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.
“HONORING MAJOR GENERAL MICHAEL R. REGNER” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1106 on July 22, 2015.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING MAJOR GENERAL MICHAEL R. REGNER
______
HON. WALTER B. JONES
of north carolina
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to honor Major General Michael R. Regner, for his thirty-nine years of service to our nation in the United States Marine Corps.
Major General Regner's extensive career started in 1976, when he received his commission through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps after graduating from The Citadel.
Major General Regner's storied career is distinguished by his willingness and desire to serve the Marine Corps each and every day. He is a man who has served faithfully and to the best of his abilities in all positions in which he has been assigned, which has made him invaluable to the Marine Corps and to our nation. He has successfully used his skills as Commanding General, both in the field and in garrison. It is likely that most of Major General Regner's service will never fully be recognized, but his leadership will truly be felt for years to come.
During his decades of service, Major General Regner has served with distinction in support of anti-terrorism operations, including Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his time as a field grade officer, he commanded at the battalion and Marine Expeditionary Unit level and also deployed to Somalia, Bosnia and the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. Mike Regner continued to serve tirelessly after successful command tours and was selected as the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Operations Officer where he helped plan the liberation of Fallujah as well as overseeing the first free elections in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
In 2005, Mike Regner was promoted to Brigadier General and served as the Legislative Assistant to Commandant. During this time he was successful in instituting multiple programs and ideas, including publishing the U.S. Marine Corps' Legislative Strategy. This ultimately increased congressional awareness and funding of over $1.2 billion for fundamental Marine programs. In 2009, Mike Regner deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, to serve as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Joint Operations at the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command. Major General Regner retires from his post as Staff Director at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington D.C.
Major General Regner's achievements go far beyond his impressive resume and hand in relentlessly protecting and serving the American people. Mike Regner established the Department of Defense Enlisted Defense Fellowship Program. This program, created originally for the Marine Corps, has become the model for the entire Department of Defense as all the services now have enlisted members serving in this program. The program has enabled Congressional members and staff to obtain invaluable insight into the workings of all military services, allowing them to make appropriate decisions that affect the military. Mike Regner was recognized in the U.S. House of Representatives for his work as a Marine Corps' Liaison Officer from 1999-2002, before being assigned as the Commanding Officer of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
Major General Regner closely assisted in the establishment of the Wounded Warrior Employment Program, acting as a spokesman on behalf of all those service members who were wounded in combat and their families to the United States Congress and worked with then Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the implementation of this program. This program has specifically helped over 130 military service members obtain employment to date. Mike Regner is a passionate advocate for those that are wounded, ill, or injured, and continually uses his voice to speak on behalf of those who have served our country relentlessly.
Of the many words used to describe Major General Regner, strategic planner and coalition builder would be two that best characterize him. Mike Regner has worked with the U.S. Congress to testify on multiple issues that relate to military personnel. He has worked with Former Senator James Webb on instituting the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, which was signed into law in 2008 and has benefited thousands of service members and their families.
Mike Regner has acted as a lead facilitator when providing security during Afghanistan's presidential elections, and further displayed his ability to form alliances with co-authoring The Republic of Korea Counter Provocation Peace Plan. Mike Regner's ability to plan strategically has led to the creation of the NATO International Joint Command, which produced increased security and operational effectiveness within Afghanistan.
Over the three decades that Major General Regner has served our nation, Mrs. Mary S. Regner, Major General Regner's wife, has equally served the people of the United States. Noted as an educator and leader, Mrs. Regner serves as a member of the Board of Governors for the National Military Family Association. Mrs. Regner is also a Spouse Ambassador for The White House Joining Forces Initiative, Military Spouse Employment Partnership.
Her greatest professional accomplishments stem from her time working as a Department of Labor contractor for the Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program, where she was able to further support military spouses in careers as trainers and managers. Mrs. Regner is a woman that continually educates those around her, and has presented on various topics at the Marine Corps' Cornerstone Spouses' Courses and at Department of Defense conferences.
Mrs. Regner is involved in and serves a multitude of other organizations in the Washington, D.C. area while being a wife and a mother to three adult children who also strive to make a difference in their daily lives.
Their family includes their oldest son, Michael, who is serving in the Marine Corps as an Infantry Officer, and he is married to Erin, who is busy raising three small children, Michael, Caroline and Charlie. Their daughter, Julia Linton, is working for the South Carolina Research Authority, in Charleston, S.C., as a Project Administrator for SC Launch. Julia and John, an attorney, are expecting their first child. Finally, John Regner, their youngest child, is a high school teacher in Lynchburg, VA, and his wife, Katie, is a social worker.
I have personally known the Regner family since 1998, and I am extraordinarily proud of the work they have done for our nation and will do in the future. I have many fond memories of both Mike and Mary from my early days in Congress, but my favorite memory is the story of USMC K-9, Lex. When Lex's handler, Corporal Dustin Lee, was killed in action in 2007, the Lee family wanted to have the injured Lex retired and adopt him. I turned to my good friend Mike Regner to help make this happen. On December 21, 2007, Lex was officially retired with a Purple Heart and turned over to the Lee family. Without Mike Regner, this would have never happened. It is something for which the Lee family and I will be forever grateful.
On behalf of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I would like to recognize Major General Regner's outstanding accomplishments, courageous attitude, and past and present devotion to our nation. I wish to congratulate him, his wife Mary, and children, Michael, Julia, and John on the completion of a long and highly distinguished career.
In closing, may God continue to bless the Regners and may they have
``fair winds and following seas'' as they embark on a new journey of service to our beloved nation.
Semper Fidelis.
____________________
