INHOFE HOSTS ARMY CAUCUS BREAKFAST, PAYS TRIBUTE TO RETIRING SEN. AKAKA
 Sen. Inhofe recognized retiring Sen. Akaka at the Senate Army Caucus Breakfast for his time serving as a co-chair and serving his country as a soldier.
December 6, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the co-chair of the Senate Army Caucus, today hosted multiple Senators and senior Army leaders for the biannual Army Caucus Breakfast. The breakfast also served as a tribute to retiring junior Senator from Hawaii, Daniel Akaka. Inhofe praised Akaka for his service to his country as a Soldier and in his current capacity in the U.S. Senate.
“My colleague, Sen. Akaka has continued his service to the Army well after his transition into civilian life,” said Inhofe. “He has experienced first-hand how the GI-bill and service member benefits can assist our Soldiers in furthering their education, becoming a well-rounded citizen, and continuing to serve the United States. Congress needs more people like Senator Akaka, who are not afraid to show their support for our military and fight for those who fight for all of us. Replacing Sen. Akaka will be difficult, but I am encouraged that Sen. Jack Reed will replace Akaka as co-chair of the Senate Army Caucus and I look forward with working alongside Sen. Reed.”
The Senate Army Caucus is the Senate’s primary forum for advocacy of land-power, and provides an opportunity to discuss the challenges Soldiers and their families are facing.
Among the multiple Generals and highly decorated Soldiers, also in attendance wa sChief of Staff of the Army General Raymond Odierno; Vice Chief of Staff General Lloyd Austin; Under Secretary of the Army Joseph Westphal; Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, SSG Matthew Senna; and Soldier of the Year, SGT Saral K. Shrestha.
Inhofe expressed concerns of the looming budget cuts under sequestration and what the Army in the future will encompass.
“It is imperative that congress and the administration work together to find a common-sense compromise to replace the cuts under sequestration,” Inhofe said. “Cutting our force numbers and the defense budget at a time when we face serious threats from the Middle East, and are refocusing on the Asian Pacific is anything but common-sense.”
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