{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-2026-02-26-pt1-PgS703-2", "2026-02-26", 119, 2, null, null, "TRIBUTE TO COLONEL CHESLEY L. DYCUS", "SENATE", "SENATE", "TRIBUTETO", "S703", "S703", "[{\"name\": \"Kevin Cramer\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "172 Cong. Rec. S703", "Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 38 (Thursday, February 26, 2026)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 38 (Thursday, February 26, 2026)]\n[Senate]\n[Page S703]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                  TRIBUTE TO COLONEL CHESLEY L. DYCUS\n\n  Mr. CRAMER. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a great American and\nan exceptional member of the U.S. Air Force, Col. Chesley Dycus.\n  As the chief of the Air Force Senate Legislative Liaison Division\nfrom July 2024 to July 2025, Chesley performed his duties well and\nwithout reservation supporting the 118th and 119th U.S. Congresses.\nHailing from Waverly, TN, and a graduate from the U.S. Air Force\nAcademy, where he also played baseball, Chesley has served in the Air\nForce for over 25 years. He is a command pilot with over 3,800 hours of\nflight time in a variety of aircraft. Throughout his career, he has\ndemonstrated exceptional and unrivaled officership in a myriad of\npositions from wing command to Acting Deputy National Security Advisor\nto the Vice President of the United States, all critical to U.S.\ndefense and national security world-wide.\n  Chesley distinguished himself through his professional character and\ndedication by serving this Nation in uniform as chief of the Air Force\nLegislative Liaison Division to the Senate. In this role, he advised\nDepartment of the Air Force senior leaders and helped develop strategic\nengagement opportunities to advance U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force\npriorities. His leadership facilitated seamless collaboration on behalf\nof the Department of the Air Force across 63 congressional offices. He\nsupported numerous engagements and delegations for 150 Senators,\nCongressmen, and staffers to showcase Department equities in the United\nStates and abroad. Most notably, Chesley's advice shaped support for\nthe Department of the Air Force's efforts to optimize for near-peer\nconflict and drove hearing engagements with 27 Senate Armed Service\nCommittee members in support of Department leaders. These briefings\neffectively communicated the Department's modernization and resource\nrequirements to address pacing challenges abroad. His efforts helped\nensure the Department of the Air Force's support of the National\nDefense Strategy in the return to Great Power Competition.\n  With steadfast dedication, Chesley connected Members of Congress with\nkey decision-makers, including the Secretary of the Air Force, leading\nto significant progress on critical Department of the Air Force\ninitiatives. He secured critical funding for Air Force and Space Force\nbirthday celebrations and the Secretary of the Air Force's Capitol Hill\nHoliday Reception, successfully executing all three events. These\ninitiatives fostered strategic engagements between 32 Members of\nCongress and 24 Department of the Air Force senior leaders,\nstrengthening congressional support for crucial national security\npriorities.\n  Finally, Chesley, as a master of relationship building, cultivated a\nservice-oriented culture within the Department of the Air Force's\nSenate liaison team. His leadership ensured the delivery of strategic,\nprompt, and precise communications to Senators. Under his direction,\nthe team facilitated 88 Department of the Air Force engagements on\nCapitol Hill and 12 congressional and staff delegation trips of great\nnational security significance, including the Reagan National Defense\nForum, bolstering the Department of the Air Force's 2025 National\nDefense Authorization Act priorities and 2026 budget request. These\nengagements helped U.S. Senators and their staffs understand defense\nequities and their impact on national security. Due to his direct\ninvolvement and stewardship, Members of Congress were able to make\ninformed decisions and ensured the Department of the Air Force was\nproperly resourced and funded.\n  After serving in this crucial role and becoming a fixture on Capitol\nHill, Col. Chesley Dycus will continue to work in the Department of the\nAir Force Legislative Liaison as its deputy director. Chesley and his\nwife Jenna have instilled a legacy of service for their children\nChesley and Lila. They have sacrificed much as a family in service to\nour Nation. I am thankful for Chesley's service and his work with my\noffice and the Senate over the past year on issues of vital importance\nto the defense of the United States. I salute this American patriot\nwhose selfless service has kept our country safe and strong.\n\n                          ____________________"]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-2026-02-26-pt1-PgS703-2"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9432719089090824, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}