[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5268]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL MARC HOFFMEISTER

  Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, I wish to recognize a fine Alaskan, 
brave warrior, dedicated military leader, and inspiration to all who 
know him. LTC Marc Hoffmeister is an Army engineer and wounded warrior 
currently serving on the staff of Alaska Command on Elmendorf AFB, AK. 
Lieutenant Colonel Hoffmeister may well be one of the most outstanding 
and motivational military leaders I have had the pleasure of knowing.
  Wounded by a roadside bomb while deployed to Iraq in 2007, he 
suffered both traumatic brain injury and a very serious physical injury 
to the left side of his body, injuries that threatened possible long-
term disability and a possible end to his military career. Lieutenant 
Colonel Hoffmeister had long been committed to his career as well as a 
life focused on the outdoors. He and his wife Gayle had a long 
reputation of intense physical training and extreme outdoor adventure. 
Now he was facing the very real possibility of a life without either.
  Today Lieutenant Colonel Hoffmeister, through sheer determination, 
dedication, and the help of his wife Gayle, is still serving our 
country and still taking on the most extreme outdoor challenges. This 
fact did not happen overnight and came at a cost--a long stay in the 
hospital, intense rehabilitation, and much physiological effort to come 
to grips with a life that would be different but not debilitated.
  During his recovery Lieutenant Colonel Hoffmeister came in touch with 
scores of other wounded warriors all dealing with life-changing 
challenges and the need to rise above them and continue living. His 
ability to help these young warriors who had made selfless sacrifices 
in service to our country turned out to be a significant motivation for 
his own recovery.
  Recently Lieutenant Colonel Hoffmeister completed climbing the 
tallest mountain in North America. At 20,320 feet, Mount McKinley, 
Denali, is referred to as ``The Great One'' and is located about 150 
miles north of Anchorage. On this climb, Lieutenant Colonel Hoffmeister 
took other wounded warriors, two of whom were amputees. Three members 
of this team, including Lieutenant Colonel Hoffmeister, made the 
summit. The climb, called Operation Denali, was planned and lead by 
Lieutenant Colonel Hoffmeister and was designed to show wounded 
warriors around the country their physical and mental injuries are not 
the end but rather a beginning of a new life.
  Marc and his wife recently went to South Africa and climbed Mount 
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania as another example of ``anything is possible,'' 
even in the face of extreme physical adversity. They both continue to 
be involved in the wounded warrior program and are routinely asked to 
provide motivational speeches to organizations around Alaska. 
Lieutenant Colonel Hoffmeister was recently chosen as the National 
Geographic Readers Choice Adventurer of the Year for 2009.
  Madam President and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the 
efforts of true warrior, hero, leader, and humanitarian, LTC Marc 
Hoffmeister, U.S. Army Alaska. We thank him for his dedication, drive, 
and selfless service both to his fellow wounded warriors as well as the 
United States of America.

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