[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 183 (Monday, November 6, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1062]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING CAPTAIN CARRIE STEPHENS UPON HER RETIREMENT FOR 33 YEARS OF 
              DEDICATED SERVICE IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN S. DUARTE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, November 6, 2023

  Mr. DUARTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Captain Carrie 
Stephens upon her retirement for 33 years of dedicated service in the 
United States Navy.
  Captain Carrie M. Stephens was born and raised in Newman, California, 
attending public school there until college. She received her Bachelor 
of Science in Business Administration from the University of the 
Pacific in June 1986. After working in the mortgage banking industry 
for a year, Captain Stephens attended McGeorge School of Law in 
Sacramento, California. In May 1990, she received her Juris Doctorate. 
While in law school, she was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award 
in Criminal Law. In November of 1990, she was commissioned in the 
United States Navy, Judge Advocate General's Corps. A month later, she 
was admitted to the California State Bar. Ms. Stephens has served a 
combined 33 years of active and reserve duty in the Navy, earning the 
rank of Captain.
  From 1991 to 1994, Captain Stephens was stationed at the Naval Legal 
Service Office Treasure Island. She practiced criminal and civil law 
and was appointed as Special Assistant United States Attorney, Civil 
Division. In 1994, Ms. Stephens was transferred to Naval Construction 
Battalion Center Port Hueneme where she served as the base attorney 
handling civil and criminal matters and was later appointed Special 
United States Attorney, Criminal Division.
  Upon her discharge from active duty in 1996, Ms. Stephens moved back 
to her hometown of Newman, and joined the Stanislaus County Public 
Defender's Office. As a Deputy Public Defender, Ms. Stephens handled 
all types of complex criminal matters. In 1999, she received a position 
with the office of Stanislaus County Counsel where for 18 years she 
represented the county child welfare agency, advocating for the 
protection of abused and neglected children.
  In 2018, Captain Stephens was elected Superior Court Judge for the 
Stanislaus County Superior Court. She is the current Judge, presiding 
over the felony criminal department.
  Despite leaving active-duty service, Captain Stephens continued her 
affiliation with the U.S. Navy Reserve. In early 2010, Captain Stephens 
was selected to become a military judge. After receiving specialized 
training at the Army Judge Advocate General's School in 
Charlottesville, Virginia, she was certified as a Special and General 
courts-martial judge where she presided over courts-martial from June 
2010 to November 2015. She was elevated to Chief Judge, Navy and Marine 
Corps Trial Judiciary, Reserve Component in December 2013 and for two 
years, commanded a cadre of military judges. Thereafter, she was 
selected Commanding Officer, NR RLSO Japan for a two-year billet.
  Through a competitive selection process, Captain Stephens was 
designated an appellate judge assigned to the Navy and Marine Court of 
Criminal Appeals from December 2017 to December 2019. From 2019 to the 
present, Captain Stephens has been with the Navy Reserve NAMARA Policy 
conducting legal reviews of courts-martial on behalf of the Judge 
Advocate General of the Navy and has served as a Special Assistant for 
the Deputy Advocate General for Reserve Affairs and Operations and 
Awards Board President.
  Captain Carrie Stephens exemplifies the highest standards of duty, 
honor, and commitment through her 33-year career in the United States 
Navy. Not only is she an inspiration to her community of Newman, but 
she has also earned the admiration of California's 13th Congressional 
District. And this well-deserved retirement marks a new chapter in her 
life that she can cherish with her loving husband Tim Bazar, and their 
three amazing children: Olivia, Sydney, and Cameron.

                          ____________________