Committee Recommends Three General Officer Promotions

Vets Affairs and Emergency Preparedness panel sends nominations to Senate

The Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee today recommended Senate approval of three General officer promotions in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, announced Senator Don White, Committee Chairman.

Colonels Gregory M. Marston and Eric G. Weller were recommended for promotion to Brigadier General and Brigadier General Stephen M. Sischo was recommended for promotion to Major General.

"Promotions in the General officer ranks of the military, and especially within our Pennsylvania National Guard, are rare and important occasions," Senator White said. "The fact that we considered three such promotions today made this meeting a special occasion indeed."

Colonel Marston currently serves as the commander of the 111th Fighter Wing based at Willow Grove Air Reserve Base. Previously, he was the commander of the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group in Afghanistan. His group had more than 450 active duty guard and reserves forces personnel providing A-10 close air support for airfield operations during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Colonel Weller currently serves as the commander of the 193rd Maintenance Group based at Harrisburg International Airport. He has more than 3,000 flight hours, including 150 combat hours. He has participated in many military operations since 1983, including Urgent Fury in Grenada, Just Cause in Panama, Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Iraq, Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Joint Endeavor/Joint Guard in Bosnia, Desert Thunder in Kuwait, Allied Force in Bosnia, and Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Brigadier General Sischo currently serves as the commander of the 193rd Special Operations Wing based at Harrisburg International Airport. He has served in numerous positions at locations around the world, including a tour as an A-10 weapons and tactics instructor pilot with the prestigious Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

The committee also recommended Senate approval of House Bill 2437, a proposal to increase college assistance grants for undergraduate students who are serving in our National Guard, and Senate Bill 1266, which would extend the paid leave policy for state employees who are members of the National Guard or Reserves and are called to active duty, retroactive to January 1, 2005.