[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 38 (Thursday, March 8, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PAYING TRIBUTE TO COLONEL JERRELL J. COCKRELL'S 30 YEARS OF UNIFORMED 
                         SERVICE TO OUR NATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 8, 2012

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Colonel Jerrell J. Cockrell for his extraordinary dedication to duty 
and service to the United States of America. Colonel Cockrell will 
retire from the United States Army Reserve while on Active Duty in 
March 2012 after serving his country with integrity, dedication and 
visionary leadership for over 30 years. Over his illustrious career, 
Colonel Cockrell has held various positions within the military medical 
community from Medical Platoon Leader to United States Army Reserve 
Army Medical Department Outsourcing Contracting Officer to Medical 
Observer/Trainer to Medical Training Brigade Commander, and culminating 
as the Chief of Staff for Army Reserve Medical Command.
  While his accomplishments are numerous, these deserve special notice. 
Shortly after the events of September 11, 2001 he was named as the 
Senior Medical Coordinator of the Crisis Operations Team at Joint 
Forces Command. Colonel Cockrell was instrumental in ensuring the 
Office of Command Surgeon accomplished all assigned missions during 
this time of high fear and uncertainty within our Nation. In 2005, 
Colonel Cockrell was named Director of Army Medical Department Region 
at Human Resources Command where his team professionally supported over 
40,000 Reserve Medical Soldiers including the management of over two-
hundred, ninety day rotator healthcare professionals ensuring a 
continuum of Reserve physicians deployed in support of Homeland 
Security and the Global War on Terror. In 2007, Colonel Cockrell became 
the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of Human Resources Command in 
St. Louis where he ensured the success of the first ever assembly/
muster of over 8,000 Inactive Ready Reserve Soldiers. The successful 
muster validated the efficacy of our strategic reserve and brought much 
needed relief to our Army at war. As Chief of Staff for Army Reserve 
Medical Command, Colonel Cockrell successfully managed the day to day 
operations of over 10,000 Reserve Soldiers with 15% to 20% being 
mobilized or deployed at any given time. His years of leadership and 
mentoring were formally recognized in 2011 when Major General David 
Rubenstein, Chief of the United States Army Medical Service Corps, 
selected him as the (United States Army Reserve) Medical Service Corps, 
Mentor of the Year.
  Colonel Cockrell's exemplary leadership and selfless devotion to duty 
has touched fully two generations of Soldiers, Department of the Army 
Civilians, and their Families. His integrity and credibility are 
unsurpassed, and his expertise is unquestioned. Colonel Cockrell's 30 
years of service to our Army and the Nation can only be characterized 
as honorable and distinguished.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of a grateful nation, I join my colleagues 
today in saying thank you to Colonel Jarrell J. Cockrell for his 
extraordinary dedication to duty and service to his country throughout 
his distinguished career in the United States Army Reserve and we wish 
him, his wife Janice, his daughter Melissa, and son Aaron, all the best 
in his well-deserved retirement.

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