[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 73 (Friday, April 28, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  APPOINTMENT OF MS. JEANETTE S. JAMES TO THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON 
                 MILITARY, NATIONAL, AND PUBLIC SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MAC THORNBERRY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 28, 2017

  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 553(b) of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Pub. L. 114-
328), on March 31, 2017, I appointed Ms. Jeanette S. James to serve as 
a member of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public 
Service. Ms. James served 12 years as part of the staff of the House 
Armed Services Committee, leading the Subcommittee on Military 
Personnel for three years until her retirement in 2017. Prior to 
joining the committee staff, James served in the Army Nurses Corps for 
31 years, rising to the rank of Colonel and commanding the medical 
department activity at Fort Drum. Ms. James was recently awarded the 
Army Distinguished Civilian Service Award, which is the highest 
honorary award that the Secretary of the Army may grant to a private 
citizen.
   As the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, I have come 
to trust Jeanette's advice on matters that affect our troops and their 
families. For nearly a decade and a half, Jeanette has approached some 
of the Department of Defense's most difficult and controversial issues 
with the same precision, compassion, and dedication she showed to her 
patients during her 31 years as an Army nurse.
   Jeanette has spent 43 years in public service, in which time she has 
made a real difference for our country and our military. Our troops are 
healthier and better cared for, their families are more secure, and our 
policies are better informed because of her service. I can think of few 
people more qualified to serve on this National Commission to review 
and reform the Selective Service process than someone who has dedicated 
her life to serving her nation with the utmost dedication and 
distinction for more than four decades.

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