[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 198 (Tuesday, December 5, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7843]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                  TRIBUTE TO MAJOR REGINA RUSH-KITTLE

 Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Maj. 
Regina Rush-Kittle, a dedicated veteran and law enforcement officer 
whose strength and commitment to her community, her State, and her 
Nation merited her induction into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame 
this November.
  Her life and career have been a series of firsts. She is an amazing, 
tenacious, goal-oriented person who sets high standards for herself and 
for others. She is well-regarded by her peers and recognized for her 
willingness to always give more than 100 percent.
  Major Rush-Kittle moved with her family to Middletown, CT, as a young 
girl. She attended Middletown High School, after which she pursued a 
political science degree at the University of Connecticut. She 
subsequently obtained a master's in criminal justice at Western New 
England College.
  While at college, Major Rush-Kittle joined the U.S. Marine Corps 
Reserves, where she served for 3 years. She then transferred to the 
Army Reserves, where she continued to serve her country for more than 
two decades. During that time, she was mobilized during Operation Iraqi 
Freedom. Impressively, Major Rush-Kittle earned the Bronze Star Medal 
during her tour of duty for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, 
where she served as the command sergeant major of the 321st Military 
Intelligence Battalion of Texas. She retired from the Reserves after 30 
years of dedicated service.
  As amazing and stellar as her career serving our country, it is her 
law enforcement career where Major Rush-Kittle truly made her mark.
  Her interest in law enforcement arose when she began working as a 
corrections officer at the the York Correctional Institution, a high-
security women prison in Niantic, CT. Her passion for public safety and 
determination to knock down barriers to female advancement would lead 
Major Rush-Kittle to become the first Black female patrol officer for 
the Middletown Police Department, as well as the first Black female 
drill sergeant and command sergeant major in that organization.
  Continuing to shatter barriers, Major Rush-Kittle transferred to the 
Connecticut State Police, where she was the first African-American 
woman to become a State police sergeant, then a State police 
lieutenant, and then a major in the history of this proud and storied 
department. She also was the first to command a police barracks.
  Her devotion to serving the Connecticut State Police led her to 
enroll in the 244th Session of the the FBI National Academy in 
Quantico, VA. She also headed the Connecticut State Police Academy. Her 
studies, experiences, and devotion to law enforcement have made her a 
role model for her peers.
  Now retired from military service and law enforcement, Major Rush-
Kittle is a credit to the State of Connecticut and the country thanks 
to her unfailing sense of duty and readiness to break barriers. I am 
pleased that she is an integral part of a team of military and veteran 
volunteers who assist me in reviewing candidates to our military 
academies.
  I applaud her many accomplishments and hope my colleagues will join 
me in congratulating Major Rush-Kittle for her well-earned induction 
into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame.

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