House Concurrent Resolution 63

(As Adopted by House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE 40 YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE OF SERGEANT MAJOR PAUL COLLIER UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

WHEREAS, Sergeant Major Paul Collier has served in the United States Army for 40 years and has dedicated his life to preserving the freedom that we enjoy each day; and

WHEREAS, born in Wurzburg, Germany, Sergeant Major Collier is a native of McLaurin, Mississippi, and began his military career on February 9, 1978, when he enlisted in the Mississippi Army National Guard, Company A, 890th Engineers, at Camp Shelby, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Major Collier attended basic combat training and advanced individual training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and during his military career, he served with the 890th Engineer Battalion; 3/11 Infantry Regiment; 154th Regiment Regional Training Institute (RTI); 108th REGT (RTI); 2nd Battalion; 20th Special Forces Group (SFG); 106th MAINT FSB;

2-198th CAB; 1108th Theater Aviation Support Maintenance Group (TASMG); and 168th Engineers; and his last assignment was at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, where he served as the Senior Supply Logistics Supervisor at the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center; and

WHEREAS, having held a variety of leadership positions during his career, Sergeant Major Collier served as a BNCOC/ANCOC Instructor, Officer Candidate School (OCS) Teach-Access-Counsel (TAC) Instructor, Field Artillery Forward Observer

Instructor-Subject Matter Expert, Platoon Sergeant, Operations Sergeant, Material Control Accounting Supervisor, Property Book NCO, Equipment Maintenance Clerk, Senior Powder Man/Demolitions Sergeant, Engine Equipment Mechanic NCO, and Senior Supply Logistics Supervisor; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Major Collier's outstanding service has taken him to assignments across the globe, including the countries and continents of Panama, Italy and South America, and he was also assigned to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom in support of the war on terrorism, as well as deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom; and

WHEREAS, throughout his illustrious career, Sergeant Major Collier has received numerous awards and decorations including: the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal (3rd award), the Army Reserve Components Service Medal (11th award), the National Defense Service Medal with two service stars, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with a Gold Hourglass and "M" Device and numeral three, the NCO Professional Development Medal with numeral four, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon with numeral two, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with service star, the Parachutist Badge, the Italian Parachutist Badge and the Order of Saint Maurice for outstanding and conspicuous contribution to the Infantry; and

WHEREAS, also obtaining numerous state awards and decorations, Sergeant Major Collier received the Mississippi Magnolia Cross, the Mississippi Commendation Medal, the Mississippi Medal of Efficiency, the Mississippi War Medal with two service stars, the Mississippi Emergency Service Medal, the Mississippi Service School Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters, the Mississippi Longevity Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster and two bronze oak leaf clusters; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Major Collier holds a bachelor's degree in business management, and his vast military education includes completing training at the United States Army Sergeant Majors Academy and completing the Advance Non-Commissioned Officers' Course, the Basic Non-Commissioned Officers' Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course, the Structured Self Development Level 5 (SSD), the Qualified Recycling Program (QRP) Managers Course, the Unit Prevention Leader Course, the Tactics Certification Course, the Army Combative Instructors Course, the Total Army Instructor Training Course, the TAC Officer Training and Orientation Course, the TAC Qualification Course, the Distance Learning Instructor Training Course, the Environmental Compliance Officers' Course, the Forward Observer 13F, the Small Group Leader Instructor Training Course, the Battle Focused Instructor Training Course, the Senior Supply Sergeant 92Y, the Battle Skills Course, the Airborne Course, the Unit Supply Course, the Powder-Man Specialist/Demolitions Course and the Wheel Vehicle Mechanic 63B, and Sergeant Major Collier further completed training at the Mississippi Basic Law Enforcement Academy; and

WHEREAS, being involved in numerous professional memberships, Sergeant Major Collier is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3036, the Mississippi National Guard NCO Association (MSNCOA), the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS), the Association of Quartermasters and the National Infantry Association; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Major Collier is married to the former Paula Stuckey and they have two sons, 1st Lieutenant Paul "Trey" Collier who is married to Ashley, and Raymond Collier; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to commend fine Mississippians such as Sergeant Major Paul Collier who have sacrificed immensely in the service of their country and whose dedication to his career brings great pride to his family, friends, community, the State of Mississippi and this nation as a whole:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend Sergeant Major Paul Collier on his 40 years of dedicated service to the State of Mississippi and the United States upon the occasion of his retirement from the United States Army, and wish him the best in all of his future endeavors and in the lighter years to come.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Sergeant Major Paul Collier and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.