Recognizing Chief Master Sergeant Terry Mickens

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of Chief Master Sergeant Terry Mickens, United States Air Force, and her work as the Department of Defense legislative fellow detailed to my office for 2022.

In 2021, Chief Master Sergeant Mickens was selected to represent the Air Force as a Department of Defense legislative fellow.

The Department of Defense (DoD) legislative fellowship program provides superior service members with valuable legislative experience and DoD with an understanding of how congressional actions affect DoD's budget, roles and missions, force structure, military projects, and quality of life.

Over the past year, Chief Master Sergeant Mickens has been essential to my office and the defense portfolio. She has crafted and coordinated NDAA amendments in line with my priorities and the needs of Northwest Washington communities.

She worked to protect service members from online sexual harassment, strengthen the total force by providing access to advanced education for enlisted members, improve interoperability with partners and allies in the Pacific and she pressed the Department of Defense to strengthen service cohesion, transparency and force restructure in electromagnetic spectrum operations.

Chief Master Sergeant Mickens conducted research and provided comprehensive updates on DoD Arctic Strategy, DoD 5G Pilot Programs, AI/ML Education Strategy, and Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations to inform my policy agenda.

Chief Master Sergeant Mickens dedicates her time to her family, education and community.

Chief Master Sergeant Mickens hails from El Paso, Texas. She is the proud mother of Asia Mickens-Perez and is the daughter of Cynthia Mickens and Army veteran, Leonard Mickens.

She completed over 60 hours of professional development, was selected for the MIT AI/ML for Business Course and completed the Wilson AI and National Security six-week Fellowship program. She earned a certificate in Legislative Affairs from Georgetown University's Government Affairs Institute.

She and I share a love of soccer, and Chief Master Sergeant Mickens volunteers her free time to support regional soccer teams and raised $4,000 for a soccer travel abroad program.

The Air Force recognized her hard work, leadership and dedication and promoted her to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant in October 2022.

I thank Chief Master Sergeant Mickens for her commitment and service to her community, Washington's Second Congressional District and the United States of America.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source