[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 142 (Thursday, September 12, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING COLONEL SUZANNE C. NIELSEN FOR HER SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PATRICK RYAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 12, 2024

  Mr. RYAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments 
of Colonel Suzanne C. Nielsen, Professor and Head of the Department of 
Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
  She graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in the class of 1991 
with a B.S. in political science. She holds a master's degree from the 
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and is an alumna of the 
National War College. She also has a Ph.D. in political science from 
Harvard University. Colonel Nielsen serves on the governing council of 
the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society and is a 
member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
  Upon commissioning, Colonel Nielsen moved to Augsburg, Germany, where 
she served as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, and 
Operations Officer for the 204th MI Battalion, 66th MI Brigade. She 
then went on to serve in many roles in the United States Military, both 
at home and abroad, from 1995 to 2009, including serving in Korea and 
Iraq. Her career at West Point began in 1999 as an Instructor and 
Assistant Professor with the Department of Social Sciences. Colonel 
Nielsen assumed the role of Professor and Deputy Head of the Department 
of Social Sciences at West Point in 2013 and became the head of the 
department in 2016, where she has served since.
  Colonel Nielsen has written six books, including her most recent 
American National Security, published by Johns Hopkins University Press 
in 2018. Over her distinguished 34-year career, Colonel Nielsen has 
proven herself to be a superb Soldier, an inspirational leader, and an 
outstanding educator. As the Head of the Department of Social Sciences 
for the past eight years, Colonel Nielsen's leadership has positioned 
the department to provide a 21st-century outlook for cadets, faculty, 
staff, and the Army.
  Colonel Nielsen's unwavering dedication to duty and her lifelong 
impact on the careers of faculty members and future Army officers have 
contributed immeasurably to the Department of Social Sciences and the 
United States Military Academy. I commend Colonel Nielsen for her life-
long service and wish her all the best as she transitions to civilian 
life and continues to serve in new ways.

                          ____________________