[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 132 (Monday, July 27, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4504-S4505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO JAMES ``RUSTY'' MITCHELL

 Ms. SINEMA. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Lt. 
Col. (Ret.) James ``Rusty'' Mitchell on his retirement from the 
Community Initiatives Team--CIT--at Luke Air Force Base in my home 
State of Arizona.
  Rusty first joined the Air Force in 1976 and spent years serving his 
country around the globe. Rusty also spent a significant amount of his 
Air Force career at Arizona military installations, serving as an A-10 
jet instructor at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and

[[Page S4505]]

having several different roles at Luke Air Force Base involving the F-
16 fighter jet. He retired from the Air Force in 1998 after 22 years of 
service to his country.
  Rusty still had a desire to fly, so after his retirement from the Air 
Force, he became a captain for United Airlines, a career that he 
enjoyed and continued for 21 years before retiring from that role last 
year.
  But despite becoming a pilot for United, it became clear that Rusty 
wasn't ready to end his service to the Air Force. In 2003, Rusty became 
the director of the Community Initiatives Team at Luke Air Force Base. 
In this role he served as a liaison between the U.S. Air Force, Luke 
Air Force Base, the State of Arizona and 11 of the local cities and 
municipalities surrounding the base. He played a vital role in helping 
Luke Air Force Base secure the F-35 training mission, bring critical 
jobs to the State and boosting the local economy. Furthermore, Rusty 
has been personally helpful to me and my staff in our official visits 
to Luke Air Force Base, numerous inquiries and countless requests for 
information.
  Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Mitchell has served this country, the Air 
Force, and Luke Air Force Base as an airman and civilian for almost 40 
years, and he will be missed. On behalf of the U.S. Congress and the 
State of Arizona, I want to thank Rusty for his service and 
congratulate him on a well-deserved retirement.

                          ____________________