[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 185 (Wednesday, December 10, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2353-E2354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING MG RON DARDIS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BRUCE L. BRALEY

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 10, 2008

  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, MG Ron Dardis, and to 
express gratitude for his many years of extraordinary service and 
leadership. General Dardis is retiring after almost 43 years of service 
with the Iowa National Guard. He enlisted

[[Page E2354]]

in the Iowa Air National Guard in 1966 as a jet mechanic, and has 
served as the top uniformed officer of the Iowa Guard for the past 9 
years. As Adjutant General, he's led the Iowa Guard through the 
transformation from a strategic reserve to an operational force, and 
overseen the deployment of thousands of Iowa National Guard members to 
Iraq and Afghanistan. As chairman of the Rebuild Iowa Advisory 
Commission, General Dardis has also led the state's recovery efforts 
after this year's devastating storms. It's been my privilege to work 
with General Dardis on issues of importance to the Iowa Guard, 
including ensuring that soldiers who served in Iraq received the 
education benefits they deserved. It's also been an honor to work with 
him on our State's vital storm recovery efforts. I thank General Dardis 
for his invaluable service to the National Guard, the State of Iowa, 
and the United States, and wish him the best of luck in retirement.

                          ____________________