[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 10, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING MAJOR MELISSA DUNLOW

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRAD ASHFORD

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 10, 2015

  Mr. ASHFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Melissa 
Dunlow for her 25 years of service in the United States Air Force 
Reserves, seventeen of which were served on active duty. Mrs. Dunlow 
grew up in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. She had an interest in 
traveling and although she had the desire to attend college, it was not 
financially feasible. In her senior year of high school, Mrs. Dunlow 
entered the delayed enlistment program, and subsequently active duty 
with the United States Air Force. Mrs. Dunlow was first assigned to 
Tinker AFB in Oklahoma as an Air Transportation Specialist; which 
primarily meant manual labor of loading cargo and passengers onto 
military aircraft. Mrs. Dunlow applied for and was approved to cross-
train into the paralegal career field where she could perform 
administrative work. During the four and a half years Mrs. Dunlow 
served as a paralegal, she took college classes at night and on 
Saturdays to complete her bachelor's degree. She then applied for a 
commission and attended Officer Training School about three weeks after 
her college graduation. Mrs. Dunlow's first assignment as a Second 
Lieutenant was to Offutt AFB in Bellevue, Nebraska, in 2003. While 
stationed there, she met her future husband, Neil who was also 
stationed at Offutt. Mrs. Dunlow applied for a ROTC teaching position 
at University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill. The couple married in 
June 2006 and Mrs. Dunlow was assigned to Chapel Hill the next month. 
However, her husband Neil remained at Offutt to fulfill his duty 
requirement. During their separation, Mr. Dunlow came to realize that 
the Bellevue/Papillion area was where he wanted to start an orthodontic 
practice as well as a family. Together, they decided to separate from 
active duty and make a life in Nebraska. Mrs. Dunlow returned to the 
area in a civil service position in Human Resources at STRATCOM while 
Mr. Dunlow opened a small orthodontic practice in Bellevue. Mrs. Dunlow 
joined the Air Force Reserves as a Liaison Officer to the Civil Air 
Patrol. After ``buying in'' her active duty time and completing the 
minimum required time in civil service, Mrs. Dunlow left her position 
with STRATCOM in September 2012 in order to spend time at home with 
their two children who are now 6 and 4. Currently, Mrs. Dunlow spends 
days at home with their youngest daughter and works part-time at the 
orthodontic office as an office manager. Only time will tell what Mrs. 
Dunlow will do once their youngest daughter is in school full-time, 
maybe she will utilize her Master's degree, or perhaps she will strike 
out a new career after using the remaining two years of her GI bill to 
complete another degree. Mr. Speaker it is with great pleasure that I 
recognize Mrs. Melissa Dunlow for her 25 years of military service. 
What a truly inspiring career she has had and will continue to have. 
Her hard work and tenacity are commendable. Mrs. Dunlow represents a 
real American hero through her commitment and solidarity to her 
brothers and sisters in arms.

                          ____________________