IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1547 

Honoring the investiture of Texas A&M University’s 27th President, retired 

Air Force General Mark A. Welsh III, and extending best wishes to 

Aggies everywhere. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 22, 2024 

Mr. MCCAUL (for himself, Mr. ELLZEY, Mr. PFLUGER, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. 

SESSIONS, Ms. VAN DUYNE, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. CARTER of Texas, and 

Mr. HUNT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the investiture of Texas A&M University’s 27th 

President, retired Air Force General Mark A. Welsh 

III, and extending best wishes to Aggies everywhere. 

Whereas President Mark A. Welsh III has exemplified Texas 

A&M University’s core values of excellence, integrity, 

leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service, throughout his career; 

Whereas the example set by President Mark A. Welsh III inspires our community to develop leaders of character 

dedicated to serving the greater good; 

Whereas Mark A. Welsh III believes, ‘‘Leadership is a gift. 

It’s given by those who follow, but you have to be worthy 

of it’’; 


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•HRES 1547 IH 

Whereas Mark A. Welsh III was born to his proud Aggie father, Mark A. Welsh, Jr., class of 1946, and mother 

Margaret (Peg), in San Antonio, Texas, on January 26, 

1954; 

Whereas he earned a bachelor of science from the United 

States Air Force Academy and a master of science degree 

in computer resource management from Webster University; 

Whereas he graduated from the Army Command and General 

Staff College, the Air War College, and the National War 

College; 

Whereas Mark A. Welsh III married his wife Betty on February 25, 1978, and is father to four Aggies: Mark (IV), 

John, Matthew, and Elizabeth, who are among over a 

dozen Aggies in his family; 

Whereas Mark A. Welsh III was a fellow of Seminar XXI at 

the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a fellow of the 

National Security Studies Program of Syracuse University and Johns Hopkins University, a fellow of Ukrainian 

Security Studies at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a fellow of the Pinnacle 

Course of the National Defense University, and a graduate of the General Manager Program at the Harvard 

Business School; 

Whereas, during his long military career, he received numerous awards and decorations, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of 

Merit with oak leaf cluster, and Distinguished Flying 

Cross with oak leaf cluster; 


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•HRES 1547 IH 

Whereas Mark A. Welsh III flew more than 3,300 hours in 

the F–16, A–10, T–37, and TG–7A; 

Whereas as a combat pilot, he was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses for missions flown in Desert 

Storm; 

Whereas he served as Commander of the United States Air 

Forces in Europe and Commander of NATO Air Command at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, and as Associate Director of Military Affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency; 

Whereas Mark A. Welsh III became the 20th Chief of Staff 

of the Air Force in August 2012, serving as the senior 

uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training, and equipping of 664,000 members and civilian employees serving in the United States and overseas; 

Whereas as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he served 

as a military advisor to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council, and President of the United 

States; 

Whereas Mark A. Welsh III also served as the Commandant 

of the United States Air Force Academy; 

Whereas he retired from the Air Force as a four-star general 

in 2016, after 40 years of distinguished service; 

Whereas upon his retirement on July 1, 2016, the Secretary 

of the Air Force created a new award in his honor, the 

General Mark A. Welsh III One Air Force Award, which 

is awarded to a team that ‘‘demonstrates improved effectiveness, operational readiness, and mission accomplishment through integrated solutions’’; 


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•HRES 1547 IH 

Whereas Mark A. Welsh III, after retiring from the Air 

Force, continued his career of public service as Dean of 

the Bush School of Government and Public Service of 

Texas A&M University; and 

Whereas he once again answered the noble call of service to 

become the 27th president of Texas A&M University on 

December 12, 2023, after being unanimously approved by 

the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors 

2 retired Air Force General Mark A. Welsh III as the 27th 

3 President of Texas A&M University on this occasion of 

4 his investiture ceremony. 

Æ 


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