[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 1845-1846]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            RETIREMENT OF COMMAND MASTER CHIEF EVELYN BANKS

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, one of my constituents, Memphian Command 
Master Chief Evelyn ``Vonn'' Banks, will retire on Saturday from the 
Navy with the honor of being the senior-most enlisted female in the 
United States Navy.
  Her tours have ranged from the Navy recruiting district office in 
Memphis to a 10-month deployment on the USS Abraham Lincoln in support 
of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She most recently served as command master 
chief at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and has inspired countless 
young midshipwomen throughout her career by demonstrating that women 
can succeed and be influential in the Navy.
  Command Master Chief Banks was at the Navy Yard in Washington on 
September 15, the day of the tragic shooting. She knew many, if not 
all, of the victims personally and attended the funeral of each of the 
11 victims and the shooter.
  Command Master Chief Banks has worn black for 120 consecutive days to 
mourn the lives of each: 10 days for each, and 10 for the shooter as 
well.
  I appreciate the service of Command Master Chief Banks, wish her the 
best in her well-deserved retirement from the Navy, thank her for her 
service to our country, and welcome her back to Memphis, Tennessee.
  She is an outstanding constituent who has served our country in the 
United States Navy for the last thirty years.
  Command Master Chief Evelyn ``Vonn'' Banks will retire on February 1 
with the honor of being the senior-most enlisted female in the United 
States Navy. After completing her recruit training in Orlando, Florida, 
her tours ranged from the Navy Recruiting District in Memphis to the 
USS Germantown in Japan to embarking on the USS Abraham Lincoln for a 
10-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She most 
recently served as

[[Page 1846]]

Command Master Chief at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.
  A native of Memphis, Command Master Chief Banks sets a high standard 
for compassion. She was at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC on September 
15, the day of the tragic shooting there. She knew many of the victims 
personally and attended the funeral of each of the eleven victims and 
the shooter. Command Master Chief Banks vowed to wear black for ten 
days for each of those who died. The shooting was nearly four months 
ago. True to her word, when I sat next to her on an airplane last 
month, she was dressed head to toe in black in honor of the lives lost 
that day.
  Known to her grandchildren as ``Grandma Navy,'' Command Master Chief 
Banks kept her sights high. She was the first female Command Master 
Chief to serve at three different commands and was inducted into Career 
Communication's Group Black Engineer of the Year/Women of Color Hall of 
Fame. As she advanced through the ranks, Command Master Chief Banks 
recognized both the challenges and opportunities presented by serving 
in the Navy. Because of her demanding travel schedule, she enrolled in 
an online university and earned Associates, Bachelor's and Master's 
degrees and is currently working towards a Ph.D. She has inspired 
countless young midshipwomen by demonstrating that women can succeed 
and be influential in the Navy.
  I appreciate the leadership of Command Master Chief Banks and urge 
others to look upon her career as an example. I wish her the best 
throughout her well-deserved retirement from the Navy and we thank her 
for her service.

                          ____________________