[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 21, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3055-S3056]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL LAUREN A. HARRISON

  Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a great American and 
an exceptional member of the U.S. Air Force, Lt. Col. Lauren Harrison.
  As an Air Force Senate legislative liaison officer from April 2023 to 
May 2024, Lauren performed her duties well and without reservation 
supporting the 118th U.S. Congress. Hailing from Puyallup, WA, and a 
graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Lauren has served in the Air 
Force for over 15 years. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated 
exceptional and unrivaled officership. She is a senior pilot with over 
2,700 hours of flight time--1,200 of which are in combat. Lieutenant 
Colonel Harrison was formerly an E-3 formal training unit instructor 
pilot, where she developed highly-skilled and mission-ready aviators 
prepared to meet global challenges.
  Lieutenant Colonel Harrison distinguished herself through her 
professional character and dedication by serving this Nation in uniform 
as a Department of the Air Force legislative liaison to the Senate. In 
this role she advised the Department's senior leaders and helped 
develop strategic engagement opportunities to advance U.S. Air Force 
and U.S. Space Force priorities. Her leadership facilitated seamless 
collaboration on behalf of the Department of the Air Force across 62 
congressional offices, serving as the principal Air Force liaison to 20 
Senators and their respective staffs. She supported numerous 
engagements and delegations for 150 Senators, Congressmen, and 
staffers, including my own staff, to showcase Department equities in 
the United States and abroad. Most notably, Lauren spearheaded efforts 
across eight organizations, leading a 28-person team to successfully 
plan and execute critical briefings for key lawmakers. These briefings, 
including the Secretary of the Air Force Imperatives Briefings for 
Members of Congress and the China Threat briefing for new Senate Armed 
Services Committee Members, effectively communicated the Department's 
modernization and resource requirements to address pacing challenges 
abroad. Her efforts helped ensured the Department of the Air Force's 
support of the National Defense Strategy in our return to Great Power 
Competition.
  A skilled relationship builder, Lauren expertly conveyed Department 
of the Air Force positions on the Air Force Future Design. Responding 
to Senate staff feedback regarding the clarity of Air Force program 
messaging, Lauren drove a proactive collaborative effort to enhance 
communication with Congress. Working across six divisions, she 
organized a series of five targeted briefings for Armed Services 
Committee staff, fostering greater transparency and bolstering 
congressional support for the Department of the Air Force's 
modernization strategy and priorities.
  Finally, Lauren cultivated strong relationships with Members of 
Congress through insightful and consistent engagement. She organized 9 
trips showcasing 26 defense installations to 3 Senators and 46 
staffers, demonstrating transparency and building understanding of 
Department of the Air Force operations. Lauren's significant efforts 
led to 79 successful engagements between this governing body and senior 
Department of Defense officials, including the Secretary of the Air 
Force. All of these engagements helped U.S. Senators and their staffs 
understand defense equities and their impact on national security. Due 
to her direct involvement and stewardship, Members of Congress were 
able to make informed decisions and ensured the Department of the Air 
Force was properly resourced and funded.
  After serving in this crucial role and becoming a fixture on Capitol 
Hill, Lt. Col. Lauren Harrison will move on to attend the School of 
Advanced Air and Space Studies this summer, where she will learn to 
develop strategy and policy for the Air Force and the Nation. Lauren 
and her husband William, who is also a command pilot in the U.S. Air

[[Page S3056]]

Force, have together flown over 2,500 combat hours as Air Force 
aviators and have instilled a legacy of service for their children 
Lillian, Corrie, and Claire. They have sacrificed much as a family in 
service to our Nation. I am thankful for Lauren's service and her work 
with my office and the Senate over the past year on issues of vital 
importance to the defense of the United States. I salute this American 
patriot whose selfless service has kept our country safe and strong.

                          ____________________