[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8322-8323]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING GENERAL LARRY R. ELLIS, COMMANDING GENERAL, U.S. ARMY FORCES 
                      COMMAND, FORT McPHERSON, GA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAVID SCOTT

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 4, 2004

  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor General Larry R. 
Ellis, Commanding General of U.S. Army Forces Command, on the occasion 
of his retirement from military service on May 7, 2004. His 
distinguished military career spans more than 35 years and as a four-
star general and Commander of United States Army Forces Command he is 
the highest ranking African American officer within any branch of the 
United States military.
  General Ellis assumed his current post as Commander, U.S. Army Forces 
Command (FORSCOM), at Fort McPherson, Georgia on November 21, 2001. 
FORSCOM, the Army's largest major command, consists of more than 
750,000 Active Army, U.S. Army Reserve and Army National Guard 
soldiers. FORSCOM trains, mobilizes, deploys and sustains combat ready 
forces capable of responding rapidly to crises world-wide. The FORSCOM 
commander functions as commander of the Army forces of this unified 
command and plans for and, on order, provides military support to civil 
authorities, including response to natural disasters and civil 
emergencies.
  As the Army service component commander for U.S. Joint Forces 
Command, General Ellis has been responsible for the training and 
readiness of Army forces stationed in the continental U.S. and with the 
mission of performing as the Department of Defense's premier force 
provider, meeting the needs of Combatant Commanders worldwide. 
Therefore, General Ellis has overseen the preparation and deployment of 
every active duty division in the United States. In addition, he has 
commanded the mobilization, training, and deployment of more than 
225,000 reserve component soldiers in more than 550 units across the 
nation.
  Previously, General Ellis commanded the 1st Armored Division in Bad 
Kreuznach, Germany from May, 1997 to July, 1999. Following this 
division command, General Ellis served as Deputy Chief of Staff, 
Operations, and Plans from August, 1999 to November, 2001. When 
terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, General 
Ellis was responsible for Army operations, planned and executed the 
Army's role in the National Military Strategy, and developed and 
implemented the Army's Transformation Campaign Plan. The Army's 
Transformation Campaign Plan serves as the Army's roadmap into the 21st 
century which General Ellis devised as a comprehensive modernization of 
the Army's doctrine, training, leadership and education, organizations, 
soldiers, personnel, and facilities through the year 2010. As part of 
this project, he oversaw the research, development, and fielding of the 
Stryker family of vehicles and designed ``Task Force Soldier'' which 
codified the Army's warrior ethos and fostered the redesign of basic 
combat training.
  General Ellis devised the Army's initial response to the September 
11th attacks which involved the deployment of force protection and 
security units to Washington, D.C. and the Capitol region, chemical and 
munitions storage facilities, airports and other transportation 
terminals, military installations across the world, and the nation's 
borders. He also led the deployment of Army forces to combat the war on 
terror in Afghanistan.
  General Ellis has served in the United States, Vietnam, Germany, the 
Republic of

[[Page 8323]]

Korea, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. His command assignments include lst 
Armored Division, Germany; Multinational Division (North), Bosnia and 
Herzegovina; Assistant Division Commander, 2d Infantry Division, Korea; 
Brigade Commander, 3d Infantry Division, Germany Battalion Commander, 
5th Infantry Division, Fort Polk, La.; Company Commander, 101st 
Airborne Division, Vietnam; and 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
  General Ellis' awards include the Defense Distinguished Service 
Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior 
Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the 
Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf 
Clusters, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf 
Cluster, the National Defense Service Medal with three stars, the Armed 
Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with three stars, 
the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry/Palm, 
the Korean Cheonsu Medal, the German Armed Forces Honor Cross (Gold), 
the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Senior Parachutist 
Badge, the Office of Secretary of Defense Staff Identification Badge, 
the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, and the Army General 
Staff Identification Badge.
  General Ellis received a Bachelor of Science degree from Morgan State 
University and a Master of Science degree from Indiana University. He 
is married to Jean and has two daughters, Renee and Debra. Ebony 
Magazine recently recognized General Ellis as one of the ``100 plus 
most influential people in America.'' General Ellis enjoys physical 
fitness activities, traveling, and playing golf. Responding to an 
inquiry about his future plans, General Ellis says he is ``sprinting to 
the finish line, moving 101 miles per hour, and has not slowed to 
consider what he will do following retirement.''
  Due to his honorable military career, I am pleased to honor him and 
his service to this great country. God bless General Larry Ellis and 
his family.

                          ____________________