Whereas Rear Admiral Jonathan W. Bailey, the Director of
the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps), one of the Nation’s 7
Uniformed Services, retires from the NOAA Corps on September 30, 2012, after 32
distinguished years of service;
Whereas Rear Admiral Bailey was appointed by Secretary of
Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez on October 1, 2007, after nomination for the
position by President George W. Bush, confirmation by the United States Senate,
and subsequent promotion by the Secretary to the rank of Rear Admiral;
Whereas Rear Admiral Bailey has commanded with distinction
and provided exceptional leadership for the Corps from 2007 to 2012, and upheld
its values of Honor, Respect, and Commitment;
Whereas Rear Admiral Bailey in his 32 years of service to
the Nation has had a balanced operational career, with 7 years of sea duty
aboard the NOAA Ships Peirce, Whiting, Rude and Heck, and the Gloria Michelle
and almost 9 years of flight duty piloting NOAA’s Shrike, Turbo Commander, and
Citation aircraft;
Whereas Rear Admiral Bailey served as Executive Director
to the Deputy Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, as Director of the
NOAA Corps Commissioned Personnel Center, where he directed the management of a
complex system of policies, including compensation and benefits;
Whereas Rear Admiral Bailey played a critical role in
developing innovative strategies to improve the NOAA Corps workforce;
Whereas these strategies included the establishment of
NOAA Corps core values, a new officer evaluation and billet systems, deployment
of technological improvements, and new training modules to educate officers and
civilian supervisors about NOAA Corps policies;
Whereas Rear Admiral Bailey served as the Chief of NOAA’s
National Ocean Service Remote Sensing Division, where he led technology
advancement in the simultaneous collection and processing of digital aerial
photography, airborne laser data, and airborne imaging spectroscopy for NOAA’s
shoreline mapping and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Survey
programs;
Whereas Rear Admiral Bailey oversaw NOAA’s aerial- and
ground-based mapping operations that aided search and recovery efforts at the
World Trade Center and Pentagon after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and
received the Commerce Gold Medal group award for technical skill and
coordination in 2002 for his role following the attacks;
Whereas Rear Admiral Bailey has ensured that the NOAA
Corps provides a cadre of Officers trained in engineering, earth sciences,
oceanography, meteorology, fisheries science, and other related disciplines,
with Officers who operate NOAA’s ships, fly aircraft, manage research projects,
conduct diving operations, and serve in staff positions throughout NOAA;
Whereas Rear Admiral Bailey, during his tenure as Director
of the NOAA Corps, has also served as the Director of the NOAA Office of Marine
and Aviation Operations, ensuring that one of the Nation’s largest civilian
research fleets of ships and aircraft was modernized and prepared to support
the NOAA mission of science, service, and stewardship;
Whereas Rear Admiral Bailey was nominated by President
Barack Obama on March 21, 2011, to serve as a Commissioner on the Mississippi
River Commission, which was confirmed by the Senate on June 30, 2011;
and
Whereas as we bid fair winds and following seas to Rear
Admiral Bailey, it is appropriate that he be remembered for his exceptional and
tireless service to the Nation and noted that his list of career
accomplishments is enviable: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives
recognizes and honors Rear Admiral Jonathan W. Bailey of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps, on behalf of
a grateful Nation, for his lifetime of selfless commitment and exemplary
service.