[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 96 (Friday, July 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1498-E1499]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING MRS. MARGARET VOLZ THOMPSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RODNEY ALEXANDER

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 14, 2005

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
exceptional federal civil servant with the Department of the Army, Mrs. 
Margaret Volz Thompson, upon her retirement after more than 26 years of 
distinguished civilian service. Throughout her career, she has been a 
dedicated worker, portraying Army values of duty, integrity, and 
selfless service across the many missions which the Army provides in 
defense of our Nation. As Deputy Chief of the Programs Division, 
Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Army, many of us on 
Capitol Hill have enjoyed the opportunity to work with Margaret on a 
wide variety of Army issues and programs, and it is my privilege to 
recognize her many accomplishments. I commend her superb service to the 
United States Army and this great Nation.
  Mrs. Thompson is the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. August Volz, 
Sr. She graduated from Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana, with 
a degree in Business Administration. Her first civilian assignment was 
the Finance and Accounting Office, 7th Infantry Division in Fort Ord, 
California in 1979. The Thompsons, as a military family, were then 
transferred to Fort Sheridan, Illinois, where Mrs. Thompson held 
various positions on the Garrison Staff and served as Children's 
Advocate for the Fort Sheridan Military Community. In 1983, Mrs. 
Thompson was selected to be a Department Army Comptroller Intern. She 
completed her training with the United States Army Criminal 
Investigation Command and then joined the professional staff as an 
analyst. In 1989, she began work on the staff of the Administrative 
Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. She remained there until 2000 
when she became the Deputy Executive to the Army Reserve Forces Policy 
Committee, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower 
and Reserve Affairs. Her capstone assignment was as Deputy Chief of the 
Programs Division, Legislative Liaison, where she established and 
maintained an excellent rapport with professional staff members of the

[[Page E1499]]

Senate and House Armed Services Committees on issues relating to areas 
of importance to the Army.
  Throughout these assignments, Mrs. Thompson marshaled information 
sources and resources on numerous critical issues of enduring 
importance to both the Army and Congress. The timely and professional 
support delivered by Mrs. Thompson was invaluable to Army leaders and 
Members of Congress as they considered the impact of these important 
issues.
  On behalf of the United States Congress and the United States of 
America, I thank Margaret, her husband, George (LTC, USA, Ret.) and her 
entire family for the commitment, sacrifices, and contribution that 
they have made throughout her honorable federal civil service tenure. 
Congratulations on completing an exceptional and extremely successful 
career.

                          ____________________