093_HR0129
LRB093 11309 HSS 13279 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of
3 the State of Illinois wish to congratulate Lieutenant Colonel
4 Michael W. Varney, Deputy Commander, Eastern Sector, United
5 States Military Entrance Processing Command, on the occasion
6 of his retirement on March 14, 2003; and
7 WHEREAS, Lt. Col. Varney was born on November 5, 1953 in
8 Marshfield, Wisconsin; he graduated from Columbus High School
9 in 1972, where he was the senior class president; he received
10 a Bachelor of Science degree in communication in 1976 from
11 the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with honors; he
12 received a Master of Education degree in human development
13 counseling from Vanderbilt University which was conferred in
14 Oxford, England; and
15 WHEREAS, After working as a newspaper reporter in
16 Wisconsin and a film editor at a television station in San
17 Diego, Lt. Col. Varney was selected for Air Force Officer
18 Training School Class 79-15; he was commissioned a second
19 lieutenant on September 19, 1979; and
20 WHEREAS, During his military service, Lt. Col. Varney has
21 been assigned to duty in Heyford, England; Detroit;
22 Sculthorpe, England; Kolsass, Norway; Michigan; and territory
23 including Champaign; Bloomington; Peoria; Chicago; Milwaukee,
24 Wisconsin; and Green Bay, Wisconsin; and
25 WHEREAS, He served as a NATO staff officer for Allied
26 Forces Northern Europe in Kolsass, Norway; he served as Chief
27 of Administration and Personnel for 600 communication
28 personnel at 15 sites, located in northern Germany, Denmark,
29 and Norway; and
30 WHEREAS, Lt. Col. Varney's professional military
31 education includes Air War College, Air Command and Staff
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1 College, and Squadron Officer School; his military awards
2 include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (one oak leaf
3 cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service
4 Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal (one oak
5 leaf cluster), the Joint Meritorious Unit Award; and the Navy
6 Meritorious Unit Medal; and
7 WHEREAS, Lt. Col. Varney has an international family; his
8 wife, the former Georgia Drywood of Chatham, Kent, England
9 was born in Gibralter and raised for nearly 10 years in
10 Sydney, Australia; their son, Kirk Fitzmichael, was born in
11 King's Lynn, England and their daughter, Thea Melissa, was
12 born in Oslo, Norway; therefore, be it
13 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15 we congratulate Lt. Col. Michael W. Varney on the occasion of
16 his retirement from the United States Air Force and we thank
17 him for his service to our nation; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19 presented to Lt. Col. Michael W. Varney as a token of our
20 respect and esteem and with our best wishes for a peaceful
21 and happy retirement.