[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 90 (Thursday, May 23, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3881-S3882]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL A.C. ROPER

 Mrs. BRITT. Madam President, I wish to recognize and 
congratulate LTG A.C. Roper on his retirement as the Deputy Commander 
of the United States Northern Command and Vice Commander of the 
American element of the North American Aerospace Defense Command. I 
know that I speak for people across Alabama in expressing my gratitude 
for his countless contributions to our Nation.
 General Roper, a native of Birmingham, earned a bachelor's degree at 
Troy State University, a master's degree in criminal justice from the 
University of Alabama, and a master of strategic studies from the U.S. 
Army War College.
 He has served a total of 42 years, between Active and Reserve, 
including deployments to combat zones, as well as disaster response. In 
addition to his distinguished military service, General Roper's public 
service to his community includes 33 years of law enforcement service 
in Montgomery, Hoover, and Birmingham, where he served as the chief of 
police. His legacy of dedicated service to his community, State, and 
Nation is deserving of the highest honor and admiration.
 General Roper's remarkable military career began when he was 
commissioned into the U.S. Army in 1983 at the University of Alabama at 
Birmingham. His military education includes the Chemical Officer Basic 
and Advance Courses, Public Affairs Officers Course, Equal Opportunity 
Advisors Course, Inspector General Course, Combined Arms Staff Services 
School, Command and General Staff College, Joint Senior Reserve 
Component Officer Course, Defense Support to Civil Authorities Course, 
National Defense University's CAPSTONE Course, the NORTHCOM Joint Task 
Force Commanders Course, and Harvard University's National and 
International Security Seminar.
 He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the FBI National 
Executive Institute, where he served as an adjunct professor of 
criminal justice. He specialized in protecting critical infrastructure 
and served on the executive board of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task 
Force.
 General Roper's other general officer level assignments included 
Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort Bragg, NC, 
and

[[Page S3882]]

Deputy Chief, Army Reserve, Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, 
headquartered at the Pentagon, Washington, DC. Prior to this 
assignment, he commanded the 76th Operational Response Command in Salt 
Lake City, UT, which was the USAR's all hazard response command. He 
also served as Commanding General--80th Training Command (OPCON to 
TRADOC), Acting Deputy Commanding General--CBRN, 335th Signal Command, 
and Commander of the 415th CBRN Brigade, where he was dual-hatted as 
the Task Force Operations Commander, JTF-51, ARNORTH for the C2CRE-A 
homeland response mission.
 During General Roper's service, he deployed to Saudi Arabia during 
Operation Desert Shield, to Afghanistan in support of Operation 
Enduring Freedom, and supported Joint Task Force Andrew relief 
operations in southern Florida.
 His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, 
Legion of Merit with two oakleaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal, 
Meritorious Service Medal with three oakleaf clusters, Joint Service 
Commendation Medal, Combat Action Badge, and various other accolades. 
He also served as a principal member of the Secretary of the Army's 
Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee and the Secretary of Defense's 
Reserve Forces Policy Board.
 On behalf of the people of the great State of Alabama and our Nation, 
I offer Lieutenant General Roper my heartfelt thanks and wish him a 
long and happy retirement with his wife Edith and their two daughters. 
His career is defined by extraordinary devotion to the safety and 
security of his community and country. We truly owe him a debt of 
gratitude for his exemplary service to Alabama and the United States of 
America.

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