[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO COLONEL WILLIAM V. WENGER

 Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, it is my privilege to recognize the 
tremendous accomplishments of COL William V. Wenger on the occasion of 
his receipt of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts 
of America and the National Eagle Scout Association. Colonel Wenger has 
lived a life of honor, faith, and service. He is a patriot who has made 
America a safer and better nation.
  Colonel Wenger served in the U.S. Army for more than 42 years, 
commanding American soldiers across the country and around the world. 
He served in the Gulf war, helped reestablish order in Los Angeles 
after the Rodney King riots, and provided military support to law 
enforcement after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
  In 2000, Colonel Wenger retired from the military, only to return to 
Active service after the September 11 terrorist attacks. He then 
volunteered for two tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where 
he worked to bring stability, security, and the rule of law to lands 
haunted by terrorism. Among other contributions, he trained Iraqi and 
Afghan police and led counter-IED training efforts to save the lives of 
his fellow coalition soldiers and police.
  Throughout his military career, Colonel Wenger demonstrated 
extraordinary tactical, strategic, combat advisory, and logistical 
leadership abilities. He consistently volunteered for difficult 
assignments, overcame daunting challenges, and relentlessly pursued 
excellence. He is precisely the kind of clear-eyed, tough minded, 
mission-oriented leader that every soldier should aspire to become.
  In the civilian world, Colonel Wenger has earned distinction as a 
manager, trainer, author, business leader, and professor of business, 
history, and military science. He is husband to Robin D. Wenger and 
father to two sons, John Paul and Patrick.
  He is also a committed philanthropist who participates in his local 
Kiwanis, Rotary Club, and Knights Templar, among other civic 
organizations. He is a U.S. Army Reserve ambassador and a leader of the 
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, which supports our Reserve 
servicemembers, their families, and their employers. The ESGR recently 
awarded Colonel Wenger its highest award, the prestigious James Roche 
Spirit of Volunteerism Award.
  More than any other civic organization, however, Colonel Wenger has 
demonstrated an exceptional, lifelong commitment to the Boy Scouts of 
America. He joined the Boy Scouts in 1954 and earned his Eagle Scout 
Award in 1963. He has since served in senior positions in the 
organization, including being elected the chief of the Tribe of 
Tahquitz. While serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, he devoted much of his 
limited free time to support the development of the Boy Scouts and Girl 
Scouts in those nations. For his work, he will receive the highest 
honor bestowed by Scouting on April 23--an honor well earned.
  A nation is only as good as its people. America is not made great by 
its geography or its founding documents alone. It is made great by the 
patriots who serve the Nation and make us proud when we look up and 
salute the American flag. It is made great by men who dedicate decades 
of their lives to protect this Nation in uniform, more than half a 
century to educating our youth to be ``physically strong, mentally 
awake, and morally straight,'' and who spend their later years teaching 
young adults about our Nation's history. In short, it is made great by 
men like Colonel Wenger.
  On behalf of a grateful nation, I would like to thank Colonel Wenger 
for his contributions to our Republic.

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