[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 190 (Friday, December 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7319-S7320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO CHRISTINE RAHLF

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate and honor the 
service of Christine ``Chris'' Rahlf, my veterans services 
representative. Soon, Chris will retire from the U.S. Senate after a 
lengthy career serving the people of Wisconsin and our Nation.
  Chris began her career as an officer in the Navy Civil Engineer 
Corps. Equipped with a BS in Civil Engineering from Marquette 
University in Milwaukee, Chris began her Federal service managing 
construction projects at the Naval Training Center in Newport, RI. She 
later moved to California, where she directed the quality assurance 
program and supervised more than 100 evaluators at Diego Garcia. She 
finished her Active service in the Navy as the course director for the 
Naval Facilities Contracts Training Center, improving both course pass 
rates and test scores, as well as developing models for future course 
curricula.
  Following her time in the Navy, Chris received an MBA at San Diego 
State University and worked in project management at several large 
corporations based in California. Upon her return to Wisconsin, she 
joined Faith Technologies located in Menasha and held a variety of 
leadership positions during her time on their team. She developed 
strong relationships in her local community, later running for a seat 
in the Wisconsin State Assembly to serve Northern Ozaukee County and 
Washington County.
  In early 2019, we were fortunate to have Chris join our staff. Her 
tireless work ethic and commitment to public service were evident from 
the moment we met. Chris fully dedicated herself to supporting, 
uplifting, and communicating with veterans across Wisconsin something 
you could say she has spent her entire life doing. As the daughter of a 
100 percent disabled veteran, wife of a veteran, mother of two 
servicemembers, and as a veteran herself, Chris brought the perspective 
and

[[Page S7320]]

candor of all these different facets of her life experience together to 
address the specific needs of veterans and their families.
  Chris immediately continued to build strong relationships with 
veterans and veteran's organizations across the State, demonstrating 
time and time again to Wisconsin's veteran community that our team 
works hard and gets results. She was recognized as being tough but fair 
in her work, holding Agencies accountable and garnering respect and 
trust throughout the State by her approach. She has helped veterans and 
their families establish closure through obtaining missing service 
records and medals, fought for pay and services owed to them, and 
tackled systemic problems in the VA medical system to address incorrect 
diagnoses and quality of care issues. Her efforts have made a lasting 
and positive impact on both individual veterans and the wider veterans 
community in Wisconsin.
  When news spread about Chris's upcoming retirement, I heard from many 
Wisconsin veterans about the quality of her work, her compassion, and 
her dedication to service. To have earned that kind of respect says all 
that needs to be said for what Chris means to our office and the work 
she has done. We will miss her leadership, enthusiasm, and steadfast 
commitment to service.
  Chris, thank you for your service to our nation. And thank you for 
your service to the veterans of Wisconsin.

                          ____________________