[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 1, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING COLONEL GREG FORD

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIMMY PANETTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 1, 2020

  Mr. PANETTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Colonel Greg 
Ford for his 24 years of military service and to congratulate him on 
the occasion of his retirement from the United States Army. Colonel 
Ford assumed command of Presidio of Monterey (POM) in June 2018 and has 
served not only the post, but also the broader community with 
distinction. It has been a privilege to work alongside Colonel Ford 
over the past two years, and it is my honor to recognize his service on 
the House floor today.
  Colonel Ford earned a bachelor's degree from Western Oregon 
University in 1996, and was commissioned a Military Intelligence Second 
Lieutenant through ROTC. He later held numerous assignments within the 
101st Airborne, deploying to Operation Iraqi Freedom multiple times 
between 2001 and 2006. In 2010, Ford transferred to Hawaii where he 
served as the U.S. Army Pacific G2 Operations Chief and later as the 
25th Infantry Division G2. Between these assignments, Ford deployed to 
Afghanistan from 2014 to 2015. Upon his return, Ford became a U.S. Army 
War College Fellow at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for 
Security Studies. From there, he served in the Republic of Korea as the 
G2 Chief of Operations for the 8th U.S. Army.
  In the two years that Colonel Ford served as Garrison Commander at 
the Presidio of Monterey, he has made a lasting impact on base 
operations, military families, and the wellbeing of the broader 
community. He was a leading advocate for Presidio of Monterey Housing 
residents and worked tirelessly to ensure safe and quality housing to 
our servicemembers and their families. My office has received countless 
testimonials from POM residents who credit Colonel Ford with improving 
their health and safety through his advocacy efforts and direct 
communication with anyone in need of assistance.
  Colonel Ford continuously engaged on the Fort Ord Reuse Authority 
Board to ensure Army equities and community reuse goals were 
synchronized. He also worked to strengthen ties between POM and the 
local community, including organizing rehearsals of the Peninsula 
Evacuation Plan with the City of Monterey for the first time in a 
decade.
  During his command, Colonel Ford worked with local organizations and 
leaders to improve support to Gold Star Families, Exceptional Family 
Members, and Housing Residents. In doing so, he sought ways to 
integrate local efforts, such as Stonepine Estate, Operation Care and 
Comfort, and Hayward Scores, to better support the military community.
  Most recently, Colonel Ford rose to the challenge as COVID-19 reached 
the central coast of California. He coordinated with the County and 
local municipalities to ensure that Garrison actions were synchronized 
with local efforts. Additionally, Colonel Ford quickly implemented 
safety measures through POM and held regular virtual townhalls to 
ensure the Military community remained informed in the midst of the 
pandemic. His actions undoubtably contributed to the relatively small 
impact of COVID-19 within POM.
  It has been a pleasure having Colonel Ford and his wife, Mrs. Rebecca 
Ford, in Monterey for the past two years. Madam Speaker, please join me 
in congratulating Colonel Ford on his retirement and expressing 
gratitude for his and his family's many years of honorable service to 
our country.

                          ____________________