[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 9, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING BRIGADIER GENERAL TRACY L. SMITH ON 
           BECOMING THE FIRST WOMAN GENERAL OFFICER FROM GUAM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 9, 2016

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend and congratulate 
Tracy L. Smith on her promotion to Brigadier General in the U.S. Army. 
BG Smith is the first woman from Guam to attain a general officer rank 
in the U.S. military, and she currently serves as the Deputy Commander, 
U.S. Army Reserve Medical Command. She was nominated by President 
Barack Obama on April 13, 2015 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 
April 30, 2015. She received her first star during a ceremony at the 
Army Reserve Medical Command in Pinellas Park, Florida on January 24, 
2016.
  BG Smith is part of a strong heritage of exceptional men and women 
from Guam who have bravely and dutifully served our nation in uniform. 
Her promotion to Brigadier General is an important milestone in her 
career and a reflection of her perseverance, dedication, and commitment 
to service. As the first woman general officer from Guam in any of the 
U.S. military services, BG Smith is a role model for future woman 
servicemembers and her promotion is source of pride for our island.
  Brigadier General Smith was born on Guam and started her career of 
service nearly thirty years ago. She, like many families from Guam, 
comes from a proud military family; her father, Franklin Artero, is a 
retired Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army, and her brother, Audie Artero, 
is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Guam National Guard. She was 
commissioned as Second Lieutenant after completing the Reserve Officers 
Training Corps program at the University of Guam. Since then, she has 
held a number of posts in the military medical field. A natural 
trailblazer, she earned the recognition of being the first Active Guard 
and Reserve Commander of the 865th Combat Support Hospital in Utica, 
New York. During her military career, BG Smith has earned numerous 
awards and recognitions, including the Legion of Merit and the Bronze 
Star.
  I join the people of Guam in commending and congratulating Tracy L. 
Smith on her distinguished career and promotion to Brigadier General in 
the U.S. Army. I look forward to her continued service to our nation, 
and I am confident that as she assumes this new position, she will 
continue to inspire not only the soldiers she commands, but also women 
in Guam and throughout our country. I also extend my congratulations 
and appreciation to husband, retired Army Sergeant Scott Smith, and her 
entire Artero and Smith families.

                          ____________________