[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 141 (Thursday, October 10, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7385-S7386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                   TRIBUTE TO MAJOR CHARLES H. CANNON

 Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to my 
constituent MAJ Charles H. Cannon for his exemplary dedication to duty 
and his service to the U.S. Army and to the United States of America. 
Major Cannon will depart from Active military duty in 2013 but will 
continue to serve in the National Guard in our great State of Georgia. 
He has served for the last 2 years as a congressional budget liaison 
for the Secretary of the Army.
  A native of Moultrie, GA, Major Cannon left his family's 2,000-acre 
farm to become a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 
1997. While there, Chas played for the Army football team and earned a 
bachelor's degree in systems engineering. He was commissioned as a 
field artillery officer in June of 2001, just 3 months before the 
horrific attacks on September 11 that would shape the rest of his 
active duty career.
  Major Cannon's assignments have been diverse. While a lieutenant, he 
served in C Battery, 1-10 Field Artillery Battalion as a fire direction 
officer, platoon leader, and executive officer. His first deployment 
was with them during the ground invasion of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 
After promotion to captain, he served in 2-69 Armor Battalion as a 
staff officer during his second deployment to Diyala, Iraq. Eleven 
months later, as part of the surge, Chas returned to East Baghdad, Iraq 
for a 15-month deployment as the commander of A Battery, 1-10 Field 
Artillery Battalion.
  After returning from his third deployment, Major Cannon earned a 
master of professional studies in legislative affairs from The George 
Washington University. He was then assigned as a congressional fellow 
in my office with a subsequent assignment as a legislative strategist 
in the office of the Chief of Legislative liaison and then as a budget 
liaison officer in the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army 
for Financial Management and Comptroller, where he was tasked with 
managing the Army's wheeled and tracked vehicle portfolio.
  Major Cannon's leadership throughout his career has positively 
impacted his soldiers, peers, and superiors. As a budget liaison 
officer he worked directly with the Senate and House Appropriations 
Committees to educate and inform Senators, Representatives, and staff 
about many diverse and important procurement initiatives of the U.S. 
Army.
  On behalf of a grateful nation, I join my colleagues today in 
recognizing and commending MAJ Chas Cannon for over a decade of active 
service to his country. We wish Chas, his wife Beth, and their two 
little girls, Allie and Catherine, all the best as they continue their 
journey of service in the Georgia National Guard.

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