[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 71 (Thursday, June 9, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                E X T E N S I O N   O F   R E M A R K S


                  TRIBUTE TO LT. COL. WILLIAM J. UPTON

                                 ______


                         HON. MICHAEL BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 8, 1994

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
recognize an outstanding individual, Lieutenant Colonel William J. 
Upton. Colonel Upton has served this country for more than twenty 
years, most recently as Chief, Air Force Liaison Officer, U.S. Embassy, 
United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Air Combat Command (ACC) Chief, Training 
Exercises.
  Colonel Bill ``Yogi'' Upton has served this country with great 
distinction as both an officer and aviator. During Bill's 20-year 
career, he served as an F-16 instructor pilot, flight commander, 
standardization and evaluation chief and Chief of ACC's premier 
training exercises. Colonel Upton's exceptional flying skills and 
competitive spirit resulted in the unique achievement of winning Top 
Gun honors in three separate commands--Air Combat Command (ACC), 
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and United States Air Forces in Europe 
(USAFE).
  While acting as the Air Force Liaison Officer, U.S. Embassy, United 
Arab Emirates, he provided critical operational expertise on residual 
Desert Storm military operations during the building of postwar 
regional diplomatic and military structure. His insight made 
significant contributions to the negotiation and establishment of 
diplomatic procedures with UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Post-
Crisis Military Operations. As a result, Colonel Upton was awarded the 
Joint Commendation Medal.
  As the ACC exercise chief, Bill's outstanding leadership and expert 
management style resulted in exemplary achievements to include the 
first all-service, Joint Close Air Support (CAS) exercise at Air 
Warrior. This exercise rotation has become the hallmark for conducting 
joint CAS. His efforts were also responsible for the increased 
involvement of ACC forces in the Army's Special Contingency Operations 
(CONOPS) Program at the National Training Center, resulting in a joint 
training exercise that the Army rated as the best CONOPS seen to date.
  The restructuring of the Air Force and the standup of the new joint 
force integrator, the US Atlantic Command (USACOM), presented increased 
challenges that Bill met head-on. He was the driving force behind ACC's 
integration into the USACOM's joint training program. His hands-on 
attention helped ACC units achieve the training requirements with a 
smaller force structure. Bill's significant achievements were 
acknowledged with the award of the meritorious service medal (Third Oak 
Leaf Cluster).
  Mr. Speaker, Colonel Upton retired from the Air Force on June 1, 
1994. I hope that you and my colleagues to join me in saluting Colonel 
Upton for his many contributions to the security of this great nation.
  It is with great pride and pleasure that I congratulate him upon his 
retirement from the Air Force. I wish Bill, his dedicated wife Nancy, 
and their lovely children Shelley, Danielle and Nicole the very best 
and continued success on their future endeavors.

                          ____________________