{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=CAC486DB-E682-4403-9632-A40C677D2328", "Weekly Column: Happy Birthday to the National Guard", "2013-12-06", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "SD", "Kristi Noem", "N000184", "noem.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Before we became the United States of America, before we proclaimed that We the People have certain inalienable rights, before we had the Navy, Air Force, Army, Marines, and Coast Guard, the National Guard was there fighting for freedom and security.\r\nIn the colonial world, colonists needed to be self sufficient.\u00a0 They just didn\u2019t have the money to hire professional fighters, as was customary in Europe at that time.\u00a0 So, on December 13, 1636, the Massachusetts Bay Colony established a militia made up of citizen soldiers.\u00a0 Today, we know that militia as the National Guard.\r\nThe National Guard has grown into a worldwide military force.\u00a0 It is a cornerstone in many of our communities and it enables our country to meet the challenges of an uncertain world, just as it did during colonial times.\r\nWhen the Missouri River flooded, South Dakota\u2019s National Guard was there to patrol the levees and put up sandbags that protected homes and businesses.\r\nWhen an ice storm hit Sioux Falls and a blizzard buried West River, the National Guard was there to help dig out and clean up.\r\nAnd in the years since the twin towers fell, the South Dakota National Guard has defended our homeland and our commitment to universal freedom.\u00a0 That is a debt we can never repay.\r\nThis week, many of us will be wrapping up our Christmas decorating \u2013 and some may already be starting to wrap a few gifts too.\u00a0 While it\u2019s easy to get caught in the busyness of the holiday season, we can\u2019t forget that some South Dakota National Guard families will have a little quieter Christmas this year.\u00a0 Their gifts have already been shipped so they can make the 7,000 mile trip to Kandahar, Afghanistan, and beyond by Christmas morning.\u00a0 I can\u2019t even imagine.\r\nMany of those deployed today joined the South Dakota National Guard after 9/11, knowing there was a good chance they\u2019d have to spend at least one Christmas in a desert dust storm instead of a snow storm.\u00a0 That kind of courage, patriotism and selflessness should be admired.\r\nAnd as our world evolves, so does the National Guard.\r\nOne of the most incredible, forward-looking efforts the Guard has undertaken is the State Partnership Program.\u00a0 We live in a small world.\u00a0 Our economy and security rely on our relationships with countries halfway around the globe, meaning our national defense strategy requires a new level of cooperation with our allies.\u00a0\r\nThrough the State Partnership Program, the National Guard has built relationships with 71 countries, 25 partner nations contributed troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, and 31,000 partner-nation personnel are involved in U.N. peacekeeping operations.\u00a0 That reduces the demand for U.S. forces abroad, keeping more of our men and women in uniform home this Christmas.\r\nThis week, I hope you join me in wishing a happy 377th birthday to the National Guard.\u00a0 My family and I are so grateful for their continued service.\u00a0 Especially during the holiday season, we will be praying for all those who won\u2019t be home this Christmas.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://noem.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=CAC486DB-E682-4403-9632-A40C677D2328"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9731939062476158, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}