[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 14, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1061-E1062]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF COLONEL SCOTT B. AVERY

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 14, 2015

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
commend Colonel Scott B. Avery, Commander of Martin Army Community 
Hospital, for his distinguished service to the United States of 
America. Colonel Avery was instrumental in the partnership between the 
United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Martin Army 
Community Hospital at Fort Benning, Georgia to greatly improve the 
healthcare services provided by the VA in the Columbus, Georgia area. 
On Tuesday, July 14, 2015, Colonel Avery relinquished Command of Martin 
Army Community Hospital to Colonel Marie A. Dominguez.
  Colonel Avery was commissioned as a Medical Service Corps Officer in 
the U.S. Army

[[Page E1062]]

after graduating from the University of Washington in June 1988 with a 
baccalaureate degree in Political Science. After completing the Medical 
Service Corps Officer Basic Course in November 1988, Colonel Avery was 
stationed in Kirchgoens, Germany as a Medical Platoon Leader for 4th 
BN, 32nd Armor, and 3rd Armor Division. From there, he went on to hone 
his leadership skills as he successfully completed numerous command and 
staff assignments at Fort Irwin, California; Fort Bragg, North 
Carolina; Ansbach, Germany; Wiesbaden, Germany; Joint Base Lewis-
McChord, Washington; and Fort Benning, Georgia. In between his staff 
and command positions, Colonel Avery became a UH-60 Blackhawk pilot and 
a Master Navigator. He also completed numerous combat tours during his 
career. He deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina during Operation Joint Guard; 
to the Middle East in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm; 
to Kosovo twice in support Operation of Joint Guardian II; and to Iraq 
twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.
  The Second Congressional District of Georgia gained a respected and 
compassionate leader when Colonel Avery arrived in Ft. Benning, Georgia 
in June 2011 to serve as Commander of the Martin Army Community 
Hospital. In this capacity, Colonel Avery was instrumental in improving 
the lives and health of veterans in the Chattahoochee Valley. Colonel 
Avery's partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 
resulted in the opening of a new 19,000-square foot Veterans Affairs 
Clinic at Fort Benning on July 6, 2015. The new VA clinic will improve 
access to health care for veterans, as well as its quality and cost 
effectiveness. The new clinic will offer a full complement of primary 
care providers with integrated mental health services which will serve 
more than 13,000 veterans and implement tele-health hubs to provide an 
additional 96 appointments per week.
  Colonel Avery is the epitome of the U.S. Army values: Loyalty, Duty, 
Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, and Personal Courage. The new clinic 
would not exist today without Colonel Avery's personal courage, 
selfless service, relentless desire, and tireless duty to improve the 
lives of those who have fought to protect our cherished liberties. His 
loyalty and respect to the current and former servicemen and 
servicewomen is commendable and should be emulated by leaders in the 
military and in Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me, my wife Vivian, the 
Chattahoochee Valley community, and the 730,000 residents of Georgia's 
Second Congressional District in honoring Colonel Scott B. Avery for 
his contributions to the veterans of Southwest Georgia. We extend our 
best wishes to Colonel Avery and his family in his next assignment and 
throughout his career as he continues to be a champion for veterans.

                          ____________________