[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5774-5775]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

              TRIBUTE TO MAJOR GENERAL H. MICHAEL EDWARDS

 Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and 
commend Maj. Gen. H. Michael Edwards, who retired on March 31, 2017, 
after 43 years of exceptional leadership and service to our country, 
including 36 years in the Colorado Air National Guard.
  For almost a decade in the position of the adjutant general for 
Colorado, General Edwards was responsible for the command 
administration of over 5,300 Army and Air National Guard members.
  He also served as the executive director of the Department of 
Military & Veterans Affairs and was a member of the Governor's cabinet.
  He had responsibility for the Colorado National Guard's primary 
missions of national defense and State emergency response. In addition, 
he was responsible for supporting the missions of the Civil Air 
Patrol's Colorado Wing.
  General Edwards received his commission in 1973, after graduating 
from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and earned his pilot wings in 1974 at 
Reese Air Force Base, TX.
  He served as an F-4 pilot and AT-38 Fighter lead-in instructor pilot 
at Osan Air Base, Korea, and Holloman Air Force Base, NM, respectively.
  General Edwards joined the Colorado Air National Guard in August 
1980. He has served in numerous assignments in flying and operations, 
as well as command positions at squadron, group, and wing levels--
culminating as the adjutant general for Colorado.
  During his tenure as adjutant general, more than 6,000 Colorado 
National Guard citizen-soldiers and citizen-airmen have mobilized in 
support of overseas contingency operations.
  He also oversaw the Colorado National Guard's record-setting response 
to some of the worst natural disasters impacting Colorado, including 
the High Park fire and the Waldo Canyon fire during 2012, followed by 
the Black Forest fire and historic flooding along the Colorado Front 
Range in 2013.
  Furthermore, General Edwards was instrumental in bringing a new 
National Guard cyber protection team to Colorado, bolstering the 
State's cyber defenses. He also diversified the Colorado National Guard 
through the appointment of its first female general officer.
  Over a period of 10 years, General Edwards significantly grew the 
Colorado National Guard's enduring relationships with the Republic of 
Slovenia and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan under the National Guard 
State Partnership Program.
  These military-to-military exchanges have supported combatant command 
security cooperation objectives, promoted regional stability, and 
increased partner capacity and interoperability.
  General Edwards has also overseen the missions of the Civil Air 
Patrol's Colorado Wing, consisting of more than 1,600 volunteers. Under 
his leadership, the Civil Air Patrol took on a bigger role in State 
response, flying fire watch, and conducting flood damage surveys.
  Colorado's Civil Air Patrol was first to fly support of the U.S. 
Army's on-base unmanned aerial systems operations.
  General Edwards has flown over 4,600 mishap-free flight hours in a 
variety of aircraft to include the AT-38, A-7, C-21, F-4, F-16, T-37 
and T-38.
  Of note, he has achieved the distinction of the wing's ``Top Gun'' 
award on five separate occasions in his decorated flying career.
  Major Edwards has received numerous military decorations, including 
two Legion of Merit awards and three Meritorious Service medal awards, 
along with many others from the State of Colorado.
  General Edwards' operational experience, charismatic leadership, and 
unyielding patriotism have served him well in a lifetime of military 
service, both in the Colorado Air National Guard and abroad.
  Today we honor his distinguished service to our Nation as one of the 
most accomplished adjutant generals in Colorado history.
  We offer our heartfelt appreciation to his family for their countless 
sacrifices and selfless support to our country spanning over four 
decades.

[[Page 5775]]

  On behalf of the Senate and a grateful nation, I congratulate Maj. 
Gen. H. Michael Edwards on a job well done and wish him the very best 
as he begins a hard-earned retirement in the great State of Colorado.
  I look forward to our continued friendship. Thank you.

                          ____________________