[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 177 (Wednesday, November 1, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN RECOGNITION OF MASTER SERGEANT PAUL CONTRERAS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. BARBARA COMSTOCK

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 1, 2017

  Mrs. COMSTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I, along with my colleague Representative 
Robert Wittman, rise today to recognize the twenty-five years that 
Master Sergeant Paul Contreras has served in the United States Marine 
Corps. MSgt Contreras is a true patriot who has significantly 
contributed to the defense of our Nation. He enlisted in the Marine 
Corps in April, 1992 and was assigned to Recruit Training Center, San 
Diego, CA. He subsequently attended Marine Combat Training before being 
transferred to Marine Corps Logistics Base, Albany, GA where he trained 
as a Packaging Specialist. Lance Corporal Contreras' first assignment 
was to Supply Company, 1st Supply Battalion, 1st Service Support Group, 
Camp Pendleton, CA. Within his first month of this assignment, LCpl 
Contreras volunteered to deploy in support of OPERATION RESTORE HOPE in 
Mogadishu, Somalia. Upon completion of this deployment, he was selected 
to attend Marine Security Guard training, transferring to Marine 
Security Guard Battalion, Quantico, VA. Upon graduation from this 
rigorous course, LCpl Contreras' first assignment was to U.S. Embassy 
Abidjan, Ivory Coast. In July 1995 Cpl Contreras was transferred to 
U.S. Embassy Santiago, Chile for his second post.
  Upon departure from Chile, Sergeant Contreras served with 1st Supply 
Battalion until early 1998 when he began the process of applying for 
the Marine Corps' Counterintelligence/Human Intelligence (CI/HUMINT) 
occupational specialty. Staff Sergeant Contreras was competitively 
selected to train as a CI/HUMINT Marine, attending school from January 
to June, 1999. SSgt Contreras' first assignment was with 1st CI/HUMINT 
Company where he served until being selected to deploy with the 13th 
Marine Expeditionary Unit. During this deployment, SSgt Contreras 
participated in recovery efforts following the bombing of the USS Cole 
in Aden, Yemen. In 2000, SSgt Contreras returned to 1st CI/HUMINT 
Company where he served until June, 2001 before being reassigned to 2nd 
CI/HUMINT Company, Camp Lejeune, NC. During this assignment, SSgt 
Contreras supported various exercises including BATTLE GRIFFIN in 2002, 
and deployed in support of combat operations to Kabul, Afghanistan in 
2002 and Babil, Iraq in 2004.
  In 2006, Gunnery Sergeant Contreras completed his active service to 
pursue a civilian career but remained committed to the Marine Corps, 
joining the Select Marine Corps Reserve later that year. His first 
reserve assignment was with the Marine Forces Pacific G2X office. From 
2006 to 2008 Master Sergeant Contreras supported exercises and 
operational requirements for Marine Forces Pacific. During this same 
time, MSgt Contreras was a part owner of a small defense contracting 
company dedicated to the further development and training of Department 
of Defense CI/HUMINT professionals prior to their deployments into Iraq 
and Afghanistan. In the fall of 2008, Master Sergeant Contreras 
returned to the CI/HUMINT school to provide support to the training 
staff. His next assignment in March 2009 was with Marine Forces Command 
G2X office. Due to his excellent reputation, MSgt Contreras was 
requested by name to mobilize with Marine Forces Europe from November 
2011 until August 2013 where he served as Counterintelligence 
Operations Chief. He returned to the United States for assignment to 
Intelligence Support Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve in Quantico, VA. 
In his civilian career, MSgt Contreras also joined the Defense 
Intelligence Agency's Counterespionage Division. He remained on Marine 
Reserve duty with Bravo Company until November 2014, upon which time he 
transferred to Individual Ready Reserve Status intending to retire. 
Recognizing the immeasurable contribution that MSgt Contreras had made 
to the CI/HUMINT profession, the senior leadership of Intelligence 
Support Battalion compelled MSgt Contreras to consider withdrawing his 
retirement request in order to serve one final tour with the Battalion 
and in February 2016 MSgt Contreras returned to Bravo Company. He 
subsequently participated in a US Army exercise at Guantanamo Bay, 
Cuba, and served as both Company CI/HUMINT Chief and Senior Enlisted 
Advisor until his retirement in November of 2017. During this same 
time, MSgt Contreras was hired by the Marine Corps Intelligence 
Activity in the Office of the Counterintelligence Coordinating 
Authority where he is able to continue to support his beloved Corps by 
influencing the development and direction of counterintelligence 
activities for the Marine Corps into the future.
  Mr. Speaker, few can match the dedication and Esprit de Corps that 
Paul Contreras has displayed over his twenty-five years of service to 
Corps and country. We wish Paul continued success in his future 
endeavors. Many thanks to Master Sergeant Contreras. Our Nation has 
benefited from his outstanding leadership

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