[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 24, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E393]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF MAJOR GENERAL CASSIE STROM OF THE UNITED 
                       STATES AIR NATIONAL GUARD

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. WM. LACY CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 24, 2015

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Missouri's 1st district, I am 
proud to honor one of our most distinguished constituents and homegrown 
heroes, Major General Cassie Strom of the United States Air National 
Guard. In June of this year--2015, General Strom is retiring, after an 
incredible 31 plus years of dedicated service.
  General Strom received her commission by direct appointment and began 
her active duty career with the Air Force in February 1984. She has 
served at all levels--Department of Defense, Combatant Command, 
Headquarters United States Air Force, Major Command, wing and base 
legal offices. She previously served on active duty for six years at 
the base legal offices at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, Osan Air 
Base, Korea and Torrejon Air Base, Spain. General Strom is admitted to 
practice law in the State of Missouri and the State of Nebraska.
  General Strom transferred to the Air Force Reserve with an assignment 
as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee at Scott Air Force Base, 
Illinois. She then moved to the Missouri Air National Guard in 1990 as 
a traditional Guard member. She has deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina 
and augmented the Army Civil Affairs mission, worked a variety of 
international peacekeeping exercises, served in the Department of 
Defense Office of General Counsel in support of Operation Iraqi 
Freedom, acted as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, United States 
Transportation Command, and as a Supervising Senior Attorney at the 
United States Air Force Academy.
  Major General Cassie A. Strom concludes her achievement filled career 
as the Air National Guard Assistant to The Judge Advocate General. In 
this position, she is the principal adviser and liaison to The Judge 
Advocate General on Air National Guard legal matters. In addition, she 
serves as a senior representative on The Judge Advocate General's Air 
National Guard Council, providing leadership, strategic planning and 
management of the entire Air National Guard Judge Advocate program, 
encompassing over 440 judge advocates and paralegals at Air National 
Guard legal offices throughout the United States.
  Her service to our country does not stop with her time in military 
status--she runs the Veteran's Advocacy Project for the Catholic Legal 
Assistance Ministry, which is housed in Scott Hall, in our own St. 
Louis University School of Law!
  As further testament to her exceptional service, General Strom's 
military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, 
Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint 
Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal (with 3 Bronze 
Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement 
Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), Air Force Outstanding Unit 
Award, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (with 1 Bronze Oak 
Leaf Cluster), National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Star), 
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, 
Humanitarian Service Medal, Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short, Air Force 
Overseas Ribbon Long, Air Force Longevity Service (with 3 Bronze Oak 
Leaf Clusters), Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with 1 Gold Hourglass) Air 
Force Training Ribbon, and NATO Medal!
  General Strom has set a truly inspiring example of dedication to the 
defense of freedom, service before self, and what it means to be an 
Officer. She has been a trailblazer--as one of the first JAGs to deploy 
into Bosnia to becoming the first female ANG Advisor to Air Force 
Special Operations Command's Staff Judge Advocate to becoming the first 
woman to become a Major General Air National Guard Judge Advocate! The 
people of the first district of Missouri--thank General Strom for her 
service and wish her well in her future endeavors!

                          ____________________