[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 199 (Thursday, December 12, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S7024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO MAJOR BRAD CATON

  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to MAJ Brad Caton 
for his exemplary dedication to duty while serving as a Department of 
Defense congressional fellow and a congressional budget liaison for the 
Assistant Secretary of the Army, Financial Management and Comptroller. 
This month, he will begin his transition to serve as a budgetary 
analyst in the Army's Budget Office.
  As a native of Libby, MT, Brad was commissioned as an infantry 
officer upon graduation from the University of Montana, where he earned 
a bachelor's of science degree in business administration. A dedicated 
scholar, Brad went on to earn his master of business administration 
from the University of Montana and later a master's degree in 
legislative affairs from the George Washington University. Brad has 
been very successful in his Army career and has served in a broad range 
of assignments.
  His billets have spanned from serving as an infantry platoon 
commander with the 4th Infantry Division with a deployment to Iraq to 
assignments managing the Army's financial resources. Brad exemplifies 
what it means to be a Montanan with his leadership, perseverance, and 
versatility. This was evident during his first assignment as a budget 
analyst for U.S. Army Central Command and while he commanded the 
Pontiac Recruiting Company in Eastern, MI. Following command, Brad 
continued to display his Montana Resolve as the support operations 
officer at Camp Carroll, Republic of Korea. Additionally, he was 
deployed to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan while serving as the deputy 
assistant chief of staff, financial management for the 1st Armored 
Division.
  In 2017, Brad served as my Department of Defense congressional 
fellow. For a year, I had the privilege of working closely with Brad. 
He was extremely passionate about serving and representing Montanans. 
He consistently went above and beyond his immediate responsibilities to 
work in areas outside of the veterans and defense realm. He used his 
insight as a Montanan to provide critical local feedback on rural 
Montana priorities, including Tribal and energy issues. He was always 
thinking of Montana while representing the Department of Defense in my 
office. Following his fellowship, Brad transitioned to serve as a 
congressional budget liaison for the U.S. Army. In this capacity Brad 
arranged and escorted me over to visit the Montana National Guard while 
they were deployed to Afghanistan over the holidays. He continued to 
work tirelessly with all Members of Congress and their staffs to 
accurately articulate the Army's budget positions to the Appropriations 
Committees. His professionalism, diligence, and commitment to the 
mission are unmatched, and his work both as a fellow and as a liaison 
was outstanding and represented the Department of Defense and U.S. Army 
to the U.S. Congress well.
  The foundation of Brad's military success is his family and his 
Montana roots. In fact, Brad bought a house in Red Lodge during his 
fellowship which he hopes to retire to 1 day. He is a devoted husband 
to his wife, Eryn Beckman of Colstrip, MT, and a committed father to 
his children, Isabel, Evan, Pierce, and Audrey. Brad and Eryn's 
attitude of service, sacrifice, and care for others permeates every 
organization and activity they participate in, and they are truly 
examples of servant leaders in the Army and their communities.
  Throughout his career, Brad has exemplified what it truly means to be 
a Montanan as he positively impacted soldiers, peers, and superiors. 
Our country has benefited tremendously from his extraordinary 
leadership, judgment, and passion. I join my colleagues today in 
honoring his dedication to our Nation and his invaluable service to the 
U.S. Congress as an Army congressional liaison.
  It has been a genuine pleasure to have worked with MAJ Brad Caton 
over the past 3 years. On behalf of a grateful nation, I join my 
colleagues today in recognizing and commending Brad for his service to 
our country, and we wish him all the best as he continues service in 
the U.S. Army.

                          ____________________