[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 80 (Thursday, May 15, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E935]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO COLONEL TOM SCHIESS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG WALDEN

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 15, 2008

  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, on the occasion of the change of 
command this weekend at the 173rd Figher Wing at Kingsley Field in 
Klamath Falls, Oregon, I rise to share with you and our colleagues my 
pride in an outstanding officer and a great American: Colonel Tom 
Schiess, United States Air Force, Commander of the 173rd Fighter Wing 
at Kingsley Field. I will have the honor of attending the change of 
command ceremony in Klamath Falls this weekend, and before Colonel 
Schiess relinquishes his command I want to express our nation's 
gratitude for his service. My comments today echo the admiration of 
residents of the Klamath Basin community and the respect and affection 
of the men and women who serve in his command. Colonel Schiess is the 
type of leader who makes a difference in any endeavor he pursues, and 
he has made a tremendously positive impact at Kingsley Field.
  Colonel Schiess, who is approaching 5,000 flight hours, spent eight 
and a half years in the United States Air Force before joining the 
Oregon Air National Guard in 1991. His active duty assignments include: 
Tyndall AFB as a T-33 Instructor Pilot; McDill AFB as an F-16 Student 
Pilot; Hill AFB, UT; and AL Minhad AB, United Arab Emirates as an F-16 
Pilot. He flew 34 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm while 
deployed in support of the war effort. While stationed at Kingsley 
Field, he has been Chief of Wing Standardization and Evaluation, 114th 
Fighter Squadron Operations Officer, 114th Fighter Squadron Commander, 
173rd Operations Group Commander, and 173rd Maintenance Group 
Commander. Colonel Schiess excelled in each of these roles.
  Madam Speaker, in the course of his unselfish service to his country 
and the State of Oregon, Colonel Schiess has earned many awards, 
including the Meritorious Service Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air 
Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, 
Combat Readiness Medal, Air Force Longevity Award, National Defense 
Service Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Global War on 
Terrorism Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Southwest Asia Campaign 
Medal, and Oregon Faithful Service Medal with ``M'' device.
  Colonel Tom Schiess has clearly distinguished himself with awards and 
recognitions, Madam Speaker, but he is most proud of the collective 
accomplishments of the 173rd Fighter Wing, which he has led so ably. 
With the motto of ``Land of No Slack,'' Colonel Schiess leads a world 
class training facility of more than 1,000 Oregon Air National Guard 
personnel and state and contract employees at Kingsley Field.
  As Wing Commander, Colonel Schiess is essentially the Chief Executive 
Officer and top leader of a very large and highly successful 
organization. Colonel Schiess is responsible for the production of F-15 
sorties to generate student-flying training to graduate the best air-
to-air F-15 pilots in the world. The 173rd Fighter Wing serves as one 
of only two professional F-15 schoolhouses in the United States for Air 
Force and Air National Guard fighter pilots.
  The 173rd Fighter Wing accomplishes its primary mission, F-15 flight 
training, on the leading edge of innovative training technology and 
techniques, setting the standard for military training centers 
worldwide. The Wing flawlessly provides over 4,700 hours and over 3,500 
sorties for the training mission as well as training opportunities for 
the Combat Air Force. The Wing has received a Lockheed Martin award for 
its generation of 20,000 accident-free F-15 sorties since it converted 
to the F-15 in 1998.
  The Wing, under the command of Colonel Schiess, has not only 
distinguished itself as a world class training facility, but has also 
proven itself to be a significant international ambassador, deploying 
to Plovdiv, Bulgaria to participate in Sentry Lion, an air-to-air 
exercise with the Bulgarian Air Force. Subsequently, the 173rd 
Operations Group hosted six Bulgarian officers for a week as part of a 
familiarization program in the United States.
  The Wing consistently earns outstanding ratings in accomplishing its 
mission. The high morale and job satisfaction of Colonel Schiess' team 
are reflected in extremely high retention rates, reenlistment rates, 
and manning and training rates in the unit career advisory program.
  Colonel Schiess and his team have endeared themselves to the 
community, rendering over 45,000 volunteer hours annually. Each year 
they welcome the community onto the base with their Sentry Eagle 
Exercise open house or hosting an outstanding air show. The men and 
woman at Kingsley Field are not visitors to the Klamath community; they 
are active and deeply involved neighbors who do a great deal to make 
the Klamath Basin the very special place that it is.
  Madam Speaker, I know that my praise of Colonel Tom Schiess and his 
exceptional team not only represents the gratitude of the local 
community, but of a nation well served and protected by highly trained 
and highly motivated individuals. The time that Colonel Schiess has 
dedicated in commanding the 173rd Fighter Wing will long be remembered 
as a period of unmatched accomplishment and stellar service at Kingsley 
Field. Tom has achieved his goal of seeing that the men and women of 
the 173rd Fighter Wing are citizen airmen who are second to none, and 
are constantly ready, reliable, and relevant in answering America's 
needs through brave, confident, and unselfish service.
  My colleagues, please join me in thanking Colonel Tom Schiess for his 
dedication, his commitment, and his tremendous success in a very big 
and important job.

                          ____________________