IV 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1547 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 ; 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; 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 ; 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

That the House of Representatives honors retired Air Force General Mark A. Welsh III as the 27th President of Texas A&M University on this occasion of his investiture ceremony.