The publication is reproduced in full below:
CELEBRATING THE RETIREMENT OF CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT BRUCE A. FONG
______
HON. JOHN KATKO
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Mr. KATKO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the career of Chief Master Sergeant Bruce A. Fong who will retire from the United States Air Force on December 18, 2021, after more than 31 years of military service.
Chief Fong is a native of Central New York and a graduate of Whitesboro Senior High School. He also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems from Columbia College of Missouri, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Chief Fong entered the active-duty Air Force under the delayed enlistment program in December 1979 and attended basic military training in July 1980 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Following Basic Military Training, he went on to technical training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas to become an Air Cargo Specialist.
In September 1980 Chief Fong, then Airman Basic, was assigned to the 603rd Military Airlift Support Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. He worked in the ramp services section where he was responsible for the on/off-loading of cargo on military and civilian aircraft such as the Boeing 747, the Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy, C-141A/B Starlifter, C-130 Hercules, the McDonnell Douglas C-9 Nightingale, and the KC-1O Extender. Chief Fong became phase two qualified on the C-130 and C-141, which provided the ability to service the aircraft without the supervision of a loadmaster. During his time at Kadena Air Base, Chief Fong was involved many times in an extraordinarily successful joint service deployment exercise ``Team Spirit'' supervising the loading operations of military aircraft, often working with untrained Air Force and Marine Corps load crews.
After two and a half years in Okinawa, Chief Fong had a permanent change of station to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, where he was assigned to the 436th Aerial Port Squadron. He worked in the special handling section and was responsible for the timely and accurate inventory of critical cargo using the Aerial Port Documentation and Management System. Chief Fong also participated in the NATO exercise
``Bright Star,'' where he spent time in Cairo Egypt assisting the 436th Airlift Control Element in the on/off-loading of sixty aircraft and officially recognized for his effort by the Airlift Control Element commander.
After a 10-year break in service Chief Fong joined the I 74th Fighter Wing, New York Air National Guard in February 1996 as a Drill Status Guardsmen. He was assigned to the 174th Logistics Readiness Squadron as a Traffic Management Specialist.
In October 1998, Chief Fong was hired as a full-time military technician with the 174th Communications Flight. In his lengthy career within the organization, he held positions as a network administrator, network infrastructure technician, network control center supervisor, operations superintendent, and the finally as the Chief Enlisted Manager. As Chief Enlisted Manager, he was responsible for the training, readiness, and morale of all assigned enlisted personnel in support of combat and domestic operations. Chief Fong's other successful accomplishments include implementation of the following systems: Electronic Management Tracking System; Defense Biometric Identification System, and the Electronic Technical Order Distribution System, many of these accomplishments were firsts for the 174th Fighter Wing, the Air National Guard, and the United States Air Force. Chief Fong's other successes included installs and significant upgrades to the following base communications infrastructure and systems: Gigabit-
Ethernet, Base Wireless Access, Base Area Network Modernization, NetApp Mass Storage, Network Control Center--Virtualization, Base Mass Notification System, and the Common Access Card, all told, totaling in the millions of dollars.
In March of 2000, Chief Fong deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. Following the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on New York City, Chief Fong played an integral part providing back-end communications support during Operation NOBLE EAGLE, when the 174th Fighter Wing was tasked to fly Combat Air Patrol missions over New York City. In November of 2006, he deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. At the height of the COVID pandemic, Chief Fong served as a Liaison Officer between the Air Force and Army for four and a half months. He provided logistical support to the New York State Military Joint Task Force, which was the command-and-control hub for all Central New York.
Throughout his career with the 174th Attack Wing, one of Chief Fong's crowning achievements and proudest moments has been serving as a Ceremonial Guardsmen with 174th Attack Wing's Base Honor Guard. During his time with the Base Honor Guard, he performed well over seven hundred active-duty, retiree, and veteran funerals, as well as participating in parades and other details supporting the base and community. This often involved working holidays, weekends, and traveling throughout 23 New York State counties, covering over 23,324 square miles.
For his 31 years of service Chief Fong has earned numerous decorations which include: the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters; the Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters; the Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster; and the Air Force Good Conduct Medal. His military unit awards include: the Air Force Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with combat ``V'' device and five oak leaf clusters. His military campaign and service awards include: the National Defense Service Medal; the Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with 7 oak leaf clusters; the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal with one bronze campaign star; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Service Medal; Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border; the Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with five oak leaf clusters; the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hour glass and bronze mobilization ``M'' device; the Professional Military Education Ribbon with two oak leaf clusters; the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon; and the Air Force Training Ribbon.
Chief Fong is married to Cynthia Kellar; has two children, Andrew and Jessica; and three grandchildren, Noah, Brooklynn, and Grayson. He is an avid photographer, trained in martial arts, and has flown solo in a Cessna 152, 182 and a Piper warrior in pursuit of a private pilot's license. Chief Fong is proud of his service to his country and looking forward to retirement and his next adventure.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in recognizing Chief Master Sergeant Bruce A. Fong for his three decades of honorable service. I wish Chief Fong the best in his retirement.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 213
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up