Welcome Home Army Sergeant Major Marvin Hill

Dear Friend,

Today I hosted a ‘Welcome Home’ reception for recently retired Army Command Sergeant Major Marvin Hill, a Memphian who served as Command Senior Enlisted Leader for International Security Assistance Force and United States Forces – Afghanistan.

Army Sergeant Major Marvin Hill
Obama Signs Executive Order Promoting Industrial Energy Efficiency
Mayor Wharton Receives Burgess Award
Free Photo Identification
Grant Announcements

Army Sergeant Major Marvin Hill

Today I hosted a ‘Welcome Home’ reception at my District Office for Army Command Sergeant Major Marvin Hill, a Memphian who recently retired from having served as Command Senior Enlisted Leader for International Security Assistance Force and United States Forces – Afghanistan.  I was also proud to present Command Sergeant Major Hill with a proclamation for his service.

Command Sergeant Major Hill entered the Army on January 18, 1978 in Memphis.  He was selected by General David H. Petraeus to serve as Command Senior Enlisted Leader for International Security Assistance Force and United States Forces – Afghanistan and assumed that duty on September 1, 2010.  Command Sergeant Major Hill’s assignments included: Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Kobbe, Panama; Fort Knox, Kentucky; West Point, New York; Fort Bliss, Texas; Camp Hovey, Korea; Fort Gillem, Georgia; MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; and four tours with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.  He also had contingency deployments twice to Sinai, once to Kosovo, and twice to Iraq.

He has served from Rifleman to Command Sergeant Major in infantry units.  Also, he has served as First Sergeant, a Battalion Operations Sergeant, a Tactical Noncommissioned Officer, a Drill Sergeant, a Drill Sergeant Instructor, and as a Faculty Advisor at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.  He also served as Task Force Command Sergeant for Multinational Force and Observers, Sinai, Egypt and as the Task Force Falcon Command Sergeant Major in Kosovo.  As the Division Command Sergeant Major of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  He also served as the Task Force Command Sergeant Major for Joint Task Force-Katrina in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and most recently as the Command Sergeant Major of Multinational Force-Iraq.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (Seventh Award), and the Joint Service Commendation Medal for Valor.

Obama Signs Executive Order Promoting Industrial Energy Efficiency
This week President Obama signed an Executive Order to facilitate investments in industrial energy efficiency that will strengthen American manufacturing and help create jobs.  These efforts to boost industrial energy efficiency, including combined heat and power systems, can save manufacturers as much as $100 billion in energy costs over the next decade, improving their bottom lines and strengthening U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.  These types of efficiency measures will reduce energy consumption and reduce harmful emissions.  Click here to learn more.

Mayor Wharton Receives Burgess Award

This week Mayor A C Wharton received special honors at the Democratic National Convention.  Please join me in congratulating our Mayor for receiving the Susan Burgess Memorial Award from the board of directors of the Democratic Municipal Officials. The award is given annually to “an outstanding Democratic Municipal Official committed to improving public education.”  The award was announced this week by Barbara Moore, executive director of the DMO, whose board includes Memphis city councilman Myron Lowery.

Free Photo Identification
State officials recently announced plans to open eight driver service centers, including one in Memphis, on the first Saturday of October and November to give citizens more opportunities to get photo identification cards required for voting in the November election.  The centers will open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 6 and November 3 but only for issuing voter photo IDs and converting non-photo driver’s licenses into photo driver’s licenses.  In Shelby County, only the driver service center at 3200 East Shelby Drive will open on the two Saturdays.

However, registered voters without any of the government-issued photo IDs approved for voting purposes may obtain the voter photo IDs at the three other driver service centers in Shelby County during their regular business hours -- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. They are at 3040 Walnut Grove, 6340 Summer and 5019 West Union Road in Millington. They are also available at the limited-service License Reinstatement Center in Hickory Ridge Mall during its regular business hours on weekdays.  If you only need to get an ID for voting purposes, there is a special line to serve your needs.  And if you are a Veteran who needs ID you can get free government-issued photo IDs at the Veterans Administration.  To learn more about the new voter ID laws, visit my website here.

Grant Announcements
Each week I release a list of grant announcements from federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and others.  These federal funding opportunities are available to faith-based and neighborhood associations, nonprofits and other community organizations in the 9th district. The announcements are updated regularly on my website.

Wishing you a happy and safe weekend,

As always, I remain,

Most sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress