[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 97 (Friday, June 4, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E605-E606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT OF COLONEL GERALD ``JERRY'' LUKOWSKI JR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 4, 2021

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the esteemed 
career in public service of Colonel Gerald ``Jerry'' Lukowski, Junior. 
Colonel Lukowski retires on June 5, 2021, from the apex of his service 
as Chief of Staff to the Joint Staff for the Connecticut Army National 
Guard. Having dedicated a 36-year long career toward securing the 
common defense through a distinguished vocation in the military, Jerry 
will move on and continue to benefit the State of Connecticut with his 
skill and expertise within the Connecticut Department of 
Transportation.
  Jerry's sense of duty catalyzed his service to the public through a 
military-oriented career. This was exemplified from the earliest days 
of his education, when he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant 
through the University of Connecticut's ROTC program in 1989, before 
graduating from the University of New Haven in 1991. Armed with a 
Bachelors in Civil Engineering, Second Lieutenant Lukowski set his 
sights on a path to leadership within the State's civil defense unit, 
the Connecticut Army National Guard. He put himself forward on this 
path, engaging with various career-related roles whilst simultaneously 
advancing a civilian and military education, obtaining his Master's in 
Environmental Engineering from his alma mater in 1997, completing 
countless military instruction courses and acquiring numerous licenses 
within the State's engineering apparatus as recent as 2019.
  Colonel Lukowski applied his affinity for knowledge throughout the 
ranks of his distinguished profession. His education prepared him for 
17 years of service at several stations of duty with the Combat 
Engineers and most prominently catalyzed his ability to excel in the 
latter half of his career as the Construction and Facility Management 
Officer (CFMO) for 13 years, and then Chief of Staff to the Joint Staff 
since 2016. As Chief of Staff, Colonel Lukowski greatly enhanced the 
operations of the Connecticut Army National Guard, pushing the troops 
to work with their respective units on their pre-deployment and 
redeployment requirements. During his tenure as CFMO, Colonel 
Lukowski's leadership and expertise in facilities management, fiscal 
policy and federal contracting enabled the state to obtain nearly $975 
million in Military Construction Project and Sustainment Restoration 
and Modernization funding, resulting in the planning and implementation 
of 17 total projects. His tenacity as an advocate for boosting 
Connecticut's emergency response infrastructure has well positioned our 
state's readiness capabilities for generations to come and has truly 
kept the safety of our public at heart.
  Madam Speaker, Colonel Lukowski has spent his life developing 
Connecticut's emergency response infrastructure. His example of 
selfless service now extends throughout his family--his wife Mary Beth 
and children John, Sarah, Megan and Emily--the last of whom has gone on 
to attend the US Air Force Academy after receiving a nomination from my 
office. While the Connecticut Army National

[[Page E606]]

Guard is losing an incredibly influential proponent, we can at least 
find comfort knowing that he will continue to serve the State and the 
maintenance of its essential infrastructure in the Connecticut 
Department of Transportation. Having risen through the ranks from 
Second Lieutenant in 1989, all the way to Colonel in just 18 years, 
Colonel Lukowski's impressive line of service to Connecticut has been 
displayed by his rapid rate of promotion and further by his list of 
numerous accolades. To that end, I ask my colleagues in the House join 
me in honoring and thanking Colonel Jerry Lukowski for his extensive 
history of service and wishing him and his family all the best in this 
new chapter of their lives.

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