Marking the signing of her Global War on Terrorism Memorial legislation into law, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)—a veteran of the Global War on Terrorism herself—joined veterans, leaders of veterans service organizations, advocates, and fellow senators and Members of Congress March 17 for a ruck march along the Reserve Portion of the National Mall, where the memorial will soon stand. The legislation follows a years-long effort spearheaded by Ernst and paves the way for the upcoming construction of the Memorial in the nation’s capital.
“Today, I was honored to take part in the inaugural Ruck the Reserve event, and to join alongside veterans, advocates, and Gold Star families in proudly saying that the Global War on Terrorism Memorial will soon become a reality on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.—where it belongs,” said Ernst. “Last December, after a years-long, hard-fought effort, I was proud to get my bipartisan measure with Senator Maggie Hassan to build the Global War on Terrorism Memorial across the finish line to honor the heroes who served in our nation’s longest war for generations to come, and I cannot wait to see it come together.”
The Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Memorial Foundation hosted the inaugural “Ruck the Reserve” event to mark the authorization of the memorial’s construction. Ernst joined Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), and Alston Arrechaga, Gold Star Son of Army Sfc. Ofren Arrechaga, for the morning’s ruck march.
The bipartisan legislation to build a memorial on the National Mall honoring the veterans of the Global War on Terrorism was signed into law late last year. Ernst teamed up with Hassan on the bill and worked across the aisle to garner strong support for the effort from more than 50 Democrats and Republicans in Congress, influential public figures, and the six surviving secretaries of Defense—spanning Democratic and Republican administrations.
Their bill, the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act, which proposes three locations for the memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was included as a part of the annual defense bill, the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2022, and is now law.