[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 175 (Tuesday, December 6, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1605-E1606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING FIRST SERGEANT RONALD OWENS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TODD C. YOUNG

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor First 
Sergeant Ronald Owens for his service to his country and community. 1SG 
Owens completed basic training in 1966, two years after graduating from 
high school. After basic training, he was sent for additional training 
to learn to intercept and interpret radio traffic. 1SG Owens' extensive 
24-year career in the United States Army included two tours in 
Southeast Asia. 1SG Owens' began his second tour under fire in the 
dense jungles of Vietnam as a participant in one of the largest and 
bloodiest campaigns of the Vietnam War--the Tet Offensive. During the 
campaign, 1SG Owens utilized his specialized training to interrupt and 
analyze radio communication. 1SG Owens outstanding record of service to 
his country and to the United States Army is evidenced by his regular 
promotions; he entered the service as a private in 1965 and reached 
First Sergeant in the summer of 1986. 1SG Owens earned, among others, 
the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf 
Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense

[[Page E1606]]

Medal with One Star, and the Vietnam Service Medal.
  After joining the U.S. Army Reserves in 1980, 1SG Owens supervised 
over 250 personnel at the 335th Military Intelligence Company in 
Louisville, Kentucky. He retired from military service in 2006, but 
remained active in his community. He was a volunteer firefighter in New 
Middletown, Indiana, and earned a ``First Responders Certificate'' for 
his work responding to emergencies and providing assistance to victims. 
1SG Owens' exemplary record of service to his country and community has 
set the standard for generations of servicemen and servicewomen to 
come.

                          ____________________