[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 148 (Tuesday, October 22, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1537]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          IN MEMORY OF COLONEL PHILIP A. BOSSERT, USAF (RET.)

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 22, 2013

  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Colonel Philip Bossert 
of the United States Air Force. Colonel Bossert bravely, and 
peacefully, embarked on his final journey after a valiant battle 
against glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
   A decorated veteran of 4 wars, Colonel Bossert honorably served his 
country for more than three decades.
   Phil graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1982, and was 
commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the USAF. During the ensuing 
years he received a Masters of Arts in Economics, magna cum laude, from 
Old Dominion University; a Masters of Military Art and Science from 
U.S. Army CGSC; a Master of Public Administration, summa cum laude, 
Auburn University; and a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from the 
Air War College.
   From 1983 through 1987 he served as a CT-39B aircraft commander and 
C-21A instructor pilot out of Langley AFB in Virginia. From 1987 
through 1991, he was a C-141B instructor pilot and wing combat plans 
officer at McGuire AFB in New Jersey. In 1991, Phil had assignments in 
Colorado, Kansas, and Illinois, and by 2000 he was a Lieutenant Colonel 
and Commander of the 821st Air Mobility Squadron out of McGuire AFB.
   Shortly after 9/11, Phil was deployed to Bagram Air Base outside of 
Kabul, Afghanistan. At one point, he was the highest ranking officer at 
the air base between December 2001 and February 2002. After 
Afghanistan, Phil became the Chief of Training and Exercises for the 
NATO Interim Deployable Air Operations Center at Ramstein Air Base in 
Germany. He was bumped to full bird Colonel in 2004, at which time he 
became Commander of the USAFE Air Mobility Operations Control Center, 
also at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. This put him in charge of the 
entire C-141 fleet for Europe and the Middle East.
   Among his many awards and decorations are the following: the Legion 
of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation 
Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Medal, 
Air Force Organizational Medal, the Combat Readiness Medal, Afghanistan 
Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the 
Southwest Asia Service Medal, and the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Saudi 
Arabia & Kuwait).
   Phil summed up his time in uniform by saying that ``I will be at 
peace with myself knowing that I did my job during the longest war in 
American history.'' Then, after 28 years of dedicated service to our 
great nation, Phil decided to retire in 2010 and enter the private 
sector.
   Instead of pursuing a career in academia, Phil again was serving our 
country as a private citizen, offering up leadership training to the 
Afghan military. He was assigned to the NATO training mission at Camp 
Eggers, in the Green Zone in Kabul, and taught 30 senior Afghan 
officers how to develop a three-year, $15 billion defense budget.
   Phil had a focus and a drive in him that was unparalleled. He was 
relentless. He was detail oriented. His rich understanding of global 
affairs was perfectly complimented by an unquenchable thirst for 
knowledge.
   Aside from the aforementioned masters' degrees, he had also served 
on the faculties of the Air Force Academy and the University of 
Houston, and was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Phil 
published 97 articles, book reviews, and editorials on various topics. 
He also published two books, and was currently in the process of 
working on his third about his three deployments to Afghanistan.
   Phil had a no-nonsense outlook on life. In his words, ``[stuff] 
happens and it's out of our control. You just have to live your life to 
the fullest and have no regrets.''
   Colonel Bossert epitomized the American ethos of hard work, 
dedication, and strength of body, mind, and spirit. He devoted his life 
to the service of others, and I would have been honored to have had the 
privilege of knowing him better.
   Colonel Philip A. Bossert, USAF (Ret.) was 54. He was a hero.

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