[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 52 (Tuesday, April 1, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E476-E477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE DEDICATED SERVICE OF COLONEL ROBERT K. THOMPSON, USAF

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 1, 2014

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Colonel 
Robert K. Thompson upon the occasion of his retirement after 29 years 
of honorable service to our great Nation in the United States Air Force 
and Air Force Reserve.
   Colonel Thompson received his Air Force commission in 1985 as a 
distinguished ROTC graduate from Indiana University. After receiving 
his commission, he began an impressive career as a public affairs 
officer--a career that spanned nearly three decades and brought him to 
all corners of the world. Colonel Thompson's final assignment at 
Headquarters, United States Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as 
the Chief of Public Affairs for the Policy Integration Directorate, 
Office of Air Force Reserve, was in direct support of the Chief of Air 
Force Reserve, where he helped fulfill mission directives for more than 
70,000 reservists at 34 wings and 12 groups.
   Throughout his myriad deployments in Central and South America, 
Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and in the United States, Colonel 
Thompson championed America's First Amendment rights and goodwill in 
war zones and disaster areas. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he 
expedited the story and video of the airstrike that killed al-Zarqawi, 
leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. As NATO's top spokesman in Bosnia, he 
communicated the coalition's commitment to the Dayton Peace Accord and 
coalition efforts to remove landmines, disarm former combatants and 
capture war criminals leading to the arrest of Serbian President 
Slobodan Milosevic. Utilizing his experience and success as a public 
affairs officer, Colonel Thompson wrote the first draft of the 
Department of Defense's media plan for Operation Enduring Freedom, 
which helped inform the American people while also protecting 
operational security. At home, Colonel Thompson escorted FOX, CNN, and 
CBS aboard the Air Force's first-responder helicopters to cover the 
Winter Olympics in Utah and rescue operations during Hurricane Katrina, 
ultimately writing the plans for release of information critical for 
the general public to understand military disaster relief operations. 
Additionally, Colonel Thompson orchestrated better insight into our 
humanitarian efforts in Japan, Libya, and Haiti, where we helped open 
schools, medical clinics and the first transnational road built coast-
to-coast by the U.S. military in Honduras.
   In his most recent position as Chief of Public Affairs, Colonel 
Thompson played an integral role in Congressional proceedings relating 
to life-cycle manpower costs and force shaping. He also worked to 
provide input to our Nation's highest military and civilian leaders and 
informed the public on important Air Force developments, with more than 
100 published news articles viewed by millions. Colonel Thompson's 
efforts have also been critical to implementing new laws and policies 
supporting combat veterans, reservists, their civilian employers, and 
their families, and championing increased utilization of an operational 
reserve.

[[Page E477]]

   Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress and a grateful 
Nation, my wife Vicki and I extend our deepest appreciation of Colonel 
Thompson for his many years of dedicated service. There is no question 
that the Air Force, Department of Defense, and the United States 
benefitted greatly from Colonel Thompson's visionary leadership, 
planning, and foresight, and we wish him and his wife, Pam, the very 
best.

                          ____________________