Celebrating a century of service by Naval Reservists was the order of the day at Selfridge Air National Guard Base Saturday afternoon.
Dignitaries from throughout metro Detroit, including keynote speaker U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, joined current reservists, veterans and their families to recognize the special sacrifices made by citizen sailors at the base.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 70,000 naval reservists have answered the call to active duty; 31 of those were killed in action. Naval reservists have taken part in every major conflict since World War 1 and 550 currently serve as part of Navy Operational Support Center Detroit.
“In an increasingly dangerous world, the Naval Reserves are needed now more than ever,” said Peters, a former lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve who spent part of his 10 plus years of service with the Naval Mobile Construction Division 26 at SANG, also known as the “Seabees.”
“America must stand strong,” said Peters, in reference to the threat posed by ISIS and other global terrorists. “In order for active duty to stand strong , reserves must stand strong as well.”
Last week Peters co-sponsored a bill that would give small business owners a 20 percent tax credit if they address the income loss that military families experience when called into active duty.