[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 795]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO JAIME HERNANDEZ

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise to honor a man of great distinction 
and valor: Maj. Jaime I. Hernandez of the United States Air Force. It 
is my great honor to acknowledge this American hero on the cusp of his 
promotion to Lieutenant Colonel.
  Jaime is a loving son and a man of perseverance. A loyal Nevadan and 
American, he hails from Las Vegas. Upon graduating from Bonanza High 
School in 1994, Jaime entered the Air Force Academy, where he began his 
noble service to our Nation.
  Major Hernandez's promotion to Lieutenant Colonel marks another 
chapter in his inspiring story. Major Hernandez has risen through the 
ranks during his time with the Air Force--a testament to his steadfast 
dedication, unyielding courage, and impressive tactical skill. His 
career is a decorated one. Major Hernandez has served six combat 
deployments in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, logging 
more than 2900 hours in flight, 1300 of which were in combat. His work 
as Chief of Weapons and Tactics for the 37th Expeditionary Bomb 
Squadron led to hundreds of successful missions. He has proven himself 
time and again through his B-1 aircraft expertise.
  During one of his six overseas deployments, Major Hernandez earned an 
Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters. While on a mission to safeguard a 
lost team of Marines in eastern Afghanistan, Jaime and his crew were 
fired on by a team of insurgents on the ground. In an act of bravery 
and skill, Jaime and his aerial crew drew fire from the insurgents 
while the lost Marine ground team could recover and maneuver around the 
insurgent squad.
  Major Hernandez has demonstrated repeatedly his exceptional skill and 
courage. He has flown across the desert skies of both Iraq and 
Afghanistan, to provide support for operations there. Over the course 
of his career, he has served as a squadron Electronic Warfare Officer, 
Flight Commander, Instructor and Evaluator Weapon Systems Officer, Wing 
Weapons Officer, and Instructor at the USAF Weapons School.
  Major Hernandez is currently the Deputy Division Chief at Joint Base 
Langley-Eustis, and is responsible for policies and procedures relating 
to the Combat Air Forces Information Operations. Among other 
achievements, he graduated in the top third of his class from Squadron 
Officer's School and received an Outstanding Flying Award from the U.S. 
Air Force Weapons School.
  I laud Maj. Jaime I. Hernandez's dedication to the United States Air 
Force and country. His father Phillip Hernandez and their family are 
happy to celebrate Major Hernandez's upcoming promotion on February 1, 
2013, to Lieutenant Colonel.

                          ____________________