U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., the most senior Marine in Congress and founder of the Senate Marine Corps Caucus, today celebrated the U.S. Marine Corps’ 240th birthday.
“It is a privilege to serve my fellow Marines in the U.S. Senate, and it was an honor to be with our new commandant and many of my fellow Marines last week to celebrate 240 years of service,” Roberts said. “The Marine Corps is unlike any other fighting force in the world and has played a crucial role in our national security for the past 240 years. I am proud that we have established the new Senate Marine Caucus to make the support our Marines have here in Congress even stronger.”
Last week, Roberts was joined by Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. Robert Neller and members of the Marine Corps for a ceremony in the Senate celebrating the upcoming birthday.
To view footage of the ceremony, visit http://www.roberts.senate.gov/video/Marine-Cake-Cutting.mp4.
Following the ceremony, members of the caucus, including co-chairs Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., along with Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., met with Gen. Neller, who took over as commandant on Sept. 25, 2015.
The Senate Marine Caucus was established in June and is co-chaired Roberts, Sullivan, and Blumenthal, the three Marines in the Senate. The caucus focuses on issues related to the unique war-fighting capabilities of the Marine Corps, including the safety, security, training, and wellness of the Corps.
Roberts, whose father was also a Marine, joined the Marine Corps as an officer in 1958, where he achieved the rank of captain.