2016 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 187
BY SENATOR PERRY
A RESOLUTION
To commend U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Melanie R. Rowton on her retirement after a
distinguished military career.
WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Melanie R. Rowton is a native of West Monroe,
Louisiana, where she dreamed of serving her country in uniform as a member of the U.S.
Armed Forces; and
WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Rowton did enlist in the U.S. Army National Guard
on January 10, 1990, when she began her outstanding military career during which she
would distinguish herself through a succession of exceptional positions of great importance
and responsibility to the U.S. Army and the nation; and
WHEREAS, SFC Rowton demonstrated great leadership in her role as a webmaster
of LAARNG while she was a member of Central Command and edited and maintained three
CENTCOM websites that included unclassified, classified, and coalition country sites where
she coordinated with fifty-one coalition countries for clearances and timely posting of each
country's contributions to the Global War on Terrorism; and
WHEREAS, SFC Rowton also provided extraordinary and expert assistance with
media escorts and VIP visits; and
WHEREAS, SFC Rowton's performance was exceptional and led to her commander's
decision to assign her as the news consolidator for the Commanding General, Central
Command, where she provided morning updates on all news within Central Command's area
of operations; and
WHEREAS, as the State Public Affairs Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge for
the LAARNG, SFC Rowton served as editor for the state quarterly magazine and as the
emergency operations NCO during natural disasters where she planned, edited, and
submitted daily media content, coordinated press interview schedules, and managed
twenty-three unit public affairs representatives statewide; and
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WHEREAS, she assisted the command group and state Public Affairs Officer during
Hurricane Gustav that resulted in more than fifty command interviews that communicated
vital information to areas hit by the storm; and
WHEREAS, SFC Rowton also served with great proficiency as a Small Group
Leader for the ARNG 79T Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, as well as a senior
instructor and recruiter; and
WHEREAS, her awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal,
Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with
two oak leaf clusters, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the NATO Medal,
the NCODP Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the
Senior NG Recruiter Badge, the Drill Sergeant Identification Badge, Army Basic Instructor
Badge, and the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby extend its highest commendations to U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Melanie
R. Rowton upon her retirement after a truly outstanding and highly distinguished career in
service to her country, while deployed both overseas and in the United States of America,
always putting the needs of her country before her own.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to U.S.
Army Sergeant First Class Melanie R. Rowton.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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