[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 130 (Wednesday, July 31, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



              Tribute to Lieutenant General Aundre Piggee

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a remarkable 
Arkansan at the end of a 38-year Army career.
  LTG Aundre Piggee, who will retire in September, is the Deputy Chief 
of Staff of the Army for Logistics. His nearly four-decade career has 
taken him literally all over the world, but his roots are and always 
have been in Arkansas.
  The general was born in Stamps, AR, which is a small town in 
Lafayette County with fewer than 3,000 people. The son of a World War 
II Army veteran, the general didn't have his sights set on a career of 
military service from a young age. After graduating from high school, 
he chose to go to the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, which is about 
2\1/2\ hours from home. He was a smart kid, so he received an academic 
scholarship to attend school.
  There was no real reason for him to choose to go into the ROTC. In 
fact, according to him, the only reason he entered the Army ROTC was 
because the school allowed him to substitute it for an otherwise 
mandatory physical education class that would have required him to walk 
all the way across the campus. That seemingly mundane decision to save 
himself a few steps each day and maybe allow him to sleep in a few more 
minutes ended up being a life-changing decision for him. It set him on 
a path to an extraordinary career that he probably couldn't have 
dreamed of at the time.
  Years later, the general served in jobs in Fort Hood, TX; Seoul, 
South Korea; Kaiserslautern, Germany; MacDill Air Force Base in 
Florida, and many other places. He deployed to Kuwait, Bosnia, and 
Iraq. He commanded thousands of soldiers and managed an $11 billion 
Army portfolio. He led capacity-building efforts in Iraq and headed 
train-and-equip missions in Syria. He also directed logistics works in 
the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. For his exemplary 
service, the general earned the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the 
Distinguished Service Medal, and many other recognitions.
  Throughout all of his great accomplishments and prominent positions, 
he has maintained a strong connection to his alma mater and his 
Arkansas roots.
  For his work with and on behalf of his school, the current chancellor 
at UAPB, Laurence Alexander, said of the general:

       He not only serves as a beacon of light and hope to our 
     university and our community, but also to our state and our 
     country. He continues to positively impact the lives of many, 
     as well as inspiring a new generation of future military 
     leaders.

  For all of his accomplishments, the general was inducted into the 
Arkansas Black Hall of Fame last year. Now he has decided that it is 
time to take off his Army uniform and pursue his next adventure with 
his wife, Kassi.
  The general has risen to such incredible heights during his career. 
He is a hero in the sense of his outstanding military service, but more 
importantly, he is a hero in the sense that when you talk about duty, 
honor, country, and integrity, he is the guy who is a great example for 
all of us, one of the best we can find and look to. I am so proud to 
call him a fellow Arkansan and a friend. On behalf of all Arkansans, I 
wish him and his wife, Kassi, much happiness in the next chapter of 
their lives.
  Thank you.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.