E2328 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 20, 2008 

SALUTE TO COLLIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR AWARD WINNING NATIONAL NIGHT OUT FOR 

2008 

HON. SAM JOHNSON OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, November 20, 2008 

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Madam 

Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Collin 

County Sheriff’s Office for placing as a ‘‘National Award Winner’’ for its outstanding participation in the 25th annual National Night Out 

Crime, Drug, and Violence Prevention program for a 5th consecutive year. They placed 

10th in the Nation for those with populations 

over 300,000. Over 10,000 communities participated in 2007. 

I’ve spent time with these folks and they run 

a top-notch event dedicated to improving the 

quality of life in North Texas. 

Thank you to every person in the Sheriff’s 

Office who makes Collin County a great and 

safe place to live, work and play. 

National Night Out aims to bring neighbors 

together with block parties, cookouts, visits 

from local police and sheriff departments, parades, exhibits, flashlight walks, contests and 

youth programs. 

National Night Out heightens crime and 

drug prevention awareness, generates support 

for local anti-crime initiatives, and fosters 

neighborhood spirit and police-community 

partnerships. National Night Out sends a message to criminals to let them know that neighbors are united together to protect their communities and will fight back. 

It was an honor to participate in National 

Night Out this year. The Collin County Sheriffs 

Office received a well-deserved award. Congratulations to everyone on that team. 

God bless you and I salute you. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO MAJOR GENERAL 

ARTHUR M. BARTELL 

HON. ROBIN HAYES 

OF NORTH CAROLINA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, November 20, 2008 

Mr. HAYES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 

recognize and pay tribute to Major General Arthur M. Bartell, United States Army, Deputy 

Commanding General of the XVIII Airborne 

Corps at Fort Bragg on the occasion of his 

promotion and new command assignment. 

Major General Bartell has served our great 

Nation for more than 31 years as a truly exceptional officer, and I am proud to call him 

my friend. I would like to take this opportunity 

to congratulate Art on his well-deserved promotion to Major General and his new assignment as Commanding General, United States 

Army Cadet Command. Since his assignment 

as Deputy Commanding General of the XVIII 

Airborne Corps in June 2007, I have had the 

honor of working closely with him on behalf of 

our warfighters here at Fort Bragg. With the 

deployment of Corps Headquarters in January, 

he has been an outstanding leader as Commander of Task Force Bragg. Major General 

Bartell has also been a great ambassador in 

his outreach to the local community, and it is 

much appreciated. Most importantly, Art’s concern for his troops is evident, and he leads by 

example. Soldier, leader, scholar, gentleman— 

Major General Art Bartell truly personifies what 

a warrior should be. 

His career accomplishments speak for 

themselves: Major General Arthur M. Bartell 

was commissioned as a Field Artillery officer 

in 1977 through ROTC at the University of 

Michigan. He began his career as a Forward 

Observer and Battery Fire Direction Officer 

with B Battery 2nd BN, 17th FA in the Republic of Korea. Duty with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) followed. There he served 

as a Battery Executive Officer, Battalion Fire 

Support Officer, Battalion Fire Direction Officer 

and Battery Commander in the 2nd Bn, 320th 

FA. He next served at Fort Wainwright with 

the 172nd Light Infantry Brigade (Sep) as both 

Battalion Fire Support Officer and Battery 

Commander in the 1st Bn, 37th FA. Following 

a tour at the U.S Army Military Personnel Center as the Field Artillery Personnel Systems 

Manager and attendance at the Army Command and General Staff College, Major General Bartell moved to Germany where he 

served as the Deputy G3 and G3 of VII Corps 

Artillery during Operations Desert Shield and 

Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf. Returning to 

Germany, he served as the Battalion Executive Officer for the 4th Bn, 27th FA (MLRS) 

and as the Brigade S3 for the 41st FA Bde. 

Major General Bartell then moved to the 10th 

Mountain Division (LI) for duty as the Division 

Artillery Executive Officer and as the Battalion 

Commander of the 1st Bn, 7th FA (which reflagged to 3rd Bn, 6th FA during his tenure), 

both at Fort Drum and Port-au-Prince, Haiti 

during Operation Uphold Democracy. After 

completion of the U.S. Naval War College in 

Rhode Island, Art served as the Senior Fire 

Support Observer/Controller at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk. He then returned to Fort Drum as the Commander of the 

10th Mountain Division Artillery. After completing his command tour, he assumed duties 

as the Chief, Joint Interoperability Training Division, and then as Deputy J7/Deputy Commander, Joint Warfighting Center, U.S. Joint 

Forces Command in Virginia. Following that 

Joint assignment, he returned, once again, to 

the 10th Mountain Division (LI) to be the Chief 

of Staff and deployed to Afghanistan with the 

Division Command Group and Staff as part of 

Operation Enduring Freedom where he assumed duties as the Chief of Staff for Combined Joint Task Force 180. Upon re-deployment from Afghanistan, Major General Bartell 

served as Deputy Commanding General, Support, 10th Mountain Division (LI). Following 

that assignment he was sent to the Pentagon 

where he served on the Joint Staff as Vice Director for Operational Plans and Joint Force 

Development. Major General Bartell’s awards 

and decorations include: the Defense Superior 

Service Medal (w/OLC), Legion of Merit (w/ 

OLC), Bronze Star Medal (w/OLC), Meritorious 

Service Medal (w/7 OLC), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (w/ 

OLC), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, 

Southwest Asia Service Medal (w/3 BSS), Humanitarian Service Medal, Korean Defense 

Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, 

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Saudi 

Arabia Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwaiti Kuwait Liberation Medal, Parachutist Badge, Air 

Assault Badge, Joint Meritorious Unit Award 

(w/OLC), Meritorious Unit Award, and Joint 

Staff Identification Badge. 

On behalf of Congress, the United States of 

America, and the greater Fort Bragg community, I express our appreciation for Art’s tireless service, expertise, patriotism, and dedication to our soldiers. No doubt he will prove a 

great role model for the cadets under his new 

command, though it will be a great loss for 

Fort Bragg and the XVIII Airborne Corps. I 

want to personally thank Major General 

Bartell, his wife Karen, and his sons for their 

commitment, sacrifice, and the contributions 

they have made throughout his honorable and 

distinguished military career. I congratulate Art 

on completing an exceptional tenure here at 

Fort Bragg and wish him many blessings and 

much success as he begins this new endeavor. 

f 

HONORING VETERANS OF THE 

BATTLE OF THE BULGE 

HON. CHARLES W. DENT OF PENNSYLVANIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, November 20, 2008 

Mr. DENT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 

honor American veterans who fought in the 

most pivotal conflict of World War II; the Battle 

of the Ardennes, more commonly referred to 

as the Battle of the Bulge. Specifically, I rise 

to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of 

the many courageous veterans, family members and supporters of the Lehigh Valley 

Chapter of Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, 

based in my district. 

Next month marks the 64th anniversary of 

the start of the Battle of the Bulge. At 5:30 

a.m. on December 16, 1944, over 250,000 

German troops launched a massive offensive 

against Allied forces along an 85 mile stretch 

of Europe’s Western Front in the Ardennes region of Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Initially, German forces were able to advance 

approximately 50 miles into terrain controlled 

by Allied armies, but by late January 1945, 

American units had reclaimed the lost territory 

and effectively crippled the German Army. 

While the Battle of the Bulge was the largest and most pivotal land battle of World War 

II involving American soldiers, it also proved to 

be the bloodiest. When the conflict ended on 

January 25, 1945, roughly 75,000 American 

troops had lost their lives defending the vital 

Western Front and thousands more were left 

terribly injured. The sacrifices of these servicemen and all those who fought in the Battle of 

the Bulge were not made in vain, as the U.S. 

Army’s expulsion of German forces from 

Ardennes damaged the German Army to the 

extent that its full defeat became inevitable. 

Ten years ago, a group of motivated veterans in my district established the Lehigh 

Valley Chapter of Veterans of the Battle of the 

Bulge. Today, the membership of this group 

extends far beyond veterans of the Battle of 

the Bugle to include veterans of more recent 

conflicts like the Vietnam war, spouses, family 

members, friends and even local residents 

who share the group’s interest in American 

military history. The Chapter meets the third 

Tuesday of every month at the Terrace Restaurant in Walnutport, Pennsylvania, to socialize, share memories and discuss upcoming 

community events. Typically, these meetings 

attract anywhere from 75 to 100 enthusiasts. 

One of the primary functions of the organization is to educate local students and residents. Members routinely visit schools 


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