Veteran Tracy Riley to Join Congressman Carter as State of the Union Address Guest

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-L.A.) will be joined by U.S. Army Major Tracy Riley (Ret.) as his guest to President Biden’s State of the Union Address to Congress tomorrow, Thursday, March 7.

Major Riley joined the U.S. Army Reserve as a junior in high school. At the age of eighteen, a college freshman, she was called to active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm. After serving a one-year tour of duty, Major Riley immediately re-enrolled at Meridian Community College and earned an associate degree. Later, she enrolled at Dillard University to major in Business Management with an emphasis in Marketing. While a student at Dillard, she served as a cadet in the Army Reserve. Major Riley also served during two tours of duty for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Today, she volunteers with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3121 serving veterans throughout Louisiana.

“My greatest responsibility and moral duty as an elected official is to support the men and women who have served our nation in uniform. As the husband of a U.S. Army Brigadier General, I know our veterans make the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms. I am honored to invite Major Tracy Riley as my guest to the State of the Union to hear directly from President Biden about Democrat’s commitment to veterans and their families,” said Rep. Carter. “Major Riley is an active member of her community and volunteer with VFW Post 3121, helping Louisiana’s veterans get the care and support they need. I am delighted to have her as my guest.”

“I’m humbled to have been invited to the State of the Union as a guest of Congressman Troy Carter. Like countless veterans in Louisiana, I still carry scars from my service and depend on federal resources to provide me with vital health care. I look forward to hearing directly from President Biden about his dedication to veterans and our families,” said Major Tracy Riley.

Post 3121 in Gretna, Louisiana is the largest VFW post on the west bank in the New Orleans area. The VFW offers a wide range of assistance programs aimed at helping combat veterans of every generation, including submitting VA claim, offering scholarships for post-secondary education, and providing emergency financial relief.

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