[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 22, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING MAJOR GENERAL FRED WOMACK USAF (RET.)

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 22, 2009

  Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, Major General Fred Womack USAF (Ret.) of 
Loudon County, Tennessee has been inducted into the Tennessee Aviation 
Hall of Fame. He is one of the finest members of the Armed Forces I 
know, and I cannot think of anyone who deserves this honor more.
  As a boy, the future Major General loved to build model airplanes and 
looked skyward with awe and envy as military planes flew in formation 
overhead. He vowed to one day be one of those pilots. But flying did 
not come easy. Like every great American story, his dream was realized 
only after overcoming many obstacles which would have led most men to 
simply give up.
  Because he needed a degree to get into the U.S. Air Force pilot 
training program, Major General Womack enlisted in the Air National 
Guard while simultaneously pursuing a college degree. After earning a 
degree in business, Major General Womack applied for the U.S. Air Force 
pilot training program; unfortunately, he failed several times to make 
the minimum weight requirement. His dream was slipping away.
  As fate would have it, the Berlin Air Lift called him to service in 
Germany. While overseas, he hired a pilot instructor and took his first 
flying lesson.
  When he returned from Germany, Major General Womack gained enough 
weight for acceptance into the U.S. Air Force pilot training program, 
but another obstacle stood in his way. He was now past the 26-year-old 
cutoff age for acceptance. It was only through the foresight of Major 
General/Commander Robert Akin--who issued him a waiver--that Major 
General Womack finally realized his dream of attending the U.S. Air 
Force pilot training program.
  His love of flight led him to two simultaneous careers, both of which 
he took to the pinnacle of success.
  As an airline pilot for Piedmont Airlines, he went from flying a 
Martin 404 prop plane to Boeing 767s. He eventually became the 
airline's Flight Operations and Flying Safety Director and was Chairman 
of the Air Transport Association Flight Integration Committee. He also 
served as the project manager for the Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance 
System for the entire airline industry, technology which is still in 
use today and that has undoubtedly saved many lives.
  While achieving success as a civilian pilot, Major General Womack was 
also making a name for himself in the Tennessee Air National Guard. As 
Commander of the 134th Consolidated Maintenance Squadron, he achieved 
an unparalleled safety record. His diligence and devotion to safety as 
a pilot and commander led him to eventually become the Commander of the 
Tennessee Air National Guard.
  Major General Womack is an example of the opportunities available 
only in America and a testimony to commitment, patience, and sacrifice. 
Throughout his careers, Major General Womack says he never felt like he 
worked a day. We should all be that lucky.
  Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to call the accomplishments 
of Major General Fred Womack and his induction into the Tennessee 
Aviation Hall of Fame to the attention of my colleagues and other 
readers of the Record.

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