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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING COLONEL GREG FORD
______
HON. JIMMY PANETTA
of california
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Mr. PANETTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Colonel Greg
Ford for his 24 years of military service and to congratulate him on
the occasion of his retirement from the United States Army. Colonel
Ford assumed command of Presidio of Monterey (POM) in June 2018 and has
served not only the post, but also the broader community with
distinction. It has been a privilege to work alongside Colonel Ford
over the past two years, and it is my honor to recognize his service on
the House floor today.
Colonel Ford earned a bachelor's degree from Western Oregon
University in 1996, and was commissioned a Military Intelligence Second
Lieutenant through ROTC. He later held numerous assignments within the
101st Airborne, deploying to Operation Iraqi Freedom multiple times
between 2001 and 2006. In 2010, Ford transferred to Hawaii where he
served as the U.S. Army Pacific G2 Operations Chief and later as the
25th Infantry Division G2. Between these assignments, Ford deployed to
Afghanistan from 2014 to 2015. Upon his return, Ford became a U.S. Army
War College Fellow at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for
Security Studies. From there, he served in the Republic of Korea as the
G2 Chief of Operations for the 8th U.S. Army.
In the two years that Colonel Ford served as Garrison Commander at
the Presidio of Monterey, he has made a lasting impact on base
operations, military families, and the wellbeing of the broader
community. He was a leading advocate for Presidio of Monterey Housing
residents and worked tirelessly to ensure safe and quality housing to
our servicemembers and their families. My office has received countless
testimonials from POM residents who credit Colonel Ford with improving
their health and safety through his advocacy efforts and direct
communication with anyone in need of assistance.
Colonel Ford continuously engaged on the Fort Ord Reuse Authority
Board to ensure Army equities and community reuse goals were
synchronized. He also worked to strengthen ties between POM and the
local community, including organizing rehearsals of the Peninsula
Evacuation Plan with the City of Monterey for the first time in a
decade.
During his command, Colonel Ford worked with local organizations and
leaders to improve support to Gold Star Families, Exceptional Family
Members, and Housing Residents. In doing so, he sought ways to
integrate local efforts, such as Stonepine Estate, Operation Care and
Comfort, and Hayward Scores, to better support the military community.
Most recently, Colonel Ford rose to the challenge as COVID-19 reached
the central coast of California. He coordinated with the County and
local municipalities to ensure that Garrison actions were synchronized
with local efforts. Additionally, Colonel Ford quickly implemented
safety measures through POM and held regular virtual townhalls to
ensure the Military community remained informed in the midst of the
pandemic. His actions undoubtably contributed to the relatively small
impact of COVID-19 within POM.
It has been a pleasure having Colonel Ford and his wife, Mrs. Rebecca
Ford, in Monterey for the past two years. Madam Speaker, please join me
in congratulating Colonel Ford on his retirement and expressing
gratitude for his and his family's many years of honorable service to
our country.
____________________