[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 162 (Monday, November 14, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1442-E1443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PAYING TRIBUTE TO BRIGADIER GENERAL JOHN McGOFF ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 
             RETIREMENT FROM THE INDIANA AIR NATIONAL GUARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 14, 2016

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Brigadier 
General John McGoff on the occasion of his retirement from the Indiana 
Air National Guard. The people of Indiana's Fifth Congressional 
District are forever grateful for John's exceptional service and 
dedication to our Hoosier state and our great country.
  A lifelong Hoosier, John was born and raised in the Broad Ripple area 
of Indianapolis. He attended St Pius X Catholic School, where his 
parents were founding members, and where he has been a lifelong 
parishioner. Growing up, John volunteered at Wishard Hospital Emergency 
Department in his free time. Through this volunteer work he developed 
an interest in emergency medicine. After graduating North Central High 
School in 1977, John attended Indiana University to study biology. 
Graduating early from college, John then went on to attend Indiana 
University School of Medicine to pursue his dream of becoming a 
physician. During his third year of medical school he joined the 
Medical Officer Training Corps with the Indiana Air National Guard. 
Following the conclusion of his degree program, John completed his 
three-year residency in Emergency Medicine at the esteemed Thomas 
Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
  John's commitment to public service and dedication to his Hoosier 
home is evident. After finishing his residency in 1987, John returned 
to Indiana and began working in the ER at Community Hospitals in 
Indianapolis and has continued to work as an Attending Emergency Room 
Physician, where he has served thousands of Hoosiers. In addition to 
his civilian medical career, John is a decorated Iraq War Veteran.
  He served for more than three decades with an aeronautical rating of 
Chief flight surgeon and has logged over 600 hours of flight time in 
many aircrafts, including the F-16 and F-4 fighters. He was the Chief 
of Emergency Services at the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group, Joint 
Base at Balad, which was the busiest trauma center in Iraq in 2008-
2009. He was the Assistant to the Surgeon General for U.S. Air Forces 
in Europe and he has been deployed extensively around the world with 
operational tours in Turkey, Jordan, Bahrain and Germany. John is also 
the Chief of Staff for the nearly 2,000 members of the Indiana Air 
National Guard, where he serves as an advisor to the Adjutant General 
on matters pertaining to the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne, the 
207th Weather Flight in Indianapolis, the Air-to-Ground Gunnery Ranges 
at Atterbury, Jefferson Proving Grounds, and the 181st Intelligence 
Wing in Terre Haute. With the 181st he served as the Medical Group 
Commander, Chief of Flight Medicine, Flight Surgeon, and Hospital 
Administrator. During his tenure as commander, the unit received 
``Excellent'' ratings on their Health Services Inspections in 1993, 
1997, 2001, and 2005. They also won the Theodore Marrs Award, the 
highest Air National Guard Medical Award, in 1997 and 2006. 
Additionally, they also received the prestigious Schaeffer Trophy in 
2006 for the best medical unit in all of the reserve components.
  John has received many awards and decorations during his time in the 
National Guard and his active duty. Those awards include the Legion of 
Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), the 
Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 
(with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), the Air Force Organizational 
Excellence Award, the National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze 
Service Star), the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terror 
Service Medal, the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (with Gold 
Frame), the Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon (with 4 Bronze Oak 
Leaf Clusters), the Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with M Device and 
Numeral 2), the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, and the Air 
Force Training Ribbon.

[[Page E1443]]

  John has also given his time and talent to a number of boards and 
advisory roles. He served as a healthcare policy advisor for Governor 
Mitch Daniels' campaign and was a part of the Indiana State Department 
of Health Transition Team for the then-incoming Governor Daniels. John 
also sat on the Marion County Forensic Science Commission, the board of 
the Indiana Donor Network, the board for Community Hospitals of 
Indiana, was formerly the President of the Indiana Leadership Forum, 
was previously President of the Indianapolis Medical Society, and is 
currently an Ex Officio Board Member of the American College of 
Emergency Physicians, presently the Vice President for the Indiana 
Medical Licensing Board, and is now the President of the Indiana State 
Medical Association (ISMA) and served as their Speaker before his 
selection as President. Additionally he is a member of the Association 
of Military Surgeons of the United States, the Aerospace Medical 
Association, the Alliance of Air National Guard Flight Surgeons, the 
National Guard Association of the United States, and the National Guard 
Association of Indiana. He was also twice elected as Coroner of Marion 
County where he implemented cost saving measures and overhauled the 
office to be a more efficient and effective government service for the 
constituents of the city of Indianapolis. John has served our community 
and our country in a local, national, and international capacity.
  John has devoted himself to a life of service, whether in the 
Emergency Room, on the battlefield, or as a public official. I am 
extremely grateful for all his hard work. And on behalf of all Hoosiers 
and all Americans, I'd like to congratulate John on his remarkable 
military career and extend a huge thank you for all of the wonderful 
contributions he has made to our community, our state, and our nation I 
wish the very best to my friend John, his wife Karen, daughter Ava and 
the rest of the McGoff family as he enjoys a well-deserved retirement 
from the Indiana Air National Guard.

                          ____________________