July 18, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1277 

I am honored to recognize Hillsides for its 

100 years of loving care and support to countless children and families and I ask all Members to join me in congratulating Hillsides for 

its remarkable achievements. 

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HONORING MELVIN YOUNG, JR. 

HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON OF MISSISSIPPI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a determined young 

man, Mr. Melvin Young, Jr. 

Melvin Savelle Young, Jr. was born June 

28, 1994 in Vicksburg, Mississippi to the proud 

parents of Melvin Young, Sr. and Rhonda 

Morris Young. He is also the proud grandson 

of Bernice Profit of Hollandale, Mississippi and 

the late Emma Lee Dorsey of Rolling Fork, 

Mississippi. 

While in high school, Melvin was the runner 

up for Mr. South Delta High School, a member 

of the varsity football, baseball, and the track 

team. He also participated in the JROTC program. He is a faithful member of Salem Missionary Baptist Church where he is a devoted 

choir member. In conjunction with his hopes to 

positively impact his community, Melvin became a member of the Mayor Youth Council 

and has worked as a volunteer at the Sharkey 

County Tax Assessor and Collector Office. 

Melvin also volunteered in the emergency response efforts of the county to save public 

records during a flooding crisis; as a volunteer 

he worked to move official records to a secure 

location. 

In the fall Melvin plans to attend Mississippi 

Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, 

Mississippi where he will pursue a degree in 

Pre-Engineering. 

Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to join me 

in recognizing Mr. Melvin Savelle Young, Jr. 

for his hard work and dedication in his efforts 

to achieve his goals. 

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PERSONAL EXPLANATION 

HON. W. TODD AKIN OF MISSOURI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 

Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 469 

and 470 I was delayed and unable to vote. 

Had I been present I would have voted ‘‘no’’ 

on rollcall No. 469, and ‘‘aye’’ on rollcall No. 

470. 

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OUR UNCONSCIONABLE NATIONAL 

DEBT 

HON. MIKE COFFMAN OF COLORADO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 

Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, 

on January 20, 2009, the day President 

Obama took office, the national debt was 

$10,626,877,048,913.08. 

Today, it is $15,884,155,929,632.05. We’ve 

added $5,257,278,880,718.97 to our debt in 

just over 3 years. This is debt our nation, our 

economy, and our children could have avoided 

with a balanced budget amendment. 

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HONORING SERGEANT MAJOR 

TAMMY COON 

HON. GRACE F. NAPOLITANO OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 

Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I along 

with Representative ISSA rise today to pay tribute to Sergeant Major Tammy Coon, United 

States Army. Sergeant Major Coon has served 

a distinguished career in the United States 

Army, spanning over twenty eight years. She 

has distinguished herself with exceptional meritorious service in a succession of positions of 

great importance and responsibility to the 

Army and the nation. She has culminated her 

military career in the Army’s Office of the 

Chief of legislative Liaison as a Congressional 

Legislative Liaison to the United States House 

of Representatives for the past 2 years. Additionally, she is the first Sergeant Major in the 

United States Army to serve as a Congressional Legislative Liaison to the House of Representatives. Over the course of the 28 years 

which she has spent in uniform serving her 

country, she has been cited by her command 

as exhibiting outstanding initiative, leadership 

and professionalism in all of her actions. In 

doing so, she has made significant contributions to the welfare of soldiers and their families, to say nothing of the service she has provided to the people of this nation. 

Sergeant Major Coon’s previous positions of 

significant leadership included: First Sergeant, 

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st 

Space Brigade, Colorado Springs, Colorado; 

Chief, Enlisted Promotions, Human Resources 

Command, Alexandria, Virginia; Senior Enlisted Advisor, Directorate of Personnel, MultiNational Forces-Iraq (MNF–I), Baghdad, Iraq; 

Senior Enlisted Advisor, Special Management 

Division, Human Resources Command, Alexandria, Virginia; and Senior Enlisted Advisor 

for Soldier Programs/Community Recreation, 

Department of the Army, Alexandria, VA. 

Sergeant Major Tammy Coon served as a 

Congressional Legislative Liaison to the 

United States House of Representatives, 

Washington, DC. During this assignment she 

served as the primary point of contact for 70 

Members of Congress within the Pacific Region, which included California, Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 

Additionally, she served as the Army House 

Liaison Division’s primary point of contact for 

Wounded Warrior Care issues and for the 

Mental Health and Invisible Wounds Caucuses, routinely interacting with Members of 

Congress and senior staffers. 

As First Sergeant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Space Brigade, Colorado Springs, Colorado, she was responsible 

for discipline, health & welfare, safety, and 

training of 120 active duty, reserve, and National Guard soldiers as well as 130 Department of the Army Civilians. Even though the 

unit was deployed in five separate locations, 

Sergeant Major Coon ensured that the soldiers, civilians, and families were well cared 

for. 

Sergeant Major Tammy Coon served as the 

Chief, Enlisted Promotions, Human Resources 

Command, Alexandria, Virginia. She managed 

the Department of the Army’s enlisted promotion system, affecting Army enlisted soldiers worldwide. Her guidance and leadership 

were instrumental in the execution of over 

50,000 promotions annually, while markedly 

increasing the efficiency of the promotion 

process. Additionally, Sergeant Major Coon reviewed and provided input for regulatory guidance revisions. She routinely proposed new 

initiatives and prepared correspondence on 

behalf of the President, Congress and Department of Army Senior Leadership. 

As the Senior Enlisted Advisor, Directorate 

of Personnel, Multi-National Forces-Iraq 

(MNF–I), Baghdad, Iraq, she was the principal 

advisor for all enlisted personnel readiness 

and Human Resource management issues for 

150,000 U.S. military and 13,000 members 

from 25 Coalition Countries deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During this 

time she developed, synchronized, and implemented personnel policies and training that 

impacted enlisted members throughout the 

Iraqi theater. 

As the Senior Enlisted Advisor, Special 

Management Division, Human Resources 

Command, Alexandria, Virginia, Sergeant 

Major Coon was responsible for the manpower 

management and strength management of enlisted personnel assigned to Special Mission 

Units (SMU) and Special Access Programs 

(SAP) which support national security objectives. SGM Coon compiled, analyzed, and produced personnel statistical information for all 

enlisted career management fields quarterly 

reviews ensuring that these units were properly manned in order to execute missions directed by the National Command Authority. 

While serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor 

for Soldier Programs/Community Recreation, 

Department of the Army, Alexandria, Virginia, 

she coordinated and implemented Soldier Programs for 84 United States Army Garrisons 

and had oversight of a $40 million budget. 

She co-authored and analyzed strategies and 

surveys for various Army initiatives and served 

as lead trainer for all Soldier programs across 

the Army, training over 30,000 Soldiers and civilians. 

Sergeant Major Coon is the perfect representative of the United States Army. We 

have gotten to know Sergeant Major Coon as 

the ‘‘soldier with a smile’’. She brings an enjoyment and enthusiasm to serving her country and representing the Army that is unparalleled in the halls of Congress. We are grateful 

for the advocacy Sergeant Major Coon has 

done on behalf of the physical and mental well 

being of soldiers and their families. Sergeant 

Major Coon has provided us with advice and 

counsel on issues affecting wounded warriors 

and their families that has lead to legislative 

action improving wounded warrior care and 

mental health care. We particularly appreciate 

the work Sergeant Major Coon has done with 

our staff in providing them with the materials, 

briefings and support they need to work on 

issues affecting the Army. 

Sergeant Major Coon’s dedication to duty 

and superior leadership has left an indelible 

mark on the United States Army, the soldiers 

with whom she has served, and the Congress 

of the United States. Her actions, in over 28 

years of military service, are in keeping with 

the finest traditions of the United States Army. 


pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with REMARKS