[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 58 (Tuesday, May 3, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2620-S2621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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               TRIBUTE TO MAJOR GENERAL ALLEN E. TACKETT

 Mr. MANCHIN. Madam President, I would like to take this 
opportunity to pay tribute to MG Allen E. Tackett, a great West 
Virginian who shepherded an evolutionary change in the role of the West 
Virginia National Guard during his 15-year tenure as adjutant general.
  Across our Nation, the Guard mission has been synonymous with being 
the first on the scene for disaster relief and keeping the peace at 
home--that mission remains true today. However, since the terrorist 
attacks of September 11, 2001, the members of the National Guard have 
pulled double duty, becoming the essential soldiers in our military 
missions overseas.
  This new role for the Guard often means long and frequent deployments 
away from home, disruption to civilian careers, and new readiness 
challenges for the Guard's leadership. For global peacekeeping missions 
in Bosnia, Kosovo, and for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Guard 
leadership has to ensure their troops have the right equipment at the 
right time, the proper training for uncommon dangers, and as needed, be 
the glue that mends and holds together the families of Guard members. 
Under General Tackett's leadership, the West Virginia National Guard 
has received all this and more. With tenacious grace, the General asked 
for--and received--new training facilities, planes, new runways, and 
congressional backing for family support programs.
  Under General Tackett's leadership, the readiness of the West 
Virginia National Guard skyrocketed to the best in the Nation.
  Under General Tackett's leadership, the soldier, especially the new 
and uninitiated, took center stage. General Tackett believes a 
soldier's success depends on higher education, the best training, and 
personal initiative.
  Under General Tackett's guidance, future leaders of the West Virginia 
National Guard have a head start because of his dogged support for the 
National Guard Youth Challenge Program, the Guard's Tuition Assistance 
Program, and the technical skills program known as Helmets to Hard 
Hats.
  And, under General Tackett's leadership and vision, our Nation's 
Guard and Reserve components, Active-Duty servicemembers, and our first 
responders use state-of-the-art training resources at the Memorial 
Tunnel and Camp Dawson to prepare defenses in response to 21st century 
national security threats.
  Like other Golden Gloves champions, General Tackett struck his own 
path in his youth; he honed his individual athletic skills and refined 
the meaning of a disciplined work ethic. His pride in his home State of 
West Virginia kept him giving back to the Mountaineer State with years 
of civilian successes while rising in the ranks of the Special Forces.
  His stellar leadership as Adjutant General for the West Virginia 
National Guard began on September 11, 1995, under Governor Gaston 
Caperton. I would like to recall a list of his accomplishments in order 
to recognize the contributions of MG Allen E. Tackett.
  Upon his retirement on January 31, 2011, MG Allen E. Tackett remains 
the longest serving Adjutant General in the history of the State of 
West Virginia and the United States.
  As Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, General 
Tackett commanded more than 6,000 soldiers and airmen, including more 
than 10,000 West Virginia National Guard, soldiers, and airmen that 
have deployed since September 11, 2001 in support of the global war on 
terrorism.
  General Tackett directed the West Virginia National Guard in response 
to more than 80 emergencies in the State of West Virginia.
  General Tackett has served five Governors of the State of West 
Virginia, representing both political parties.
  The West Virginia National Guard, under the leadership of General 
Tackett, rose from the rank of 24th in the United States in readiness 
to first in an 18-month period, has continued to demonstrate its 
superior level of readiness as judged by the Army readiness criteria, 
and has remained at or near the top rank in readiness for 15 years.
  Under the leadership of General Tackett, the West Virginia National 
Guard undertook a significant modernizaton program to ensure that 
modern facilities are constructed to meet the demands placed upon 
soldiers and airmen in the 21st century, including projects to replace 
outdated armories, build new hangars, acquire ramp space to protect the 
130th Airlift Wing from the base realignment and closure process, and 
to convert the Martinsburg Air National Guard base for a fleet of C-5s.
  Under the leadership of General Tackett, the Joint Interagency 
Training and Education Center was built to provide homeland security 
training to Department of Defense assets, other Federal agencies, and 
first responders at Camp Dawson and the Memorial Tunnel. As a result, 
he was described in a 2001 U.S. News & World Report article as someone 
who could soon be ``the nation's defacto chief of anti-terror 
preparedness.''
  Under the leadership of General Tackett, the West Virginia National 
Guard maintained 36 armories and was present in 34 communities.
  Under the leadership of General Tackett, the West Virginia National 
Guard has had a significant positive economic impact across the State 
of West Virginia, including the addition of nearly 1,500 full-time 
jobs.
  Under the leadership of Major General Tackett, the West Virginia 
National Guard sponsored and operated the Mountaineer ChalleNGe 
Academy, which provides at-risk youth with an opportunity to earn a 
general education diploma.
  And, under the leadership of Major General Tackett, 43 percent of the 
members of the West Virginia National Guard have earned a degree from 
an institution of higher education or are enrolled in an institution of 
higher education and participate in the State of West Virginia tuition 
assistance program.
  As his one-time commander, I am proud to share with the American 
people General Tackett's distinguished and exemplary career, to take 
this opportunity to publicly thank him, and

[[Page S2621]]

to wish him continued success and future happiness in his well-deserved 
retirement.

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