On Wednesday, June 23rd Assemblyman Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) honored Lieutenant Colonel Carl Bott, USMC (Ret) as the 2nd Assembly District Veteran of the Year. Nielsen presented Bott with an Assembly Resolution detailing his service and commitment to our nation during an Assembly ceremony.
"America is comprised of brave men and women who unselfishly put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms." Nielsen said. "It is appropriate that we honor them, and this year our Veteran of the Year is Lt. Col. Carl Bott. Lt. Col. Bott has served our nation with dignity, honor, and valor. It is my privilege to recognize his service and leadership."
"I was speechless when Assemblyman Nielsen called to congratulate me. There are many people out there who do so much for veterans including the Assemblyman," said Bott. When asked how he felt about the award, Bott replied, "I am deeply touched by the honor." He went on to say, "Sitting in a room full of veterans from different wars - the Korean War, Vietnam, and others - was also a great honor."
Bott enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1970 and during his service he worked and lived in Japan, Italy, Thailand, and several other countries before retiring in 1999. Bott served in Kuwait during two campaigns, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and was later deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia for Operation Restore Hope as well as in Sarajevo, Bosnia during the unrest there.
Upon retiring, Lt. Col. Bott opened his own consulting firm and subsequently traveled to Croatia. During his time in Europe, he led a multi-national team of experts who successfully built Croatia's first privately owned cellular phone company. In 2003, Bott traveled to Iraq supporting a U.S. effort responsible for opening Iraq's media outlets.
In 2005 the Marine Corps requested Bott return to active duty. Bott was charged with leading a group of individuals responsible for assessing Iraqi Security Forces' readiness and the subsequent government take-over of all security and government operations in Al Anbar province.
