[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15311]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO BRIGADIER GENERAL BOBBI DOORENBOS

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and 
congratulate an exceptional airman, Brig. Gen. Bobbi Doorenbos, on her 
selection for promotion to the rank of brigadier general in the Air 
National Guard. This promotion means she will leave behind her role as 
commander of the Arkansas Air National Guard's 188th Wing in Fort 
Smith, AR, to assume her new responsibilities in Washington, DC, as 
part of the leadership team within the Pentagon's Total Force Continuum 
Office.
  Brigadier General Doorenbos clearly epitomizes the finest qualities 
of a military leader as evidenced by her distinguished career. After 
graduating from Iowa State University, she entered the U.S. Air Force 
in 1995 and initially served as an F-16 pilot in the Iowa Air National 
Guard's 185th Fighter Wing. She continued her honorable service by 
holding various positions in the Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia 
areas, including Air National Guard Crisis Action Team member; White 
House Fellow; executive officer/speechwriter for the Air National Guard 
Director; chief of Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and 
Reconnaissance; special adviser to Vice President Joe Biden for Defense 
Policy and Intelligence Programs; and chief of program requirements and 
integration at the National Guard Bureau. She has flown combat missions 
in support of Operations Noble Eagle, Southern Watch, and Iraqi 
Freedom. Brigadier General Doorenbos is also a senior pilot with more 
than 1,200 flight hours in the F-16C Fighting Falcon and MQ-1B 
Predator.
  She is truly a trailblazer. As the first female to command the 188th 
Wing at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, she simultaneously 
held the title of air commander with responsibility for over 1,000 
Federal technicians, Active Guard, and Reserve members in the execution 
of three distinct mission sets: remotely piloted aircraft; 
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations; and 
targeting. Her wing in comprised of the most dedicated, loyal, and 
highly trained airmen that the National Guard has to offer. As a team, 
they have taken immense pride in fulfilling their roles and obligations 
to the State of Arkansas and to the Nation. As a testament of Brigadier 
General Doorenbos's superior leadership, the 188th Wing was awarded the 
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its incredible accomplishments 
during her tenure as wing commander.
  Brigadier General Doorenbos has displayed an extraordinary amount of 
dedication and passion throughout her life and career. As a mother of 
three daughters, it is my pleasure to watch Brigadier General Doorenbos 
excel in her career and show young women that they are capable of 
achieving anything. She will continue to be a major asset to the U.S. 
Air Force in her new role at the Pentagon.
  I want to extend my sincere congratulations to her on this well-
deserved promotion. I am very proud of her many accomplishments and 
wish her all the best in her future service to our country.

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