[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 27 (Friday, February 17, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    RECOGNIZING JEREMY HILTON FOR HIS ADVOCACY OF MILITARY FAMILIES 
                        AFFECTED BY DISABILITIES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 17, 2012

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Jeremy Hilton, 
of Burke, a U.S. Air Force finalist for the 2012 Military Spouse of the 
Year. Mr. Hilton is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy 
and a Navy veteran. In 2002, Mr. Hilton was stationed in Navy Yard 
Washington, D.C. when his daughter, Kate, was born with significant 
medical issues. Given the longer deployments required of naval 
officers, Mr. Hilton chose to separate in order to care for Kate, his 
two-year-old son, Jack, and support his wife, Renae, who is stationed 
at Andrews AFB.
  Mr. Hilton has made it his mission to advocate for military families 
impacted by a disability, and he has taken on several leadership roles 
to help military and non-military families on issues including medical 
care, long-term care, Medicaid, and special education. He spends much 
of his free time speaking and advocating for legislation. Mr. Hilton 
has become a respected authority on issues involving military families 
with special needs and disabilities. He has briefed the White House, 
the Congressional Military Family Caucus, and the staff for several 
Congressional committees.
  Mr. Hilton was instrumental in bringing attention to major 
inadequacies in the U.S. Air Force Exceptional Family Member Program. 
He and fifteen other Air Force families organized support for a 
Department of Defense Inspector General report that played a major role 
in reforming the program. Mr. Hilton also worked with Congressional 
staff on provisions in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act to 
institute feedback from disability-impacted military families to the 
Department of Defense, establishing the Military Exceptional Family 
Member Panel. Currently, Mr. Hilton is working to gather support on 
H.R. 2288, the ``Caring for Military Kids with Autism Act.''
  When not caring for his family or working to improve the lives of 
other families, Mr. Hilton spends the remaining hours of the day 
working toward a graduate degree at the George Washington University 
and producing a video series titled Creating Access for All, which 
encourages churches to start disability ministries.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Jeremy 
Hilton and his sacrifice, service and passionate advocacy for both 
military and non-military families impacted by disabilities. I believe 
there to be few others more deserving of the 2012 Military Spouse of 
the Year.

                          ____________________