[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23654]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL ROBERT GOULD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. J. RANDY FORBES

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 6, 2009

  Mr. FORBES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Lieutenant 
Colonel Robert Gould, who will retire from the United States Army on 1 
February 2010.
  America has long been called the land of opportunity, and the United 
States Army has served as the launching pad for many young men and 
women to reach the highest of heights. Rob Gould enlisted in the U.S. 
Army in April 1984 to commence a military career that would span nearly 
26 years. As an enlisted man, Rob completed the requisite school and 
was awarded the military occupation skill of Chaparral Air Defense 
Missile Crewman. He served 42 months in the enlisted ranks and achieved 
the rank of Sergeant before being selected for the Army's officer 
commissioning program, Green to Gold.
  Lieutenant Colonel Gould earned his commission as an Army officer 
through Army's ROTC program at the University of Arkansas. As a cadet, 
he was awarded the Chancellor's Trophy in recognition of his selection 
as Outstanding Cadet of the Year. Following commissioning, Lieutenant 
Colonel Gould entered flight school and finished second in his class.
  As an aviator, Rob proudly served his country wherever duty called. 
He deployed in support of operations in Somalia, and during his company 
command, he moved his 122 man troop from Fort Bragg, NC to Fort Polk, 
LA and later deployed in support of Operation Joint Guard in Bosnia-
Herzegovina.
  Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gould subsequently joined the Army's 
Acquisition Corps and earned an advanced degree at the Florida 
Institute of Technology. As a member of the Acquisition Corps, 
Lieutenant Colonel Gould completed assignments at the Army Logistics 
Management College and the Defense Contract Management Agency. He 
supported Operations Iraqi Freedom during two tours to Amman, Jordan 
and Baghdad, Iraq, where he served as the DCMA Officer in Charge for 
the International Zone.
  Nearly twenty-six years of service to our country, ascension from the 
enlisted ranks to a field grade officer, and excellence in flying and 
buying for the Army demonstrate that this soldier has been, and always 
will be, Army Strong!
  The lasting legacy Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gould has blazed over 
the years will be the impact on the men and women he served with and 
that of his family. This successful journey could not have been 
completed without the support of his loving wife, Cheryl, and his 
children, Jessica, Janna and Wesley. On behalf of the U.S. House of 
Representatives, the citizens of the Fourth Congressional District of 
Virginia, and the citizens of a grateful Nation, congratulations on 
your well-deserved retirement, and thank you for your service to our 
country.

                          ____________________