[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 102 (Friday, June 24, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      ON THE RETIREMENT OF U.S. ARMY COLONEL CAROLYN CLOSS-WALFORD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. G.K. BUTTERFIELD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 24, 2016

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate 
Colonel Carolyn Closs-Walford, the Senior Strategic Advisor to the 
Director of the Army National Guard, on her retirement.
  Colonel Closs-Walford is a career Army officer who dedicated her life 
to protecting and supporting our great nation. As a young college 
student at Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North 
Carolina, she discovered her passion for the Army and joined the 
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Upon graduation, she was 
commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps and accepted a 
reserve commission in the Army Reserve. While in Washington, D.C., she 
also completed her graduate studies at National Louis University and 
later transferred to the Quartermaster Corps to fulfill the Army 
Reserve's mission of combat service support.
  Colonel Closs-Walford served as a ``Citizen Soldier'' and 
demonstrated continuous commitment throughout her deployment and 
service in Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Storm. Her impressive 
leadership skills did not go unnoticed, and Colonel Closs-Walford 
became a fulltime active soldier serving as the Logistics Planner for 
the European Command with extensive travel to Germany, Bosnia, and 
Kosovo.
  Colonel Closs-Walford has devoted her life to public service. She has 
served in senior positions in the Office of the Under Secretary of 
Defense and acted as an interagency liaison to the National Security 
Council, the United States Congress, and the Departments of Defense and 
State.
  She has also had the distinct honor of serving as the Director for 
Global Outreach in the White House for U.S. Presidents George W. Bush 
and Barack Obama, fulfilling a variety of roles that provided support 
to the President, Deputy National Security Advisor, and the Counselor 
to the President.
  Additionally, Colonel Closs-Walford served members of the U.S. House 
of Representatives and their staffs in the Army's House Liaison 
Division where she tracked and influenced legislation that impacted the 
Army's budget and missions. Colonel Closs-Walford organized and led 16 
congressional delegations to Iraq, more than any other Legislative 
Liaison during that time.
  Her most recent assignment was in the Office of the Chief of Staff of 
the Army (CSA), where she served as a Military Fellow. Handpicked by 
the CSA, she was responsible for identifying and studying potential 
obstacles that the Army is projected to face in the year 2025 and 
beyond.
  Colonel Closs-Walford's extensive experience in defending and 
protecting our country demonstrates her true commitment to our great 
nation, a dedication that deserves the highest recognition and 
acknowledgement. Colonel Closs-Walford embodies the definition of a 
true patriot, steadfast in her devotion to answer no matter what the 
call.
  Mr. Speaker, Colonel Closs-Walford has spent her life advancing the 
mission of the United States of America, on both the domestic and 
international stage. She has solidified a legacy of patriotism that 
will live on through each person that has been fortunate enough to work 
with her. On behalf of a most grateful nation, I ask my colleagues to 
join me in congratulating Colonel Carolyn Closs-Walford on her 
retirement.

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