of
weapons of mass destruction, use of such weapons
against Iraq’s own citizens and neighboring countries, ag-
gression against Iraq’s neighbors, and brutal repression
of Iraq’s population made Saddam Hussein and his re-
gime a threat to international peace and security;
Whereas the United States pursued sustained diplomatic, po-
litical, and economic efforts to remove those threats
peacefully;
Whereas on October 7, 2001, the Armed Forces of the
United States and its coalition allies launched military
operations in Afghanistan, designated as Operation En-
during Freedom, that quickly caused the collapse of the
Taliban regime, the elimination of Afghanistan’s terrorist
infrastructure, and the capture of significant and numer-
ous members of Al Qaeda;
Whereas on March 19, 2003, the Armed Forces of the United
States and its coalition allies launched military oper-
ations, designated as Operation Iraqi Freedom, that
quickly caused the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime,
•HCON 177 EH
the elimination of Iraq’s terrorist infrastructure, the end
of Iraq’s illicit and illegal programs to acquire weapons
of mass destruction, and the capture of significant inter-
national terrorists;
Whereas in those two campaigns in the Global War on Ter-
rorism, as of May 1, 2003, nearly 330,000 members of
the United States Armed Forces, comprised of active, re-
serve, and National Guard members and units, had de-
ployed for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation
Iraqi Freedom;
Whereas as of May 1, 2003, some 224,500 Reserve and Na-
tional Guard members of the Armed Forces had been
called to active duty in support of Operation Enduring
Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom;
Whereas in the conduct of Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom, as of May 1, 2003, 67 military
servicemembers and other United States personnel had
given their lives in Afghanistan and 140 had been lost in
Iraq, while over 700 had been wounded and 8 were held
as prisoners of war;
Whereas success in those two campaigns in the Global War
on Terrorism would not have been possible without the
dedication, courage, and service of the members of the
United States Armed Forces and the military and irreg-
ular forces of the friends and allies of the United States;
Whereas the support, love, and commitment from the families
of United States service personnel participating in those
two operations, as well as that of the communities and
patriotic organizations which provided support through
the United Services Organization (USO), Operation Dear
Abby, and Operation UpLink, helped to sustain those
•HCON 177 EH
service personnel and enabled them to eliminate signifi-
cant threats to United States national security while lib-
erating oppressed peoples from dictatorial regimes;
Whereas the civilian employees of the Department of De-
fense, through their hard work and dedication, enabled
United States military forces to quickly and effectively
achieve the United States military missions in Afghani-
stan and Iraq;
Whereas the commitment of companies making their employ-
ees available for military service, the creativity and initia-
tive of contractors equipping the Nation’s Armed Forces
with the best and most modern equipment, and the inge-
nuity of service companies assisting with the global over-
seas deployment of the Armed Forces demonstrates that
the entrepreneurial spirit of the United States is an ex-
traordinarily valuable defense asset; and
Whereas the Nation should pause to recognize with appro-
priate tributes and days of remembrance the sacrifice of
those members of the Armed Forces who died or were
wounded in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation
Iraqi Freedom, as well as all who served in or supported
either of those operations: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress—
(1) conveys its deepest sympathy and condo-
lences to the families and friends of the members of
United States and coalition forces who have been in-
jured, wounded, or killed during Operation Enduring
Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom;
•HCON 177 EH
(2) commends President George W. Bush, Sec-
retary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, and United
States 
Central 
Command 
commander 
General
Tommy Franks, United States Army, for their plan-
ning and execution of enormously successful military
campaigns in Operation Enduring Freedom and Op-
eration Iraqi Freedom;
(3) expresses its highest commendation and
most sincere appreciation to the members of the
United States Armed Forces who participated in Op-
eration Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi
Freedom, including the members of the organiza-
tional elements specified in section 2 of this resolu-
tion;
(4) commends the Department of Defense civil-
ian employees and the defense contractor personnel
whose skills made possible the equipping of the
greatest Armed Force in the annals of modern mili-
tary endeavor;
(5) calls upon communities across the Nation—
(A) to prepare appropriate homecoming
ceremonies to honor and welcome home the
members of the Armed Forces participating in
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation
Iraqi Freedom and to recognize their contribu-