Sam Gibbons: “I come to the House of Representatives today to take a moment to recognize one of the finest officers in our Armed…”

“I come to the House of Representatives today to take a moment to recognize one of the finest officers in our Armed Forces, Major General Paul A. Weaver, Jr., the director of the Air National Guard. Well known and respected by many Members in this Chamber, General Weaver will soon retire after almost 35 years of selfless service to our country. Today I am honored to acknowledge some of General Weaver's distinguished accomplishments, and to commend the superb service he has provided to the Air National Guard, the Air Force, and our great Nation. After completing his Bachelor of Science Degree in Communicative Arts in Ithaca College in New York, he entered the United States Air Force in 1967 and was commissioned through Officer Training School. After earning his pilot wings, he had flying assignments in the F-4E and O-2A, and completed overseas tours in Germany and Korea. In 1975, he joined the New York Air National Guard, with which he served in increasing levels of responsibility. This culminated when he took command of the 305th Airlift Group at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York, in 1985. Following his 9 years as commander, General Weaver served as the Air National Guard's deputy director for 4 years and was appointed the director of the Air Guard in 1998. General Weaver is a command pilot with more than 2,800 flying hours in five different aircraft. He is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Just Cause.”