Recognizing Deputy Chief of Army Reserve, Major General Deborah ``deb'' Kotulich on Her Retirement From the U.S. Army Reserve

Floor Speech

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Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Deputy Chief of Army Reserve, Major General Deborah ``Deb'' Kotulich on her retirement from the U.S. Army Reserve.

Major General Kotulich's 35-year career has been characterized by exceptionally meritorious service while serving in positions of increasing responsibility and culminating as the Deputy Chief of Army Reserve. A native of New Jersey and West Point graduate, Major General Kotulich's distinguished service has impacted the lives of countless soldiers and their families.

And she has served in several key leadership roles throughout her remarkable career. She served as the Director of the Army Recruiting and Retention Task Force, where she successfully integrated and synchronized efforts across the Army Enterprise to address the recruiting crisis that impacted recruiting for several years. During the pandemic, she diligently served as the Director for Supply, Production, and Distribution for COVID-19 Vaccine and Therapeutics for the Countermeasures Acceleration Group (CAG), formerly known as Operation Warp Speed. There, she led a joint and interagency team that worked ``hand-in-glove'' with industry partners to deliver millions of life-saving doses and treatments to the American people and globally.

In addition to the CAG, Major General Kotulich has served in several joint positions to include Chief of Staff at the United States Transportation Command and three different assignments at the Defense Logistics Agency.

Her command tours include: The 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Orlando, Florida; The 77th Sustainment Brigade, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey; The 655th Regional Support Group, Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts; The 359th Transportation Battalion (Terminal), Fort Eustis, Virginia; and Headquarters Company, 55th Materiel Management Center (Theater Sustainment Command), Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

While in command of the 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Major General Kotulich deployed her headquarters to Kuwait in support of Operations Freedom's Sentinel, Inherent Resolve, and Spartan Shield. During her tour, she was dual hatted as the Deputy Commanding General of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command and Commanding General of the 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). And was responsible for more than 10,000 Servicemembers, Civilians, and Contractors deployed throughout the Central Command Theater of Operation.

Her other deployments were in 2007 to the CENTCOM Deployment Distribution Operations Center (CDDOC) at Camp Arifjan and Kuwait in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. And in 2004 to Balad, Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom II, where she served as an operational plans officer at the 13th Corps Support Command.

I want to thank Major General Kotulich for her distinguished service, and her professionalism and passion for service in every role she has filled throughout her prestigious career. Part of what makes the U.S. military the greatest in the world is that servicemembers, like Major General Kotulich, voluntarily dedicate their lives to serve and sacrifice for this country.

I also want to thank her wife, Penelope Smith, and two daughters, Rachel and Devan, for their unwavering support. I wish Major General Kotulich and her family all the best in what I hope to be a restful and enjoyable future.

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