Johnny Isakson: “today I wish to pay tribute and honor the distinguished service of one of my former Defense fellows, Marine Corps MGySgt…”

“today I wish to pay tribute and honor the distinguished service of one of my former Defense fellows, Marine Corps MGySgt William T. Mahoney. Will and his family have faithfully served our Nation for 30 years, and for that, we are forever grateful. Will's service has always been exemplary, and he will be sorely missed as he moves on to enjoy his well-deserved retirement. Will enlisted in the Marine Corps on January 7, 1987, and attended basic training in Parris Island, SC. His occupational specialty training as a ground-to-air missile systems operator took place at Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX. Tours in Yuma, AZ, and Okinawa, Japan, followed, with deployments to San Clemente Island, CA, and South Korea. Will was selected for Marine security guard duty while in Japan and, after graduating, went to school in Quantico, VA, and served at the U.S. Embassy security detachments in Vienna, Austria, and Lusaka, Zambia. Upon his return to the United States, he was assigned to Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, NC. Following this tour, Will was assigned to 8th Marine Corps District Recruiting Headquarters in New Orleans, LA. Selected for Marine security guard duty for a second time while serving in New Orleans, Will returned to Quantico for training as a security detachment commander. After completing his training as the class honor graduate, Will assumed command of the Marine detachment at the American Embassy in Ljubljana, Slovenia.…”