[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 22 (Thursday, February 26, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   THANKING COL. LEE FARMER FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES OF 
                                AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DARRELL E. ISSA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 26, 2004

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Colonel Lee Farmer for 
his service to the country for over 30 years in the United States 
Marine Corps. On March 4, Colonel Farmer will be retiring from the 
Corps, completing a career marked by dedication and excellence.
  Colonel Farmer was commissioned as an officer in November 1973. Early 
in his career he served as a Rifle and Weapons Platoon Commander as 
well as the Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of Company A, 1st 
Battalion, 4th Marines. He remained with the Battalion as it became the 
first unit to initiate the unit Rotation Program, relocating to 
Twentynine Palms, Calif. There he served as a Rifle Company Commander 
for two years and was later assigned as the Staff Secretary of the 7th 
Marine Amphibious Brigade.
  After graduating from the Amphibious Warfare School in 1982, Colonel 
Farmer served as Aide-de-camp to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. In 
July 1984 he was reassigned to the Basic School, Quantico, VA, where he 
eventually assumed command of Company A. He then attended Marines Corps 
Command and Staff College.
  He later transferred to Okinawa, Japan, where he served as the 
Assistant Plans Officer to Marine Aircraft Group-36. Transferring to 
Camp Pendleton in 1987, Colonel Farmer was later deployed to Southwest 
Asia and participated in Operation Desert Shield.
  Following the war, he attended the Defense Language Institute in 
Monterey, California, in preparation for his two-year assignment to 
Chile where he attended the Chilean Naval War College. He was 
reassigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, at the Pentagon, 
in July 1993, where he worked counter-narcotics issues until his 
assignment as the Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Policy.
  Following this assignment, he returned to Camp Pendleton to command 
the School of Infantry. After leaving Camp Pendleton for another brief 
assignment in Okinawa, Japan, he again returned to Camp Pendleton, 
where he served as the Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations and 
Training until his reassignment as the Chief of Staff in May 2001.
  Since Colonel Farmer assumed his role as Chief of Staff, he has 
worked closely with my office on a number of issues. Colonel Farmer has 
distinguished himself as an honest, sincere, and hard-working leader--
ready to listen and always ready to help. During Colonel Farmer's 
tenure, Camp Pendleton has become one of our Nation's finest defense 
installations, training Marines who have served on the front lines of 
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  Camp Pendleton Marines are in the process of returning to Iraq, 
replacing the Army's 4th Infantry Division in the largest troop 
rotation in history. These Marines will now carry out a task that is 
critical to our national security and to the security of the entire 
Middle East. They have been prepared by the leadership of Camp 
Pendleton--Colonel Farmer and the commanding officers who serve 
alongside him. These leaders of Marines have good reason to be proud of 
their service.
  It has been a pleasure working with Colonel Farmer. We are grateful 
for his distinguished service to our country. He will be missed.

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