[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 60 (Thursday, April 6, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING SHIRLEY POWELL FOR HER LEGACY AND COURAGEOUS SERVICE

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                             HON. RAUL RUIZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 6, 2017

  Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an outstanding member of 
my district Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt) Shirley Powell of Cathedral 
City, California. She passed away in March 2017. Her dedication and 
service to our nation are an inspiration. CMSgt Powell was a member of 
my congressional office's Veterans' Advisory Board and Military Academy 
Nominations Selection Committee. She was a remarkable leader, and I am 
honored to have called her my constituent and my friend. Today, I want 
to recognize her life achievements.
  CMSgt Powell worked for 45 years in the field of Aerospace. In 1962, 
she joined the U.S. Air Force (USAF), where she served for 38 years. 
She was a founding member of the 68th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron 
(AES) in the Military Airlift Command KC-97 Globemaster Program, where 
she served multiple tours in support of Vietnam and other international 
and domestic efforts. In 1981, she transferred to the California Air 
National Guard TAC C-130 Program.
  She was honored with numerous, well-deserved distinctions. In the Air 
National Guard 146th Wing, Shirley was the first female to achieve the 
rank of Senior Master Sergeant and the first female to be selected for 
the special duty of First Sergeant. Among her numerous awards are the 
Meritorious Service Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Combat 
Readiness Medal, the Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal, the 
National Defense Service Ribbon, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the 
Southwest Asia Service Medal.
  After her retirement in 2000, she was highly active in various 
associations in the community. She became an active member of the Palm 
Springs Air Force Association, the Air Force Sergeants Association, the 
Noncommissioned Officer Association, and the Enlisted Association of 
the National Guard, where she held numerous Board positions. She was 
selected to serve on the Riverside County Veterans Advisory Committee, 
and she maintained her status as Chief Exam Proctor for the Los Angeles 
Chapter of the American Society for Quality.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize and honor Shirley Powell. I am 
proud of the opportunity to have worked together with her to improve 
the lives of veterans in our community. Her distinguished career and 
her years of committed service to the community are an example of 
excellence, dedication, and service to our Nation that all should seek 
to emulate.

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