TRIBUTE TO COLONEL WILLIAM BRYAN ANNIE

On 2026-06-24, Senator James C. Justice (R-WV) delivered a floor speech titled "TRIBUTE TO COLONEL WILLIAM BRYAN ANNIE" in the Senate.

TRIBUTE TO COLONEL WILLIAM BRYAN ANNIE

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3197-S3198] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO COLONEL WILLIAM BRYAN ANNIE Mr. JUSTICE. Mr. President, I rise to acknowledge Col. William Bryan Annie, who is retiring on July 1, 2026, after more than 30 years of military service to our country and the great State of West Virginia. Colonel Annie grew up in Kanawha County, and in October 1995, he put on a uniform for the first time, joining the 130th Security Forces Squadron of the West Virginia Air National Guard. While serving, he pursued his education, earning a bachelor of science in 1999 and completing airman's leadership school. At that time, he had risen to the rank of staff sergeant, and in 2000, he attended the Academy of Military Science where he then commissioned as a second lieutenant. Colonel Annie wore the bars and then the oak leaves and eventually the eagle of a full colonel--pinned on June 3, 2020--a promotion that capped an arc of relentless growth and deep responsibility. Colonel Annie's career in uniform transcended national borders and demanded mastery of nearly every facet of Air Force support operations. He completed several overseas missions, including to South Korea for Operation Team Spirit and Operation Foal Eagle. In immediate response to the attacks on September 11, 2001, Colonel Annie mobilized for Operation Noble Eagle. In 2009, he deployed to Baghdad as a Coalition Joint Plans Officer with Multi-National Force Iraq, serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Throughout his career, he served as a Transportation Officer, Logistics Readiness Officer, and as a Plans Officer. No matter the time, the place, or the task, Colonel Annie dedicated his life to our great Nation. After returning from Iraq, Colonel Annie took on installation and security responsibilities at the State headquarters level, then moved into command. As the Force Support Squadron commander of the 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg, a strategic airlift unit flying the C-17A Globemaster III, he was responsible for the morale, welfare, and readiness of hundreds of airmen and their families. He then commanded the 167th Mission Support Group, overseeing the broad infrastructure of the wing before being selected as deputy wing commander, where he helped guide more than 1,100 military members in training and worldwide missions. His command career was defined by steadiness, accountability, and genuine care for the people under his charge. [[Page S3198]] Colonel Annie received extensive decorations for his service: a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal with five oakleaf clusters, Air Force and Army Commendation Medals, a Combat Action Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal with six service stars, the NATO Medal with a service star. He also received State awards from West Virginia to fill an additional column, including the Distinguished Unit Awards, Emergency Service Ribbons, and Commendation Medals. Taken together, they are not merely a collection of ribbons, but a map of a life lived wherever the mission required, doing whatever the mission demanded. Colonel Annie is a West Virginian in the deepest sense--rooted in his community, committed to its people, and unwilling to mistake rank or recognition for purpose. He was a soldier-scholar, a commander-servant, and by every measure, the kind of officer the institution of the West Virginia National Guard was built to produce. His leadership in the military organization will be felt for many years to come, as well as his positive impact on the many, many lives he changed for the better. I express my sincerest gratitude for Colonel Annie's service and patriotism, and I send my best wishes for his health and happiness in retirement. ____________________