[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13324-13325]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE DEDICATED SERVICE OF COLONEL ROBERT M. KIRILA, US ARMY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 21, 2016

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Colonel 
Robert M. Kirila, US Army, upon the occasion of his retirement. Colonel 
Kirila dedicated more than 25 years in the United States Army, with 19 
years in Special Forces, most recently as Deputy Commander of the 7th 
Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It 
is my privilege to pay tribute to his honorable service to Northwest 
Florida and our great Nation.
  A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Colonel Kirila graduated Simsbury High 
School, in Simsbury, Connecticut in 1987 and immediately returned home 
to attend the University of Richmond. After graduating with a degree in 
Spanish, he was commissioned in the United States Army and served as a 
Platoon Leader in the 7th Infantry Division.
  In 1997, Colonel Kirila graduated from the Special Forces 
Qualification Course, earning his Green Beret, and was assigned to 2nd 
Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne). He served as Detachment 
Commander, Assistant Operations Officer, and Headquarters Company 
Commander during his tenure. He was then selected for duty in the Army 
Compartmented Element at the United States Army Special Operations 
Command.
  Upon graduating the Command and General Staff College at Fort 
Leavenworth, Colonel Kirila returned to the 1st Special Forces Group 
(Airborne) and served as Operations Officer and Executive Officer. In 
late 2005 he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 
where he served as the Director of Forward Operating Base North (FOB-
13), Taji, in the heart of Iraq. Here he earned the Bronze Star Medal 
where he is credited with synchronizing the operations of three diverse 
centers responsible for supporting combat operations spanning over half 
of Iraq.
  Colonel Kirila's success in Iraq was rewarded with an assignment to 
the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School 
where he served as Delta Company Commander and was responsible for 
running the legendary Robin Sage Unconventional Warfare Exercise for 
the Special Forces Qualification Course. This was quickly followed by 
an assignment as the Director of Special Operations Proponency at the 
United States Special Operation Command in Tampa, Florida.
  Since his arrival to the ``Red Empire,'' 7th Special Forces Group 
(Airborne) in 2009, Colonel Kirila has called North Florida home. Here 
he initially served as a Battalion Commander and deployed to 
Afghanistan as the Deputy Commander of Combined Joint Special 
Operations Task Force-Afghanistan. We are happy to hear he intends to 
remain as a permanent member of our community upon his retirement and 
we proudly welcome him.
  Colonel Kirila's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star 
Medal, the Defense

[[Page 13325]]

Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious service Medal with two Oak 
Leaf Cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. 
He has also earned the Special Forces Tab, the Ranger Tab, the Expert 
Infantryman's Badge, the Senior Parachutist Badge, the Pathfinder 
Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Combat Infantry Badge. His 
foreign awards include the El Salvadoran Parachutist Badge, the German 
Basic Parachutist Badge (Bronze) and the Canadian Parachutist Badge.
  Mr. Speaker, without question, Colonel Robert M. Kirila, US Army, is 
retiring with an honorable career on which he can proudly hang his 
Green Beret. He has touched a number of lives throughout his time both 
in and out of the military and has given so much back to the country he 
loves so dear. It is my pleasure to join a grateful Northwest Florida 
community and Nation in saluting his lifetime of service. My wife, 
Vicki, and I thank Colonel Kirila; his wife, Chrissie; and daughters, 
Mia and Lily Agnes; and wish them all the best for continued success.

                          ____________________