[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 106 (Thursday, July 9, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING COLONEL PETER AHERN ON HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MARTHA McSALLY

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 9, 2015

  Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Colonel Peter Ahern 
on his many years of service to our country, and to wish him well on 
his upcoming retirement.
  Colonel Ahern received his Bachelor's Degree from St. Ambrose 
University and was commissioned through the Platoon Leaders Course 
program in May of 1986. In 2007, he received a Masters of Arts Degree 
in National Security and Strategic Studies from the National War 
College.
  Colonel Ahern served 29 years in the Marine Corps. His assignments 
included, but were not limited to, serving as Company Commander, 1st 
Recruit Training Battalion, MCRD San Diego; Battery Commander, 1st 
Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division; Future Operations 
Division (J35) United States Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany; 
Commanding Officer Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF), 
II Marine Expeditionary Force; and culminating as Director, Strategic 
Initiatives Group (SIG), Headquarters Marine Corps.
  Colonel Ahern participated in combat operations in Saudi Arabia and 
Kuwait (Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm), Iraq (Operation Iraqi 
Freedom, OIF-II); and planning/advisory duties with the Ugandan Peoples 
Defense Force; and humanitarian assistance disaster relief operations 
in Japan (Operation TOMODACHI).
  Colonel Ahern has received a number of awards over the course of his 
career, most notably the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of 
Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with three gold stars, the Navy 
Commendation Medal with two gold stars, the Joint Meritorious 
Achievement Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Combat Action 
Ribbon, and the Navy-Marine Corps Expert Parachute Wings.
  It's not an overstatement to say Colonel Ahern was one of the finest 
officers with whom I served. He and I were part of the initial cadre 
tasked to stand up Africa Command, and we worked closely on many 
security and humanitarian issues that arose anywhere on the continent. 
Colonel Ahern was an operationally-focused leader, a brilliant 
strategist, and utmost professional. He was instrumental to the success 
of Africa Command, not just while we served there, but long after he 
was reassigned as well.
  I thank Colonel Ahern for his many years of service to our nation. It 
was a privilege to serve with him and call him a colleague, and I wish 
him all the best in his upcoming retirement.