[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16019]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     CONGRATULATIONS TO LT. COL. THOMAS S. BLACK, U.S. ARMY RESERVE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ELLEN O. TAUSCHER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 14, 1999

  Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my heartfelt 
thanks to my constituent and friend Lt. Col. Thomas S. Black, the 
commander of the Parks Reserve Forces Training Area in Dublin, CA.
  Lieutenant Colonel Black assumed command of Camp Parks on August 5, 
1997, and has been a tremendous asset to both the Army Reservist and 
the surrounding community. I, and everyone who served with him at Camp 
Parks, owe him a huge debt of gratitude.
  The bonds between Camp Parks and the surrounding community have 
always been strong. However, Lieutenant Colonel Black took the 
relationship to a whole new level with his extensive use of local 
contractors, his partnership with the city of Dublin on creating new 
soccer fields and his privatization of the camp's water and wastewater 
utility system. Camp Parks has truly become one of the Tri-Valley's 
greatest treasures.
  Lieutenant Colonel Black has had a long and prestigious career in the 
U.S. military since his enlistment in the California National Guard in 
1973. He has served in southern California, Germany, Georgia, and 
Texas, and along the way has earned the U.S. Army's Meritorious Service 
Medal, the U.S. Army's Commendation Medal, the U.S. Army's Achievement 
Medal, and various other service awards and ribbons.
  I, like everyone else at Camp Parks and the surrounding community, am 
very sorry to see him leave. As a member of the Armed Services 
Committee, I have truly enjoyed working with him on issues important to 
the well-being of Camp Parks and the U.S. Army Reservist. And as the 
U.S. Representative of the 10th Congressional District, I have truly 
enjoyed the friendship I have developed with Lieutenant Colonel Black 
over the last 2 years.
  I wish he, his wife Kathy, and his sons the best at his new 
assignment in Japan. Thank you again Lieutenant Colonel Black for your 
leadership, your support, and your service to this Nation.

                          ____________________