[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 202 (Tuesday, December 1, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO MAJOR MARK BEDRIN

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, today I want to take a few minutes to 
recognize MAJ Mark Bedrin for his exemplary dedication to duty and 
service as an Army congressional fellow and congressional budget 
liaison for the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Financial Management 
and Comptroller. Major Bedrin is transitioning from his present 
assignment to continue his service to our country as an Army officer.
  The cornerstone of Mark's success as an officer is his family. He is 
a dedicated husband to his wife Katie and a devoted father to his 
children: daughter Elizabeth and son Patrick. They provide the 
foundation for Mark's service, and they are his off-time partners in 
travel, canoeing, fishing, and exploring the great outdoors.
  A native of Kirkwood, NY, Major Bedrin graduated from Pennsylvania 
State University in 2009, with a bachelor of arts in history, and 
commissioned into the Infantry branch, where he served as a platoon 
leader and company commander. Other notable previous assignments 
include platoon leader, Attack Company, 1-32 IN, 3rd BCT, 10th Mountain 
Division at Fort Drum, NY, and Afghanistan; assistant operations 
officer, rifle troop commander, and headquarters and headquarters troop 
commander, 1st Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army Europe, in 
Germany, Afghanistan, and Egypt. His operational deployments include 
two combat tours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 
Afghanistan and one peacekeeping tour supporting the Multinational 
Force and Observers, MFO, in Egypt.
  Following a successful command tour, Mark applied to and was selected 
for the highly competitive U.S. Army Congressional Fellowship Program. 
This program enables outstanding military officers and DOD civilians to 
bring their talents to the hill and to work in a Member's office as a 
congressional defense fellow to learn firsthand how Congress operates. 
It also provides an opportunity for the fellow to earn a master's 
degree in legislative affairs at George Washington University, GWU.
  Mark joined my office as an Army congressional fellow in January 
2017, and we had the great benefit of his service on Team Moran for a 
year before he departed for the Pentagon in January 2018 for a 
utilization tour as a congressional budget liaison with the Assistant 
Secretary of the Army, Financial Management and Comptroller.
  Mark has worked tirelessly with Members of Congress and congressional 
staff to accurately articulate and to timely provide the Army's budget 
positions to the Appropriations Committees and to answer questions 
related to Army programs and priorities for Members of Congress and 
congressional staff. His dedication, professionalism, and commitment to 
the Army are unmatched, and his work both as a fellow and as a liaison 
successfully represented the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense to 
the U.S. Congress.
  Throughout his career, Major Bedrin has 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 invaluable service 
to the U.S. Congress.
  It has been a genuine pleasure to have worked with Major Mark Bedrin 
over the last 3 years. On behalf of a grateful nation, I join my 
colleagues today in recognizing and commending Mark for his service to 
our country, and we wish Mark and his family all the very best in their 
future endeavors.

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