Thank you Col. Stephen Tanous, Vandenberg Chaplain Lt. Col. Michael Grubbs, retired Maj. Brian Smith and the entire Vandenberg Air Force base community for holding this remembrance event today and for allowing me the opportunity to speak.

I always appreciate the chance to come to the base and visit with our military men and women and their families.

It has been a long 6 years since the attacks of 9-11 and no one has borne more of our country’s security burden than you have.

As you know all too well, our military men and women have been repeatedly called on over the last 6 years and have spent many days and months far away from home, often in dangerous environments.

Speaking on behalf of the citizens of the 23rd congressional district, I want to tell you how much we appreciate and honor the sacrifices you make on our behalf.

I also want to recognize your family members for their service and sacrifices as well.   I think it’s important that our military family members are recognized for the burdens that they bear in tough times like these. 

Holding together a home, providing support for a faraway loved one – all while dealing with their own special concerns – is a tough, tough job. 

So I thank you for all you do to support our military men and women in your own special, irreplaceable way. 

My friends, 9-11 has become a hallowed day of sorts in America, a day of sad remembrance but also a day of resolve.

We remember those Americans that we lost in Pennsylvania and New York.

And we especially remember those brave civilians and military men and women that we lost at the Pentagon that fateful day.

And we grieve, each in our own way, for the losses that we suffered that awful day.

We can all think back to that day and remember where we were, and remember the shock, the dismay and the anger.

But, being Americans, we also use this remembrance of tragedy as a force for good.

We find within ourselves and our society a resolve, a strength.

We resolved not to turn a blind eye  to this grave challenge to our country, but also not to blindly let our anger lead us away from the goodness that lies in ourselves.

We have resolved to meet the challenge of terrorism that faces us and all free peoples.

And we have resolved to make our country and our communities better places, for now and for future generations.

We see that resolve everywhere in America, but nowhere more so than at places like Vandenberg. 

So today we stand together, united in our remembrance of tragedy, but also in our resolve to meet our country’s great challenges.

Thank you again for letting me share  in this solemn remembrance with you.

I am proud to be with you all here today.

And I thank you for your service to our country.

Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.