[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9780]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING COLONEL JAMES C. BRENNAN III, USMC

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. WALTER B. JONES

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 22, 2017

  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to honor Colonel 
James C. Brennan III, for his thirty-three years of selfless service to 
our nation in the United States Marine Corps.
  Colonel Brennan's extensive career started in 1984 with the 
completion of entry level training at Parris Island, South Carolina. He 
received his commission through the Platoon Leaders Class in 1988 after 
graduating from Lynchburg College.
  Colonel Brennan began as a field artillery officer serving with the 
10th, 11th and 12th Marine Regiments. He held every major position from 
forward observer to battalion commander. His command of the 2nd 
Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, however, is particularly noteworthy. 
During this time, he deployed his artillery battalion as a civil 
affairs group in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in al Anbar 
province, finally completing the efforts that Marines had started over 
five years earlier. His efforts resulted in the smooth transition of 
civil works projects, education projects and local governance over to 
the Iraqi people.
  As a field grade officer, Colonel Brennan served in diverse ways, 
including multiple tours of duty outside his primary field. In 1998, he 
was assigned to Officer Candidate School, where his efforts resulted in 
the first complete revision of the school's curriculum in over a 
decade, as well as material changes, which reduced injuries 
significantly. In 2001, he first served outside of the Marine Corps as 
the Deputy Liaison Officer to the U.S. House of Representatives during 
both the 107th and 108th Congresses. In 2004, he was assigned to Marine 
Forces Pacific where he served as a planner while simultaneously 
serving the U.S. Pacific Command as a crisis action planner. During 
this time, he was successful in planning operations in support of 
crises across the Pacific Rim from the Philippines to Indonesia, and 
all across the Indian Ocean. He was later deployed in support of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom as a planner for Multi-National Force--West, 
where he was responsible for planning the first national election and 
constitutional referendum in Iraq's history. His efforts allowed every 
voter to cast their vote in a safe and secure environment.
  In 2009, Colonel Brennan was promoted to Colonel, and served as the 
Commanding Officer of Headquarters and Service Battalion at Quantico, 
Virginia. This battalion has the distinction of being the largest 
battalion level formation in the Marine Corps with over 3,200 members. 
His efforts ensured that each of the 26 major commands he led received 
the same consistency of form and effort in managing their training, 
education, administration and legal matters to allow them to focus on 
their primary missions.
  A few years later, in 2013, Colonel Brennan again moved outside the 
Marine Corps to support operations at the combatant command level. He 
was assigned to the U.S. Northern Command as its liaison to the U.S. 
Southern Command. During this period, he was assigned to support the 
training and execution of domestic disaster relief operations in the 
great states of Washington, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Mississippi and New 
York. His knowledge and expertise in humanitarian assistance and 
disaster relief operations assisted each state's joint task force in 
smoothly incorporating the active military forces within the legal 
constraints for operations on domestic soil.
  During his decades of service, Colonel Brennan served with 
distinction in support of anti-terrorism operations, including 
Operation Provide Comfort, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation 
Freedom's Sentinel. He aided in support of crisis response missions 
around the globe including tsunami relief operations in Thailand, 
Indonesia and the Maldives, Haitian refugee operations, and multiple 
typhoon relief operations in the Philippines, as well as in the United 
States. He commanded at all levels, the battery, battalion and 
regimental, and has supported operations both domestically and 
overseas.
  Colonel Brennan's career is distinguished by his willingness and 
desire to serve our nation, the Marine Corps, and the brave marines and 
sailors he has had the privilege to lead each and every day. He is a 
man who served faithfully and to the best of his abilities in all 
positions to which he was assigned, which has made him invaluable to 
the Marine Corps and to our nation. He successfully used his skills as 
a commander, leader and mentor, both in the field and in garrison. It 
is likely that much of Colonel Brennan's service will never fully be 
recognized, but his leadership will be remembered for years to come.
  In addition, over the three and a half decades Colonel Brennan served 
our nation, Mrs. Laura Brennan, his wife, has been avidly dedicated to 
serving the people of the United States. Noted as a counselor and 
leader, Mrs. Brennan serves as an assistant town attorney for the Town 
of Islip in New York, while maintaining a private practice. She is also 
active in the fight for autism awareness, both in her community and at 
the national level. Her greatest professional accomplishment has been 
helping advocate for military children on the spectrum to gain better 
access to appropriate care.
  Mrs. Brennan continues to be involved in a multitude of organizations 
in West Islip, NY area while also raising their two school-aged 
children. I am fortunate to have known the Brennan family since 2001, 
and I am extraordinarily proud of the work they have done for our 
nation and will continue do in the future.
  On behalf of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I would like 
to recognize Colonel Brennan's outstanding accomplishments, courageous 
attitude, and his past and present devotion to our nation. I want to 
congratulate him, his wife Laura, and their children, Caroline and 
Charlotte on the completion of a long and highly distinguished career.
  In closing, may God continue to bless the Brennans and may they have 
``fair winds and a following sea'' as they embark on a new journey of 
service to our beloved nation.
  Semper Fidelis.

                          ____________________