[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 101 (Friday, June 14, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





     HONORING THE CRITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF COLONEL CARLOS BERDECIA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN GARAMENDI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 14, 2024

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Colonel Carlos 
`Slinger' Berdecia of the United States Air Force upon his retirement 
from the U.S. Military after more than 23 years of service.
  Colonel Berdecia was born and raised in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and 
graduated from the University of North Carolina with a Bachelor of 
Science in marketing. He also holds a Master of Business Administration 
from the City University of Seattle. Colonel Berdecia began his flying 
career in 2003 at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington State, flying 
the C-17A Globemaster III with the 8th and 10th Airlift Squadrons. He 
quickly upgraded in the `Mighty Moose' from Co-Pilot to Instructor 
Pilot in just four years, flying combat operations in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. After his assignment at McChord, Colonel Berdecia taught 
the newest C-17A pilots in the 58th Airlift Squadron at Altus Air Force 
Base, Oklahoma. There, he was accepted to the United States Air Force 
Weapons School, where he graduated in 2009 and earned the callsign 
`Slinger.'
  After his time at Altus, Colonel Berdecia moved to Charleston, South 
Carolina, and became a member of the Special Operations Low Level 
community in the 16th Airlift Squadron, where he executed missions in 
support of the Combined Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 2014, he was selected 
to work as the AFRICOM J3's Executive Officer in Stuttgart, Germany, 
and in 2017, was chosen to return to Altus and Command his previous 
Squadron, the 58th Airlift Squadron `Rat Pack.' Due the trust and 
confidence his leadership had in his ability to lead, Colonel Berdecia 
was selected as a Secretary of Defense Executive Fellow with Team 
Rubicon in Los Angeles, California. After his time in Los Angeles, 
Slinger was assigned to the Pentagon, and after a tour on staff with 
the Joint Staff, he was brought back to the C-17A. His final assignment 
in the Air Force was that of the 437th Operations Group Commander at 
Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, leading the men and women of Air 
Mobility Command's Premier Operations Group.
  Colonel Berdecia's exemplary service to the United States Air Force 
spans more than 23 years and 5,000 hours in airlift aircraft. Mr. 
Speaker, on behalf of my Congressional colleagues and a grateful 
country, I extend our deepest appreciation to Colonel Carlos `Slinger' 
Berdecia and his wife Eva for their dedicated service to the United 
States Air Force and our country.

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