[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15573]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR WILLIAM T. BISSONETTE, JR. FOR 
HIS YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE U.S. ARMY AND AS GARRISON COMMAND SERGEANT 
                     MAJOR AT FORT McCOY, WISCONSIN

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                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 9, 2013

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished 
service of Command Sergeant Major William T. Bissonette, whose tenure 
as Garrison Command Sergeant Major at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, concludes 
October 10, 2013. CSM Bissonette's official retirement from the U.S. 
Army Reserves is January 31, 2014.
  CSM Bissonette's 32 years of dedicated service in the U.S. Army is 
noteworthy in every respect. CSM Bissonette assumed his duties at Fort 
McCoy on June 26, 2009. Immediately prior to this assignment he served 
as the command sergeant major of the 378th Military Intelligence 
Battalion (Battlefield Surveillance Brigade).
  CSM Bissonette, a native of Massena, N.Y., entered active duty March 
16, 1982 and attended one-station unit training at Fort Benning, Ga., 
where he became an infantry anti-armor specialist. His overseas 
assignments include the Republic of Korea, the U.S. Territory of Guam 
and the Republic of Iraq. His stateside assignments include tours at 
Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Rucker, Ala.; Fort Bliss, Texas; the Pentagon; 
Fort McPherson, Ga.; and Fort Sheridan, Ill.
  CSM Bissonette has served in a variety of duty positions to include 
anti-armor specialist, machine gunner, weapons team leader, drill 
sergeant, recruiter, training and evaluation noncommissioned officer 
(NCO), unit training NCO, advanced NCO Course instructor, first 
sergeant, operations NCO, operations sergeant major, G7 sergeant major.
  He has attended various military schools including the Air Assault 
School, Drill Sergeant School, Recruiting School, Master Fitness 
Trainer Course, Battle Focused Instructor Trainer Course, Emergency 
Preparedness Course, Force Integration Course, First Sergeant Course, 
Sergeants Major Course, Command Sergeants Major Course, and Garrison 
Command Sergeants Major Course. He holds an associate degree from 
Central Texas College.
  CSM Bissonette has committed his life to serving our country and has 
received many deserving awards and decorations, including the Bronze 
Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, 
Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army 
Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Korea Defense Service 
Medal, Expert Infantry Badge, Air Assault Badge, Joint Staff 
Identification Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge, Drill Sergeant 
Identification Badge, Basic Recruiter Badge with two Gold Stars, Joint 
Meritorious Unit Award, and the Army Superior Unit Award, as well as 
various campaign and service medals.
  It has been an honor for me to serve as U.S. Representative for 
Wisconsin's Third Congressional District during CSM Bissonette's tenure 
at Fort McCoy. During his service at Fort McCoy, CSM Bissonette helped 
transform this vital national training center into one of the Army's 
best and most effective of the seven active Army Power Projection 
Platforms. I know his leadership will be greatly missed at the base and 
surrounding communities, but I am thankful for his leadership and 
contributions to ensuring that Fort McCoy remains a shining star in the 
nation's military training infrastructure.
  On behalf of my constituents in Wisconsin and a grateful nation, I 
would like to thank and commend CSM Bissonette for his years of 
dedicated service in the U.S. Army and in particular as Garrison 
Command Sergeant Major at Fort McCoy. My best wishes to him, his wife 
Katherine and their children Michael and Samantha.

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