[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 215 (Friday, December 18, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT TIMOTHY J. THIELE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN W. ROSE

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 18, 2020

  Mr. JOHN W. ROSE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today in tribute 
to a true patriotic Tennessean and American, Senior Master Sergeant 
Timothy J. Thiele. Sergeant Thiele will retire from the Tennessee Air 
National Guard later this month after 31 years of dedicated service to 
his state and nation for which I offer him my most sincere and 
heartfelt thanks.
  Tennessee has long been known as ``The Volunteer State,'' a nickname 
that was first heard after Tennessee sent a large contingent of 
soldiers to help fight the British during the War of 1812. The moniker 
was solidified and forever etched into the history of our state in 1846 
when Tennessee was asked to send 2,800 soldiers to help fight the 
Mexican-American War, but over 30,000 Tennesseans volunteered to go.
  Sergeant Thiele's 31 years of volunteer military service is a modem 
manifestation of that proud Tennessee legacy of honor and sacrifice 
during which he deployed overseas eleven separate times as a part of 
Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, Freedom 
Sentinel, and New Dawn. Closer to home, and as a part of its unique 
dual role, the National Guard is often called into action to provide 
relief and assistance during ruinous natural disasters. Sergeant Thiele 
was an important part of such efforts on three separate occasions when 
Hurricanes Gustav, Rita, and Katrina devastated regions of our country. 
His valiant efforts and those of his fellow Guard members saved lives 
and eased the pain inflicted by the storms' destruction on countless 
fellow Americans.
  I would be remiss if I didn't properly note that the families of our 
men and women in uniform also sacrifice much, especially when their 
loved ones in the military deploy overseas. Two-parent families 
suddenly become one-parent families in a practical sense, with the 
obvious burden that ensues. Sergeant Thiele's wife of 20 years, Tyran, 
along with his children Tanner and Addison, sacrificed along with him 
during his deployments, albeit in different ways. Military families 
understand all too well the sacrifice represented by missed birthdays, 
holidays, and other special occasions while their loved ones are 
separated from them in service to their country. For this I want to 
extend my sincere thanks to Sergeant Thiele's family as well for their 
own dedication and service to our nation.
  As Sergeant Thiele rose through the ranks during his career, he 
personally trained hundreds of AeroMed Evacuation personnel in 
Tennessee in addition to leading multistate joint medical training 
efforts. He became known as a ``proven leader'' and a ``superior role 
model'' by his own superiors, and I couldn't agree more. It is truly an 
honor to represent this genuine, modem day patriot in the United States 
Congress.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating 
Senior Master Sergeant Timothy J. Thiele on his retirement, in thanking 
him and his family for their sacrifice and service, and in wishing them 
well in all their future endeavors.

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