On the recordDecember 18, 2017
I congratulate General Ben Hodges on his 37 years of active military service and his retiring on December 15. Ben and I entered West Point together in 1976, and both graduated as Goats in 1980. We both branched infantry and attended ranger school together, graduating in the spring of 1981. While I went Active Duty and Reserves, Ben continued his active military service. We met in Kirkuk, Iraq, as he commanded the brigade in the 101st Air Assault Division. We bumped into each other as he headed the Army legislative liaison here in Washington, D.C., and we saw each other numerous times in his last assignment commanding the United States Army in Europe. In that position, Ben gave comfort to our NATO allies in the east, creating a permanent rotational mission. Congratulations, Ben, on a job well done. Pride and excellence, and beat Navy. May God bless you and your future endeavors. ____________________
