Governor Ralph DLG. Torres and Lt. Governor Arnold I. Palacios on Thursday proclaimed CNMI Armed Forces Day to be observed on every fourth Friday of May in the Commonwealth.
Defense Coordinating Officer (DCO) Harry Elliott, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Barcinas, U.S. Army Emergency Liaison Preparedness Officer, Major Lee Mcphatter, Ph.D, 18th MEDCOM Deployment Support CNMI Liaison Officer, Special Assistant for Military Affairs Glenna SP Reyes, and staff members of the Commonwealth Bureau of Military Affairs were on hand for Thursday’s proclamation.
“Proclaiming CNMI Armed Forces Day is only one of many ways where we in the CNMI demonstrate our patriotism to our Nation and the United States Armed Forces. Having one of the highest enlistment per capita, our own men and women have boldly answered the call to serve in times of peace and conflict, representing our islands communities and our nation with great pride and distinction. Proclaiming Armed Forces Day in the CNMI is a gesture of our gratitude to our Armed Forces across all components of the Department of Defense for their service to safeguard our freedom to pursue economic prosperity, peace and security. I also would like to acknowledge Joint Region Marianas and the Indo-Pacific Command for their commitment to building an enduring and mutually beneficial partnership with the CNMI community,” shared Governor Torres.
Lt. Governor Palacios for his part, acknowledged the contributions of the Department of Defense in the CNMI’s fast recovery from the recent natural disasters and with their current mission to support the CNMI in combatting COVID-19.
“In addition to defending our Nation, our Department of Defense and its many components play an integral role in helping our community recover from natural disasters. We have seen the biggest footprint of our Armed Forces on our islands and the hard work they did under the hot sun to help us pick up our lives. And they are here with us again supporting mission assignments in our fight against the pandemic. I hope that our Armed Forces know that they have in this corner of the nation, a very grateful community and of how very proud we are of every man and women and all the branches of the Department of Defense,” said Lt. Governor Palacios.
DCO Harry Elliot extended his appreciation to Governor Torres and Lt. Governor Palacios for the day of recognition.
“Thank you to Governor Torres and Lieutenant Governor Palacios for proclaiming CNMI Armed Forces Day. As a member of the United States Armed Forces, I am always grateful whenever anyone takes the time to thank those who have served and recognize the sacrifices that servicemen and women have made throughout the history of our nation. Thank you especially to the citizens of the CNMI. I have seldom met a more patriotic and caring community than the one here in the Mariana Islands. For generations, the sons and daughters of the CNMI have proudly served in our nation’s military. Whether in times of peace or conflict, or during training missions and disasters, the people of the CNMI have always welcomed, with open arms, our military service members. To me, CNMI Armed Forces Day is more than just a day to recognize the sacrifice of service, it is a day to honor the bonds between the CNMI and our military. Thank you for this day of recognition. May God bless all who serve, and may God bless America and the CNMI,” said DCO Elliott.
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Barcinas, a U.S. Army Emergency Liaison Preparedness Officer and a son of the Marianas echoed similar sentiments.
“I’d like to thank the CNMI for recognizing Armed Forces Day in honor of those serving in our Armed forces today. I appreciate the awesome support from the CNMI government to our Soldiers and look forward to their continuous support moving forward. It’s support like this that allow our Soldiers to stand ready and able for when our nation calls,” said Lt. Colonel Barcinas.
Governor Torres and Lt. Governor Palacios encourage the community to acknowledge and honor the service, sacrifices, and contributions of our Armed Forces in our time of needs and in defending and protecting our national security.
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