[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4913]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL KENNETH W. McDONALD

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the accomplishments of 
LTC Kenneth McDonald, who is retiring this month after a distinguished 
career of over 28 years of service to the United States Army and the 
Nation.
  Lieutenant Colonel McDonald graduated from West Point in 1985 with a 
degree in Civil Engineering and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He subsequently served as a platoon 
leader, support platoon leader, and executive officer in the 299th 
Engineer Battalion (Corps Combat) at Fort Sill, OK. He later commanded 
Delta Company, 20th Engineer Battalion at Fort Campbell, KY and served 
as S3 and executive officer for the 577th Engineer Battalion, Fort 
Leonard Wood, MO.
  Throughout his career, Lieutenant Colonel McDonald deployed to Iraq 
for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Kosovo, and Korea. In 2006, 
Kenny volunteered for service in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi 
Freedom and served as deputy commander, Gulf Region Division South 
District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Basrah. During his 2 year 
tour, he was responsible for over $500 million worth of construction 
projects, including the Basrah Children's Hospital. In 2008, he and 
members of his team were severely wounded in an ambush while they were 
inspecting the hospital. He recovered from his wounds at Walter Reed 
Army Medical Center and later was assigned to the West Point Warrior 
Transition Unit. While still assigned to the WTU, he requested and was 
allowed to serve as the deputy commander, New York District, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers.
  Lieutenant Colonel McDonald also served as an instructor and 
assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental 
Engineering and the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at 
West Point. In 2009, he was promoted to associate professor and served 
as engineering program director for the Department of Systems 
Engineering at West Point. During his tenure, the Engineering 
Management Program was recognized 3 years in a row as the top 
Engineering Management Program for undergraduate education in the 
Nation by the American Society for Engineering Management.
  His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star; Purple 
Heart; Meritorious Service Medal; Joint Service Commendation Medal; 
Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Joint Meritorious Unit 
Award; Meritorious Unit Commendation; Army Superior Unit Award; Air 
Assault; Airborne; Ranger Tab; and Combat Action Badge.
  Kenny and his wife COL Debbie McDonald, who currently serves as the 
director of admissions at West Point, have two grown children. Their 
daughter Anna is a 1LT Quartermaster Officer and Company Commander and 
their son Joshua is a cadet at West Point. I congratulate Kenny on a 
job well done, and wish him and his family the very best in the years 
to come.

                          ____________________