[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 21 (Friday, February 2, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING ALBERT J. GOMEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 2, 2018

  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lieutenant Colonel 
Albert J. Gomez on his outstanding career as he retires from serving as 
the West Point Field Force State Coordinator.
  LTC Gomez, Al, has set a standard of excellence in Idaho, leaving a 
lasting, positive impression in the lives of many. For nearly 20 years 
he has been an invaluable asset to our offices. In 2000, the Idaho 
Congressional Delegation began to hold an annual Service Academy Day. 
Service Academy Day is an opportunity to provide information to Idaho's 
best and brightest young men and women who are interested in attending 
our nation's service academies. Al has been instrumental in setting up 
Service Academy Day from the beginning while juggling deployment and 
other commitments. He has assisted numerous Idaho students with 
obtaining an exceptional educational and service opportunities 
available at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He is 
responsible for incorporating the principle method into the 
delegation's nomination process, which has made a significant 
difference in the number of Idaho appointees to West Point. In fact, he 
is considered the ``secret weapon'' in our delegation responsible for 
the high success rate of Idaho students receiving appointments to West 
Point. For LTC Gomez, his remarkable work has always been about his 
love for West Point and our country. He is known for his extraordinary 
mentorship of youth, and candidates are frequently told to listen to Al 
if they want to be successful.
  As a West Point alumni, Al has clear insight into what it takes to 
succeed at a service academy and what it means to serve our nation. He 
earned his Regular Army commission in 1979, and started his career in 
1980 as a Lance Missile Platoon Leader serving in Germany. His 
assignments took him and his family to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and 
Neckarsulm, Germany, which included command of a Pershing II missile 
nuclear capable firing battery. He served in deployments in support of 
Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He was selected to represent 
the U.S. Army and provide testimony to the Presidential Commission on 
the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces in November 1992. Al 
continued his military education with a 1994 graduation from the 
Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He 
served as a State Inspector General for both the Idaho and Guam 
National Guard for nearly a decade before his retirement from the U.S. 
Army in 2006. As a civilian, he worked for the Idaho National Guard as 
a special security officer for the Supervisor Human Resource Office 
before his current position, as the State Equal Employment Manager.
  His strong work ethic and dedication have not only given him a 
reputation among the delegation of being a go-to-guy when something 
needs to be done right and quickly, but have also contributed to him 
being recognized with many honors for his service to our country. These 
include the Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal; Meritorious Service 
Medal, 4th Award; Army Commendation Medal, 3rd Award, Army Achievement 
Medal; National Defense Service Medal, 2nd Award; and many other 
recognitions.

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