1.1A Senate resolution
1.2honoring Lieutenant Colonel Paul Derek Peterson on the occasion of his retirement
1.3and thanking him for his 25 years of dedicated service to our nation's armed forces.
1.4WHEREAS, those who courageously and selflessly risk their lives to protect our country's
1.5precious freedoms as part of our military are deserving of special legislative recognition; and
1.6WHEREAS, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Derek Peterson grew up in Northfield, Minnesota,
1.7and is a 1990 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, with 25 years of commissioned service;
1.8after a tour in the Pentagon as part of the Yugoslav Task Force, Lt. Col. Peterson returned to the
1.9cockpit in 1995 flying C-5s, the largest transport aircraft, out of Dover Air Force Base in Delaware;
1.10and
1.11WHEREAS, in 2000, Lt. Col. Peterson separated from active duty and joined the Reserves;
1.12following the attacks of 9/11, he returned with his family to his home state of Minnesota and joined
1.13the 934AW, flying C-130s for the Minnesota Flying Vikings; and
1.14WHEREAS, over the next nine years, he deployed three times in support of Operation Iraqi
1.15Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom; and
1.16WHEREAS, in 2010, Lt. Col. Peterson returned to active service and was assigned to HQ
1.17Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, where he served as the Chief
1.18of AFRC/A3's Command and Control Branch; in the summer of 2012, he received his last assignment
1.19as the Commander for Detachment 5 of CAP-USAF's North Central Liaison Region; and
1.20WHEREAS, after 25 years of outstanding service to our nation as part of the United States
1.21Armed Forces, Lt. Col. Peterson is retiring, and is looking forward to spending more time with his
1.22wife Tina Peterson and daughters Natalya, Lara, and Alayna; and
1.23NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Minnesota that it
1.24congratulates Lieutenant Colonel Paul Derek Peterson on the occasion of his retirement, and thanks
2.1and commends him for 25 years of exceptional, committed service to our nation as a member of
2.2the armed forces.
2.3BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is directed to prepare an
2.4enrolled copy of this resolution, to be authenticated by the Secretary's signature and that of the
2.5Chair of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and transmit it to Lt. Col. Paul Derek
2.6Peterson.

JoAnne M. ZoffSecretary of the Senate

Thomas M. BakkChair, Senate Committee onRules and Administration

Kari DziedzicState Senator, District 60