[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 179 (Monday, December 12, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING TOMMY GAGE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEVIN BRADY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 12, 2016

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, if ever a public servant deserved a 
peaceful, happy retirement, it is our sheriff and my dear friend, Tommy 
Gage. Tommy may have been born across the border in Arkansas, but we 
are glad he got to Texas as quickly as he could.
  In the more than half-century since graduating from Galena Park High 
School, Tommy Gage has been about service. After serving aboard the 
Heavy Cruiser USS St. Paul during the Vietnam War, seeing both the 
world and action, my friend signed up for a different kind of service.
  After graduating from the Houston Police Academy in 1970, Tommy Gage 
began serving in this Fifth Ward on the Northeast side. His assignments 
included patrol, recruiting, investigator, and as a solo motorcycle 
unit.
  In 1982, the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office welcomed Tommy Gage as 
a jail deputy. Over the years, he worked a variety of assignments 
including patrol, academy instructor, SWAT, detectives, detective 
sergeant, and academy commander. In 1996 Sheriff Gage went to work and 
served in that capacity until his election as Sheriff
  When Sheriff Gage was sworn in on New Years' Day in 2005, there were 
just over 450 employees at the sheriff's office. Today, that number has 
nearly doubled in an all-out effort to protect and serve. From starting 
the county's first motorcycle traffic unit, which now includes seven 
motorcycles, a canine unit now with seven canines, to an aviation unit 
that includes a Cessna 210 aircraft and two Aeryon Sky Ranger unmanned 
aerial vehicles (UAV) fully licensed by the FAA, Sheriff Gage's MCSO 
has set a high bar. I know our local events are the safest, friendliest 
congressional gatherings in the country in no small part due to our 
sheriff.
  For a sheriff known for his white hat and colorful Texas neckties, 
his changes to the local uniforms led to the Montgomery County 
Sheriff's Office being named a best dressed agency in United States.
  While our sheriff is quick to give credit to his stellar team, 
numerous awards and personal honors would not have been possible 
without his servant leadership. Sheriff Gage has often said ``there is 
no greater honor than to finish my law enforcement career as a Texas 
sheriff.'' In making his mark here in Montgomery County, he has honored 
all of us.
  A life member of the Montgomery County Fair Association, East 
Montgomery County Fair Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4709, 
Texas Jail Association, the National Rifle Association, 100 Club, and 
Sheriffs Association of Texas, our beloved sheriff is a Chartered 
Member of Montgomery County Search and Rescue and a valued member of 
the Texas Police Association, Fraternal Order of Police, National 
Association of Chiefs of Police, the American Legion Post Number 618, 
local civic groups and chambers, and the Harley Owners Group--Cut & 
Shoot Chapter.
  In their more than three decades of marriage, Tommy and Ollie Nell 
Gage have been blessed with 3 children, 9 grandchildren and 1 great 
grandchild--all who have an amazing role model of how to be a servant 
leader.
  On December 31, 2016, Sheriff Gage is retiring after finishing his 
third term. I know Ollie Nell is going to be glad to have him home 
safely from over 46 years of law enforcement service.

                          ____________________