[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 166 (Friday, December 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1984-E1985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING COLONEL MICHAEL J. MEESE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER P. GIBSON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 20, 2012

  Mr. GIBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
accomplishments of Colonel Michael J. Meese, Professor and Head of the 
Department of Social Sciences at West Point. Colonel Meese is retiring 
January 18, 2013 after over 31 years of long and distinguished service.
  As Head of the Social Sciences Department at West Point, Colonel 
Meese teaches economics and national security courses and leads the 70 
military and civilian faculty members who teach political science, 
economics, and terrorism-related courses. He also leads the Combating 
Terrorism Center, the Office of Economics and Manpower Analysis, and 
the Conflict and Human Security Studies Program whose personnel both 
teach cadets and conduct nationally significant research in terrorism, 
Army personnel policy, and cultural studies. He serves as the Co-Chair 
of the Strategic Planning Working Group, developing the 2013-2019 
Strategic Plan, which is critical to the long term future of the 
Academy. Previously he chaired the Academic Excellence Subcommittee of 
the NCAA Accreditation, which was instrumental to continued 
intercollegiate athletic participation. He chaired the Superintendent's 
Planning Team that examined the military program and developed the most 
significant recent changes to the military program at West Point: The 
consolidation of military science courses, the creation of the

[[Page E1985]]

MX400 Officership course, and the creation of Cadet Leader Development 
Training (CLDT).
  Colonel Meese graduated from the United States Military Academy on 27 
May 1981 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Field 
Artillery. After being an honor graduate of the Field Artillery Officer 
Basic Course at Fort Sill, he reported to his first duty assignment 
with the 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery (later designated 6th 
Battalion, 8th Field Artillery) at Fort Ord, California. He served as a 
company Fire Support Team Chief, Battery Executive Officer (during 
which time his Battery received the Gilmore Award as the best firing--
battery in the 7th Infantry Division), Battalion S-1/Adjutant, and 
Battalion Fire Direction Officer. During this period he assisted with 
the conversion of the artillery to the Infantry Division (Light) 
configuration and participated in training deployments to Japan, 
Panama, Minnesota, Idaho, and other locations in California. In 1985, 
he attended the Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course, where he was 
the distinguished graduate, and then was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th 
Field Artillery (later designated 4th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery) 
in Hanau, Germany from 1985-1988. He served as the Battalion Assistant 
Operations Officer, interim Battalion S-3, and firing Battery Commander 
of a 155mm M109A1 SP howitzer battery with a contingency mission in 
support of the 3rd Armored Division's General Defense Plan in Germany's 
Fulda Gap. In this position, he was designated as the MacArthur 
Leadership Award Nominee for V Corps and was selected for early 
promotion to major.
  Colonel Meese attended the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and 
International Affairs at Princeton University from 1988-90, earning an 
M.P.A., an M.A. and completing all requirements for his Ph.D., except 
the dissertation, which he would later complete coincident with other 
duties. He was assigned to the United States Military Academy as an 
instructor and assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences 
from 1990-1993, where he taught the advanced economic principles 
course, microeconomics, macroeconomics, and economics of national 
security. He was an honor graduate of the Command and General Staff 
College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and in 1994-1996 he was assigned 
to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. He became the 
Operations Officer of 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, coordinating 
the battalion's operations on a no-notice deployment to fight wildfires 
in Montana and on an NTC rotation. He later served as the Deputy G3 of 
the 1st Cavalry Division, including commanding the Division Assault 
Command Post during its deployment to Korea as part of Exercise Foal 
Eagle in 1996.
  The Academic Board selected Colonel Meese as an Academy Professor in 
the Department of Social Sciences, and he returned to become the 
Director of Economics in 1996. In 2001, he was selected to become a 
Professor, U.S. Military Academy, was confirmed by the Senate in 2002, 
and became Deputy Head of the Department of Social Sciences. Since June 
2005, he has served as the Professor and Head of the Department of 
Social Sciences, U.S. Military Academy.
  During over 19 years serving at West Point, Colonel Meese has 
personally supervised the execution of one of the leading political 
science and economics programs in the Nation, ensuring that cadets 
achieve the highest standards, are enthusiastic about their education, 
and eagerly anticipate their service in the Army. This includes 
continually ensuring that the Social Sciences curriculum reflects the 
changing economic, political, and cultural environment that graduates 
will face and incorporates the latest teaching in terrorism, national 
security, and post-conflict studies to better prepare cadets. As a 
result, every USMA graduate has a core understanding of Social- 
Sciences and over 200 cadets every year studied political science or 
economics in depth. This study has significantly prepared graduates to 
anticipate and respond effectively to the uncertainties of a changing 
technological, social, political, and economic world that they face as 
commissioned leaders of character in the United States Army. He has 
exemplified teaching by teaching a minimum of two sections every 
semester at West Point.
  Colonel Meese has inspirationally led the professional development of 
Social Sciences faculty, supported the research needs of the Army, and 
advanced the fields of economics, political science, and national 
security policy. As a result of his leadership, Social Sciences faculty 
have been routinely included in the ongoing analysis of economics and 
national security policy issues, both as individuals and through the 
Combating Terrorism Center (CTC), the Office of Economic and Manpower 
Analysis (OEMA), and the Center for Human Security Studies (CHSS). He 
robustly supported scholarship by senior military and civilian faculty 
who have routinely presented or published papers at least once annually 
and nearly every military faculty presented or published at least once 
during their USMA tour. He personally exemplifies scholarship, 
resulting in over two dozen invited presentations, including testimony 
to a U.S. congressional committee; twenty book chapters, conference 
papers, major conference reports, or journal articles; and two full 
length books: American National Security and the Armed Forces Guide to 
Personal Financial Planning.
  At West Point, Colonel Meese has been a critical leader of strategic 
thought among his faculty, throughout the Academy, and within the Army. 
This includes his leadership of conferences on topics including: 
``Toward an Army Officer Corps Strategy,'' ``Bridging the Cultural 
Divide: NGO-Military Relations in Complex Environments,'' ``The 
Professional Military Ethic in an Era of Persistent Conflict,'' 
``Public Diplomacy: Messages, Process, Outcomes,'' and ``The Army 
Profession.'' As a result of these efforts and his ongoing 
encouragement of dynamic faculty members conducting leading-edge 
research, the Social Sciences Department has become one of the leading 
repositories of innovative thought within the Army. In 2006, the 
Department was recognized for its contributions with the presentation 
of the Army Superior Unit Award. During 2003-2004, Colonel Meese was 
the USMA Fellow at the National War College, where he graduated from 
the National War College while exemplifying teaching excellence on 
their faculty.
  Beyond West Point, Colonel Meese has been called on numerous times to 
address some of the most challenging strategic political-military 
problems facing the Nation and the Army. He deployed for a full year 
from 2010-2011 as the Assistant Chief of Staff for the International 
Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, where he was instrumental in 
integrating the 1,500-person ISAF staff working for General Petraeus to 
supervise a comprehensive civil-military counterinsurgency campaign. In 
December 2009-January 2010, he deployed to Afghanistan leading a flag 
officer/ambassadorial interagency team to improve U.S. detention policy 
and establish Combined Joint Task Force 435. In January-March 2009, he 
deployed to assist General Odierno and Ambassador Crocker as they 
developed the ``Responsible Withdrawal of Forces from Iraq'' plan for 
the Obama Administration. He had previously deployed to Iraq from June-
September 2007, assisting General Petraeus' assessment and testimony; 
from January-March 2007, to develop ``the surge'' campaign plan; from 
June-August 2003 in Mosul, Iraq to help establish governance and 
stability immediately after the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom; 
and from January to July 2002 to Bosnia as the Executive Officer to the 
Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations for the NATO Stabilization 
Force. In sum, he has deployed to combat zones for over 31 months since 
2001 in support of ongoing military operations.
  In addition to combat deployments, Colonel Meese has assisted the 
Army's strategic decision making in many other areas. He served as the 
Executive Director of the Secretary of the Army's Transition Team in 
2005; was the co-director of the Department of Defense Panel on 
Commercialization and Globalization (the Dawkins Panel) in 1999; served 
as a member of the Defense Science Board Improvised Explosive Device 
Task Force (2007-2009); and was a member of the 2001 Army Science Board 
Team developing the redesign of the Army Headquarters staff. He 
participated in the assessment, training, and education of the South 
African National Defense Force (SANDF) in 1998 to fundamentally 
transform the SANDF after their post-apartheid transition of 
government. He has participated as a presenter, organizer, or author in 
nine different NATO or Partnership for Peace conferences that have 
supported effective partnerships with NATO and non-NATO partners.
  Colonel Meese's distinguished career reflects the vision, 
demonstrated leadership, and extraordinary service of a proven leader. 
His service, unwavering dedication to duty, and the life-long impact he 
has had on the careers of faculty members and graduates of West Point 
have contributed immeasurably to the status of the United States 
Military Academy and to the achievements of Army officers. In fact, I 
was one of those officers who had the privilege to serve with and learn 
from COL Mike Meese, and I am at once humbled and honored at this 
moment to congratulate him on a career of exceptional service to the 
Army and the Nation. I wish him, Ramona, and their family all the best 
as they transition to civilian life and continue to serve in other 
ways.

                          ____________________