[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10837]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  A TRIBUTE TO UNITED STATES AIR FORCE COLONEL JAMES S. DAVIS ON THE 
                       OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 2002

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to call your attention to the 
fact that on Sept. 1, 2002, the retirement of a highly distinguished 
officer in the United States Air Force--and a lifelong friend of mine--
will become effective. The actual last day of service for Col. James S. 
Davis, Director of Operations for Alaskan Command at Elmendorf Air 
Force Base, Alaska, is June 28, which is why I wish to speak tonight 
about Jim and his career of service to this Nation.
  It certainly dates us, Mr. Speaker, when we recall with fondness 
those students in our class whose skill and commitment to high school 
studies, particularly math and science, was marked by a plastic pocket 
protector in the shirt and a slide rule on a belt clip. Jim Davis was 
one such student, but Jim was also uniquely friendly and extroverted, 
and his own academic aptitude never set him apart and away from his 
classmates. All Jim's classmates shared the same thought: Jim Davis 
will go very far. What we didn't know, Mr. Speaker, is that he would go 
very high and very fast, as well.
  Jim was commissioned an Air Force officer in 1975, when he graduated 
from the University of Michigan with an engineering degree. After 
completing pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma, he was 
assigned as a T-37 instructor pilot with the German Air Force pilot 
training program at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. In 1980, he was 
selected to fly the F-16 fighter at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, 
and then was posted to a series of duty stations with jobs of ever-
increasing responsibility: Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; Kunsan Air 
Base, Republic of South Korea; Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; Shaw Air 
Force Base, South Carolina; and Osan Air Base, Republic of South Korea.
  Jim has logged more than 3,400 flight hours--more than 2,200 of them 
in the F-16--and he flew 29 combat missions during Operation Desert 
Storm. That campaign earned Jim both the Distinguished Flying Cross and 
the Air Medal. Jim has also been awarded an oak leaf cluster for the 
Air Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal 
with one oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with five oak 
leaf clusters, the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Joint Service 
Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the combat 
Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
  From June 1996 to August 1998, Jim worked in our own backyard, Mr. 
Speaker, serving at the Pentagon on the staff of the Joint Chiefs of 
Staff, before returning to Nellis Air Force Base, where he served as 
commander of the 414th Combat Training Squadron and then commander of 
the 57th Operations Group.
  It's been a long and distinguished career for the brilliant young 
math and science wizard from Gladstone High School, Although our paths 
have never crossed as much as I would have liked, I still frequently 
see his folks, Edward and Millie, and, in fact, the Davis home on the 
comer of Montana and 12th in Gladstone is one of the milestones on my 
annual 4th of July parade walk through the community. I've known all 
the Davis family, including his brother Tom, who lives with his wife 
Cindi just north of Gladstone in Brampton Township; brother Mike, who 
lives with his wife Teri in Colorado; and Jim's sister Jean, who lives 
with her parents.
  Our floor schedule won't allow me to join Jim at his retirement bash 
in Alaska, so I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Jim and his 
wife Camella all the best in Jim's retirement years, and I ask you and 
our House colleagues to join with me in offering this distinguished 
career officer a hearty, ``Thanks . . . and well done!''

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