[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19366]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                     COMMENDING SENATOR JONI ERNST

  Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, today I wish to honor a fellow veteran 
and colleague, Senator Joni Ernst, on her retirement from the Iowa 
National Guard as a lieutenant colonel after 23 years of distinguished 
service to our Nation.
  Senator Ernst joined the U.S. Army Reserves as a second lieutenant 
upon her graduation from Iowa State University. After 9 years in the 
Army Reserves, she transitioned to the Iowa National Guard to continue 
her dedicated service to this Nation. As a logistics specialist, 
Senator Ernst has held numerous positions of authority throughout her 
career, culminating in command of the 185th Combat Sustainment Support 
Battalion, the largest in the Iowa National Guard.
  On February 10, 2003, while serving as commander of the Iowa National 
Guard's 1168th Transportation Company, Senator Ernst was called to 
Active Duty and deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation 
Iraqi Freedom. For 14 months, Senator Ernst and her fellow Guard 
members delivered vital supplies to coalition forces in support of the 
war effort. Her combat service was a key element in enabling a highly 
mobile allied force to sustain combat operations.
  While this chapter of her career has come to a close, Senator Ernst 
continues her dedication to service. As the first woman elected to 
Congress from Iowa and the first female combat veteran in the Senate, 
Senator Ernst has fought tenaciously for our military and veterans 
through her work on the Senate Armed Services Committee and on 
legislation she has authored and sponsored over this past year. I have 
no doubt that she will continue to be a strong voice for 
servicemembers, veterans, and their families in the years ahead.
  Today I honor Lieutenant Colonel Ernst for her 23 years of dedicated 
service to the U.S. Army Reserve and the Iowa National Guard. Her 
service in support of this Nation has been exemplary--and her mission 
continues. I look forward to working with Senator Ernst for years to 
come as we tackle the many challenges ahead.

                          ____________________