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“TRIBUTE TO MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM P. BLAND, JR.” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S1015 on Jan. 26, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM P. BLAND, JR.
Mr. CLELAND. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Major General William P. Bland, Jr., a native of Statesboro, Georgia, who after more than four decades of dedicated service to the State of Georgia and to this country as an officer in the Georgia National Guard, is retiring and coming home to the Savannah area. On January 31, 1999, Maj. Gen. Bland will be honored during a retirement ceremony at the 165th Airlift Wing's headquarters in Savannah, where he started his career with the Georgia Air National Guard in 1962.
General Bland began his military service with the 165th Tactical Airlift Group in Savannah and later served as Deputy Commander of the Air National Guard at Air National Guard Support Center at Andrews Air Force Base. During the past eight years he has served as the Adjutant General for Georgia during which time he and his staff responded to blizzards and floods, directed 15,000 National Guardsmen for Olympic security, beefed up training for Guard volunteers, upgraded the state's military capabilities and reorganized the state defense department. As adjutant general, Bland led the Georgia Department of Defense and commanded more than 12,000 volunteer and full-time members of the Georgia Army and Air National Guards.
Bill's most challenging year as adjutant general came in 1996. He supervised the largest relocation of an Air National Guard unit in history with the move of the 116th Bomb Wing, which included 1,000 people and eight B-1 bomber airplanes, to Robins Air Force Base near Macon. The bomb wing's move helps ensure Robins' future as a military base because the B-1 is one of the Air Force's newest bombers and will remain in active service for many years to come. Bland also oversaw the 48th Infantry Brigade's deployment to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, and witnessed the deployment of two units of the Georgia Army National Guard to Bosnia.
However, the most demanding duty in Bland's career came with the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when he organized 15,000 National Guard volunteers from 47 states to help with security. Most recently he restructured the state Department of Defense by changing the department's contracting system and placing the Army and Air Guard recruiting under one office.
General Bland has made a positive impact on the lives of many Americans and personifies the definition of a true and loyal American who sets the standard for all citizens to live by. He is an outstanding example to his family and friends, and has been an asset to the many communities, states and nations that he has touched over the years.
Mr. President, I would like to honor and commend Major General William Bland for his outstanding and innumerable contributions over the years to the State of Georgia and to our entire nation, and I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting and congratulating Bill on his retirement and in wishing him many more joyous and successful years to come.
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