[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 72 (Monday, May 9, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S2619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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           TRIBUTE TO CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 JOHN HEFFERNAN

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize CWO2 
John S. Heffernan, Retired, for his leadership and dedication to our 
State and Nation as a soldier, a veteran, and a volunteer. He is truly 
a public servant.
  Mr. Heffernan enlisted in the Army in 1962 and began his military 
career with basic training at Fort Chaffee, AR. He completed 
telecommunications training at Fort Gordon, GA, and then served as a 
cryptographer in the 33rd Signal Battalion at Fort Richardson, AK.
  Mr. Heffernan was discharged from the Army on March 19, 1965, and 
briefly assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve Control Group, Reinforcement, 
before joining the Arkansas National Guard less than a week later. He 
served as a personnel staff noncommissioned officer, ultimately 
reaching the enlisted rank of sergeant first class, E-7. In 1980, Mr. 
Heffernan was appointed as a warrant officer and served as a military 
personnel technician and later promoted to the rank of chief warrant 
officer 2.
  After completing more than 27 years of military service and 
approximately 25 years as a fulltime, dual status military technician 
for the Arkansas Army National Guard, Mr. Heffernan retired as a 
servicemember and as a civil service employee and was transferred to 
the U.S. Army Reserve Control Group, Retired Reserves, in 1990.
  Shortly after his retirement, Mr. Heffernan went back to work as a 
family assistance officer at Fisher Armory in North Little Rock in 
support of the 148th Evacuation Hospital and the 25th Rear Operations 
Center, during their deployment to Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
  Following Desert Storm, Mr. Heffernan saw the need to assist military 
retirees and their families, so for the next 5 years, he provided his 
voluntary services at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock. After his 
time at Camp Robinson, Mr. Heffernan spent the next 18 years, providing 
voluntary retirement services at the Little Rock Air Force Base, 
becoming the director of retiree activities in 2000. Mr. Heffernan has 
been a tireless advocate and the go-to person in central Arkansas for 
all matters related to military retirees and their families. In April, 
Mr. Heffernan retired as a volunteer, but remains active in the 
military and veteran community by serving as the retiree representative 
on the board of directors for the National Guard Association of 
Arkansas.
  For more than half of a century, Mr. Heffernan has been a selfless 
servant to others. I take this opportunity to recognize and say thank 
you to CW2 John S. Heffernan, Retired, for his service to Arkansas, our 
Nation, and his fellow man. May God continue to bless him in his 
retirement.

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