Military leadership applauds colonel's career

  • Published
  • By Ashley M. Wright
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Some of the highest-ranking military members recently recognized one of Eglin's own at a retirement ceremony celebrating a 30-year Air Force career here Oct. 7.

Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of International Security Assistance Force and commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, sent a letter to Col. Lawrence G. Avery, Jr., Air Armament Center chief of staff, to congratulate the colonel on his retirement and thank him for his service in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

"Congratulations on your upcoming retirement from the U.S. Air Force and thanks for your more than 30 years of dedicated service to our nation," General Petraeus wrote. "A military career entails many sacrifices, and I deeply appreciate all that you have done on behalf of our military."

During his deployment to Baghdad, Iraq for 17 months, Colonel Avery helped rebuild Iraq's 597,000-person military and police forces and assisted with growing the Iraq military sales program from $1.5 billion to $10.1 billion in sales. The colonel received the Bronze Star for his service during his deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The colonel's served as the director of the security assistance office during his most recent deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan. The six and half month job entailed the same work as his deployment to Iraq.

"Please know that the work you did to stand up and lead the Security Assistance Office-Afghanistan from scratch to a robust 100-person organization has made a difference in the campaign that will be enduring," the general said.

Colonel Avery's tenure as AAC chief of staff was not his only assignment at Eglin. He served six years with the 46th Test Wing in the 1990s.

"Eglin is a great base with a great mission," the Panama City, Fla. native said. "It is truly the definition of a super base."

In his retirement, which officially starts Jan. 1, 2011, the father of three plans to spend more time with his family.

In addition to the note from General Petraeus, the colonel received congratulator letters from Adm. Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Donald J. Hoffman, commander of the Air Force Material Command.

"I never intended to stay [in the Air Force] past four years, and then you get intertwined," Colonel Avery said. "It is all about the mission and people."