Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Chief Master Sergeant Willarvis ``Dee'' Smith, who, this week, will be retired after an illustrious 28-year career in the United States Air Force, a career that spanned many decades and took him to many continents across the globe. I am personally honored and grateful that Chief Smith is here in the House gallery today as we celebrate his outstanding career and service and congratulate him on his retirement from the U.S. Air Force. Mr. Speaker, Chief Smith was born and raised in the district that I now have the privilege to represent. In fact, he was raised in my hometown of Flint, Michigan, graduated from Northwestern High School, the school just to the north of Northern High School, my high school. Shortly after graduation, he entered the Air Force in 1986, where he completed his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Upon graduation from his technical training as an aircraft maintenance specialist for the B-52 in Texas, he was assigned to many stations, including New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, and Hawaii. During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, he was deployed in Saudi Arabia, afterward also serving 2 years at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. In 1991, Chief Smith held the rank of staff sergeant. Over his 28-year career in the U.S.…”