[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17954-17955]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR RACHEL L. FAILS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LATHAM

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 21, 2013

  Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate 
Command Sergeant Major Rachel L. Fails for appointment

[[Page 17955]]

as the Senior Enlisted Leader of the Iowa National Guard. This is a 
truly momentous occasion for the State of Iowa as Rachel is the first 
female Senior Enlisted Leader in the Iowa National Guard's 175-year 
history.
  CSM Fails currently resides in Grimes, but was raised in Nashua, Iowa 
where she graduated from Nashua High School in 1987. Rachel began her 
27-year military career in 1986 when she enlisted with the Iowa Army 
National Guard's 1133rd Transportation Company based in Mason City. 
Upon graduation from basic training and AIT in 1987, Rachel attained 
two Military Occupational Specialties as a Heavy-Wheeled Vehicle Driver 
and a Unit Supply Specialist. CSM Fails is also a graduate of the U.S. 
Army Sergeants Major Academy resident course and multiple Non-
Commissioned Officer courses. In 1996, Rachel also received an 
associate's degree in Business from North Iowa Area Community College.
  Over the course of her career, Rachel has served her country in 
numerous full-time roles including unit armorer, unit supply sergeant, 
operations sergeant major, and various NCO roles. Throughout her 
service to our state and nation, Rachel has been placed across Iowa and 
across the globe in station assignments from Centerville to Johnston 
and as far away as Kosovo and Iraq. CSM Fails was deployed twice to the 
Middle East, during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield in 1990, 
and Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom in 2008.
  Mr. Speaker, as an outspoken supporter of Iowa's National Guard I 
have always been impressed with the remarkable men and women who serve 
in this organization. Rachel Fail's career is a great example for our 
men and women in uniform and what Iowans are capable of through hard 
work and unwavering commitment to a cause greater than themselves. I 
applaud Command Sergeant Major Fails on her most recent promotion and 
wish her the greatest success. It is a great honor to represent her in 
the United States Congress. I invite my colleagues in the House to join 
me in congratulating Rachel, and all of Iowa's servicemembers, on the 
continued excellence in service they provide to the State of Iowa, and 
our nation as a whole.

                          ____________________