[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9722]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  A TRIBUTE TO COLONEL MICHEL RUSSELL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRETT GUTHRIE

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2012

  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Colonel Michel 
Russell, on the occasion of his return home from duty in Afghanistan.
  In his role as a United States Army Brigade Commander, Mr. Russell 
was uniquely responsible for over 50,000 United States Army Soldiers, 
Department of Army Civilians and contractors from private industry, a 
command of equivalent size to an entire Army Corps.
  Colonel Russell was commander of the 401st Army Field Support Brigade 
(AFSB) during a unique period in time. As a result of the Presidential 
directed drawdown of military forces in Afghanistan, Colonel Russell 
was responsible for ensuring the redeployment of equipment in addition 
to the 401st AFSB's traditional functions of sustaining theater forces 
with quality of life products such as food, warfighting equipment such 
as MRAPS, and developing and fielding emerging technologies to increase 
force protection and quality of life for soldiers.
  Colonel Russell and his team of soldiers, Department of the Army 
Civilians and private industry contractors created from scratch the 
Afghanistan redeployment process. This process is responsible for 
maintaining, repairing, and removing thousands of pieces of equipment 
out of Afghanistan and back to the Continental United States or other 
locations where United States Forces are stationed.
  Colonel Russell and his team serve as the ``Face to the Field'' for 
the United States Army Materiel Command, the United States Army 
Sustainment Command and the 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, 
providing all war fighters the equipment they need in the Afghanistan 
Theater to fight America's enemies who harbor ill-will toward freedom.
  I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Colonel Michel 
Russell for his steadfast commitment to the U.S. Army, his fellow 
soldiers, and his nation. We owe our freedom to men like Colonel 
Russell, whose devotion to our nation will forever be remembered and 
appreciated.

                          ____________________