[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15711]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


              TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL WADE E. WIEGEL

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to 
recognize Lt. Col. Wade E. Wiegel for his 22 years of service in the 
U.S. Marine Corps. Wade is a native of Iowa, and I am proud to say that 
I nominated him for the U.S. Naval Academy in 1990. In May 1994, he 
earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering and 
reported to the Marine Corps' The Basic School. From there he completed 
flight training and was designated a naval aviator in March 1997. He 
deployed aboard the USS Enterprise in support of Operation Iraqi 
Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
  Wade later served as the commanding officer for the VMFA-122 
``Crusaders'' and forward deployed the squadron for 6 months into the 
Pacific Theater in support of theater security cooperation activities 
with Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. After graduating from the 
National War College, he served as a military adviser in the Office of 
the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Most recently, Wade has 
served in the Office of Legislative Affairs as a congressional affairs 
officer. His personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious 
Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, the Navy and 
Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps 
Achievement Medal with Gold Star.
  As he prepares to retire from the Marine Corps, I would like to take 
this opportunity to thank him for his service to our country and to 
wish him well in his future endeavors.

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