[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 165 (Tuesday, November 1, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7002-S7003]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM HOWARD McCOY, JR.
Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to
MG William Howard McCoy Jr. who is retiring on January 1, 2012, after
37 years of exemplary active Federal service in the U.S. Army. He has
served our Nation with dignity, honor, and integrity, including serving
multiple tours at Fort Leonard Wood in the great State that I call
home, Missouri.
MG William Howard McCoy, Jr, is a native Texan and a 1974 graduate of
Texas A&M where he earned a bachelor's degree in construction
engineering. He was then commissioned through the Reserve Officers'
Training Corps and entered the U.S. Army as second lieutenant in the
Army Corps of Engineers. He later went on to earn a master's of
business administration from the University of Phoenix.
Following the Engineer Officer Basic Course, his first assignment was
to Germany. From 1974 to 1975, Major General McCoy served as a platoon
leader, and later as an executive officer, in the 237th Engineer
Battalion, 7th Engineer Brigade, VII Corps, U.S. Army Europe and
Seventh Army, Germany. His next assignment was as project officer,
director of training developments, U.S. Army Engineer School, Fort
Belvoir, VA.
From 1980 to 1981 he commanded Company B, 8th Engineer Battalion, 1st
Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood, TX. From there he deployed to be an
engineer advisor, as part of the Technical Assistance Field Team at the
U.S. Military Training Mission in Saudi Arabia.
From 1981 to 1983, he was assigned as a project officer with the
Southern Colorado Project Office, U.S. Army Engineer District
Albuquerque in Pueblo, CO. It was during this time when he would meet
and marry his lovely lifelong partner, Jill McCoy.
With renewed vigor, from 1983 to 1986, he was assigned as the
engineer staff officer for the Directorate of Engineering and Housing,
Installation Support Activity in Europe and later became the Special
Assistant to the Chief of Staff, 56th Field Artillery Brigade, U.S.
Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany. He was then assigned as engineer
staff officer, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Engineer for U.S.
Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany.
From 1986 to 1989 he served in numerous positions at Fort Hood, TX.
Initially, he served as plans officer, Corps Staff Engineer Section,
III Corps and later he served as the operations officer and executive
officer of the 17th Engineer Battalion, 2d Armored Division. Following
his assignment to Fort Hood, he returned to Virginia to attend the
Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk.
From 1989 to 1991 he served in the Pentagon as a staff officer for
the Force Development Directorate for the Office of the Deputy Chief of
Staff for Operations and Plans, Headquarters, Department of the Army in
Washington, DC. Following this tour at the Pentagon he was nominated
and selected to be a research fellow for the RAND Army Fellowship
Program in Santa Monica, CA.
From 1992 to 1995 Major General McCoy served as the executive officer
to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Engineer, U.S. Army South, at Fort
Clayton, Panama. He then transitioned to become the commander, 536th
Engineer Battalion (Combat)(Heavy), U.S. Army South, Fort Clayton,
Panama and Joint Task Force Builder, El Salvador/Uruguay, later
OPERATION SAFE HAVEN, Panama, and later, Joint Task Force Builder, El
Salvador.
Due to his outstanding performance and unlimited potential, he was
selected to study at the Army's prestigious professional academic
institution, the Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, PA. After
graduating from the Army War College, from 1997 to 1998, Major General
McCoy became the deputy director for the Maneuver Support Battle Lab,
U.S. Army Engineer Center, Fort Leonard Wood, MO.
In 1997, he was once again assigned to Europe as the Director of the
Engineer Operations Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff,
Engineer, U.S. Army Europe, and Seventh Army, Germany. From 1998 to
2000, Major General McCoy transitioned to be the Commander, 130th
Engineer Brigade, V Corps, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army,
Germany and OPERATION TASK FORCE HAWK in the country of Albania.
From 2000 to 2003, Major General McCoy served as the Chief of Staff,
1st Armored Division, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany. He
later became the Deputy Chief of Staff, Engineer, U.S. Army Europe and
Seventh Army, Germany. In 2003, Major General McCoy became the
commander, 18th Theater Army Engineer Brigade and simultaneously as the
Deputy Chief of Staff, Engineer, U.S. Army Europe, and Seventh Army,
Germany. During this period he led his unit during OPERATION IRAQI
FREEDOM/Joint Task Force-North in the country of Turkey.
Upon returning from overseas, from 2003 to 2005, Major General McCoy
was assigned as the assistant commander, U.S. Army Engineer School/
Deputy Commanding General, Initial Military Training, Fort Leonard
Wood, MO. However, his tenure in the States was short-lived and Major
General McCoy once again answered the call to duty by becoming the
Commander, Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM in Iraq.
He returned from his deployment to Iraq and from 2006 to 2008, Major
General McCoy served as the commanding general, U.S. Army Maneuver
Support Center and Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Leonard Wood, MO.
From 2008 to present, Major General McCoy has been assigned as the
deputy, the inspector general, Office of the Secretary of the Army and
Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, DC. In August 2010 he
became acting, the inspector general.
During his career, Major General McCoy steadily rose through the
ranks and excelled at each assignment. He served in commands at the
tactical, operational and strategic levels, as well as installation
commands, during times of peace and war. At every command he
effectively led our men and women in the accomplishment of the mission.
From domestic to overseas assignments, and as a platoon leader to
acting, the inspector general, Major General McCoy was ever mindful
that the Army's most precious assets were those who wear the uniform
and the civilians who work in the service of our nation's military. He
ennobled this diligently through his thoughts, decisions, and actions.
Major General McCoy's personal awards include the Distinguished
Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (with four Oak leaf Clusters), the
Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with three Oak leaf
Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (with two Oak leaf Clusters),
the Army Achievement Medal (with Oak leaf Cluster), the Joint
Meritorious Unit Award, the Army Superior Unit Award, the Ehrenkreuz in
Silber, and the Silver Order of the DeFleury Medal.
Throughout his lifetime of military service, MG William Howard McCoy,
Jr. showed extraordinary professionalism, valor and integrity, and
[[Page S7003]]
dedication to the mission. He leaves a legacy of tremendous leadership
and genuine concern for the soldiers and civilians of the U.S. Army.
Furthermore, he attributes his success to the loving support of his
wife Mrs. Jill McCoy and his children. General McCoy may have only
spent several assignments in Missouri, but his career embodies classic
Missouri values: love of country and family; selfless service; ``show
me''--or, in other words, speaking with one's actions not words; and
being humble. I wish Major General McCoy and his family the very best
in retirement and I congratulate Major General McCoy on a fabulous
career of service to our Nation and to the cause of freedom.
____________________