[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 6, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  HONORING COLONEL RONALD LIGHT AND THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS 
              MIDDLE EAST DISTRICT IN WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 6, 2011

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Colonel Ronald Light and 
the men and women of the Army Corps of Engineers Middle East District, 
MED, located in Winchester, Virginia, for the support they have 
provided for troops deployed overseas.
  Colonel Light, commander of the MED, has had a distinguished military 
career since his graduation from The Pennsylvania State University in 
1981. As an officer, he has completed the Engineer Officer's Basic and 
Advanced courses, the Combined Arms Services Staff School, the Command 
and General Staff Officer Course, and the U.S. Army Airborne School, 
while earning a Master's Degree in National Security and Strategic 
Studies at the U.S. Naval War College.
  For his service, Colonel Light has been awarded the Legion of Merit, 
a Bronze Star, five awards for Meritorious Service, two Army 
Commendation medals, the Army Medal of Achievement, the Iraq Campaign 
Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, among others.
  As the senior engineer commander responsible for reconstructions in 
Al Anbar and Baghdad provinces in Iraq, he managed the award of 194 
projects valued at $1.32 billion and completed contracts worth an 
additional $782.4 million.
  Since Colonel Light assumed command at the MED in 2009, employment 
has approximately doubled from 250 to 500 personnel. The MED employs 
427 civilians comprising 23 nationalities, 53 advanced degrees and 24 
different languages all dedicated toward the goal of preparing combat 
theaters for members of the military. The MED employs local 
accountants, architects, attorneys, paralegals, engineers, property 
managers, security specialists, and many others.
  The MED has proved extremely beneficial not only to the U.S. 
Military, but also to Winchester and the Shenandoah Valley. The MED 
partners with local civic organizations, churches and school groups to 
help carry out many critical engineering projects abroad. The 
integration of the military and the surrounding communities will create 
a precedent for more companies to locate in Winchester and the 
Shenandoah Valley, recognizing the presence of a trained workforce and 
relative proximity to our nation's capital.
  Colonel Light and the MED's dedication to the armed forces has 
advanced the mission of all military units in forward theaters of 
combat. We express our appreciation to the dedicated individuals 
staffing the MED for their service and honor them as the best our 
military officers and civilians have to offer.

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