[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S9549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         MAJOR PRESTON JOHNSON

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, even those who possess essentially no 
knowledge of military affairs or military history understand the 
significance of the green beret worn by those who serve in the United 
States Army Special Forces, as well as what that headgear indicates 
about the soldier wearing it.
  Established in the early days of the cold war, the Green Berets were 
intended to be a versatile, unconventional force that could do 
everything from serve as instructors and advisors to carryout both 
humanitarian and direct action missions. Over the past almost fifty 
years, those who have served in the Special Forces have established a 
well deserved and well respected reputation for bravery, dedication to 
duty, and patriotism. There is ample reason that so many people, not 
only in the United States but throughout the world, know just how 
special an individual the man who wears the Green Beret is. Today, I 
rise to pay tribute to one of those men. Major Preston Johnson, who has 
left his assignment at the Special Operations Command Office of 
Legislative Affairs to attend the Marine Corps Command and General 
Staff College.
  Major Johnson began his military career the tough way, by enlisting 
in the United States Army following his 1985 graduation from Rice 
University. His ability and leadership skills were obviously apparent 
from his early days in the Army as a recruit going through basic 
training, as he was selected to attend Officer Candidate School. A 
little more than one year after graduating from basic training, Preston 
Johnson pinned on the gold bar of a Second Lieutenant and the crossed 
rifles brass of the Infantry and began what has been a career dedicated 
to not only the Army, but to special operations.
  Over the past thirteen years Preston Johnson has accumulated a resume 
of impeccable credentials in Army special operations. He began his 
career as an Infantryman in the 3rd Ranger Battalion, in Fort Benning, 
Georgia, and continued it after OCS as both a Rifle Platoon Leader and 
Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon leader in Fort Lewis, Washington 
where he served with the 2nd Battalion/47th Infantry and the 1st 
Squadron/9th US Cavalry. The Rangers are well known for their 
toughness, expertise in small unit tactics, and for an impressive 
record in battle. Certainly, the lessons Preston Johnson learned when 
he wore the black beret of the Regiment served him well not only as an 
Infantryman in the deep woods of Fort Lewis, but when he volunteered 
for Special Forces training in 1990 and in the years he has served in 
the Green Berets as well.
  Over the past eight-years Preston Johnson has held a number of 
assignments in the Special Forces that have led him around the world 
and have included serving as: Detachment Commander of Special Forces 
Operational Detachment A-363 in the 3rd Special Forces Group 
(Airborne); Company Commander of the Special Forces Selection and 
Assessment Company; Aide-de-Camp to Major General William Garrison, the 
Commanding General of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and 
School; and as the Battalion Operations Officer of the 2nd Battalion, 
1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne). Additionally, he has 
earned recognitions that reflect that Major Johnson is truly a member 
of one of the nation's most elite military forces.
  Of course, many of us know him from his last assignment with the 
Special Operations Command Office of Legislative Affairs, where he has 
worked hard, especially with members of the Senate Armed Services 
Committee, to assist us with our efforts to create a military force 
capable of meeting the security challenges of the post-Cold War era. If 
we are going to protect the citizens, borders, and interests of our 
nation, we must be prepared to counter possible threats that include 
nuclear, biological and chemical warfare; ethnic warfare; intranational 
warefare; and, regional conflicts. Furthermore, we must build strong 
bilateral ties with the militaries of other nations, and there is no 
question that we will have to rely increasingly upon those who serve in 
special operations units to meet these goals. The skills and unique 
capabilities the special operations community possess will be 
invaluable in ensuring that the United States enjoys peace and 
stability into the 21st Century.
  On almost every continent around the world, members of the United 
States Special Operations Command are carrying out missions that help 
to protect American security and vital national interests. They operate 
in a world that requires that they rarely acknowledge their purpose, 
and they almost never receive credit for a job well done. Recognition, 
however, is not what motivates these ``quiet professionals'', and we 
are indeed fortunate to have such selfless individuals who are willing 
to serve our nation and make the sacrifices they do. Major Johnson is 
an excellent example of the caliber of individual who volunteers for a 
career in special operations. He has represented the Special Operations 
Command well on Capitol Hill and I have every confidence that he will 
continue to distinguish himself in the years to come.

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