[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 184 (Friday, December 2, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNITION OF MAJOR ALISON HAMILTON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NIKI TSONGAS

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, December 2, 2011

  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay tribute 
to Major Alison Hamilton, United States Army, on the occasion of her 
departure from the Army House Liaison Office to deploy to Afghanistan 
in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
  I, and many other members of this chamber, have had the pleasure of 
working with her as she has served as a part of the U.S. Army Office of 
Legislative Affairs, and prior to that, when she served as a 
Congressional Fellow in my office.
  In 1999, while still a West Point cadet, Major Hamilton was awarded 
the Soldier's Medal--the Army's highest peacetime award for bravery--
``for heroism above and beyond the call of duty'' following the 
terrorist bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, on August 7, 
1998 when she risked her life to rescue others.
  Following her graduation from West Point, Major Hamilton was 
commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army. During her 
13-year career, she has served as platoon leader for companies of 
Military Police in Germany and Kosovo and as the Battalion S-1 for the 
709th Military Police Battalion. For 19 months, she commanded the 212th 
Military Police Detachment stationed in Fort Belvoir, VA before 
deploying to Arifjan, Kuwait to serve as the theatre operations officer 
in the only strategically deployable Field Army headquarters in the 
U.S. Army. Upon redeployment, Major Hamilton went on to share her field 
experience with cadets at the Valley Forge Military College where she 
served as the Battalion S-3 and Assistant Professor of Military 
Science.
  In 2010, she joined my personal office as a Congressional Fellow 
tasked with assisting me in my work on the House Armed Services 
Committee and quickly became an integral and important part of our 
team, demonstrating the same level of leadership, maturity, dedication, 
insight and intelligence that have been the hallmarks of her career. 
Alie took initiative to help me pursue several legislative initiatives 
and served as a valuable resource to me and my staff. Her warm 
personality and even temperament mixed with her thorough attention to 
details and intelligence made her a reliable and trusted member of our 
team. Even after her yearlong commitment was completed, she remains a 
regular visitor to my office but we miss her daily presence.
  Following her fellowship, Major Hamilton was assigned to the Army 
House Liaison Office as a Legislative Liaison where she continued her 
dedicated service to the Congress and to the Army. Throughout her 
assignment to the House of Representatives, Major Hamilton has been a 
superb representative of Army values.
  It is my great honor to congratulate Major Alison Hamilton on her 
service to the Army and our Nation and I ask my colleagues to join me 
in recognizing the remarkable accomplishments of this soldier, citizen, 
and friend. We wish her a safe and successful deployment and a speedy 
return home.

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