[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 50 (Monday, May 2, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: May 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
U.S. NAVY CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY
Mr. WARNER. Madam President, April 23 marked a momentous day in the
history of the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Navy bid a respectful farewell to
the distinguished Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, Chief of Naval Operations.
Admiral Kelso dutifully served nearly 38 years on active duty, during
which time he exemplified honor, courage, vision, and leadership
ability. Admiral Kelso served the U.S. Navy through many challenging
times, including drawdowns, budget reductions, and changes brought by
the end of the cold war.
The occasion of the change of command provided us the opportunity to
welcome his successor, Adm. Jeremy Michael Boorda. As Admiral Boorda
commences his tour as the 25th Chief of Naval Operations, he brings
with him vast experience. Admiral Boorda has formerly served as the
Commander in Chief, Allied Forces--South, Commander in Chief of the
U.S. Naval Forces--Europe, and as the principal commander for all NATO
air and maritime operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I wish him the
best of luck in continuing to prepare the U.S. Navy for the 21st
century.
I would like to take this opportunity to submit remarks delivered at
the change of command ceremony for entry in the Record. I hereby ask
unanimous consent that remarks delivered by Admiral Kelso, Secretary
Dalton, General Shalikashvili, and Admiral Boorda be inserted in the
Record.
There being no objection, the remarks were ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Remarks Delivered by Adm. Frank B. Kelso, II, USN, Chief of Naval
Operations, U.S. Navy Change of Command, Annapolis, MD.
Good morning. Secretary Deutch, Secretary Dalton, General
Shalikasvili, Senators Warner and Stevens, Congressman Hoyer,
members of the Diplomatic Corps, my fellow service chiefs,
Admiral Mike and Bettie Boorda, fellow flag officers, men and
women of the U.S. Navy, and ladies and gentlemen.
I think I'd better get a pin and scratch myself, to make
sure I'm in the right place this morning. Thank you so very
much for your kind words. But when you reach this point in
time, there are a few people you have to say thanks to,
because I didn't get here alone--I got here with a lot of
help. First of all, I'd like to thank every American sailor I
ever served with, whoever followed my orders, or gave me a
suggestion, because, truly, that's what makes our Navy go,
and we all owe them so much. So I'll accept these medals this
morning on behalf of all the young officers and sailors who
worked for me. I'd like to thank my OPNAV staff who supported
me so superbly, the fleet commanders and their staffs who
kept our Navy running in a period of great turmoil. I'd like
to thank my fellow chiefs of the Navy who've come from so
many places in the world to join Admiral Mike Boorda and me
today. I'd also like to thank Admiral Tom Lynch and everyone
at the Naval Academy for putting this ceremony on. Tom, I
have enormous respect for your capability and leadership, and
want you to know that.
I'd like to thank each of you for being here this morning,
and sharing this day with Mike and me. I'd like to thank my
classmates, the great Class of '56. It's been my honor to
carry the torch for a good while, and I'll leave it now to
Captain Fred Lippert, Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at
Bethesda, who, I believe, is our last classmate on active
duty. I appreciate the efforts of so many friends and family
to come here this morning, and I'd like my family to stand
up. I'd like you to see them--I'm awfully proud of them.
And my last thanks, this morning, will go to Landess.
Landess has stood with me through all these years. She's been
my best counsel, my best advice--my toughest critic, and also
the one who pushed me when I was down the most. And she's
kept my hat size about the same--but she hasn't had much
trouble during this tour of duty in doing that. Thank you, my
love. It's been a great journey, and we're going to have a
better one from now on, too.
I'd like to say a special word of welcome to Mike and
Bettie Boorda. Mike's an officer I've known for a long time.
I've had just great respect for him. I have great confidence
in him, and I know he's going to be the Navy's great leader
as the next CNO. Mike, it's a pleasure to be here with you
and Bettie this morning. I left a couple little things on the
desk for you I thought might be necessary for the job:
there's a large bottle of Maalox and a cup that says
``Budgets are for wimps.''
But to be serious, when I stood here four years ago to
relieve Carl Trost, American and Soviet sailors still watched
each other almost every day from a distance, ready to wage
war on a moment's notice. The U.S. Navy was recruiting more
than a hundred thousand people a year, and we were well on
our way to a 600 ship fleet. We had just opened one of our
new home ports, in Staten Island, and we preparing to launch
the ARLEIGH BURKE and the GEORGE WASHINGTON.
But already, we saw great change on the horizon. The Berlin
Wall had fallen just six months earlier, and the reforms
characterized in that era as glasnost and perestroika were
already reverberating throughout the Soviet Union. Here at
home, a stalled economy and a growing budget deficit forced
us to take a hard look at our nation's priorities. On that
day in 1990, I said, ``We have nothing to fear in change,''
and everything that's happened since then has only reinforced
my belief in that statement.
Even then, most of us understood the implications of the
easing of Cold War tensions combined with our nation's
pressing domestic concerns. But few could have easily
foreseen either the extent or the sheer speed of the changes
we would experience during my watch.
Perhaps the most unexpected of all was a war eight thousand
miles away which ultimately involved half a million young
Americans. Their performance, and the success of our weapons
systems during the Persian Gulf conflict validated the wise
decisions of my predecessors. I knew I had inherited the most
capable Navy the world has ever seen.
My mandate was clear, and that mandate remains today--to
make sure the Navy after the next Navy is no less capable. I
still believe that the world's remaining superpower is going
to need a Navy ready to carry out its mission anywhere our
President sends us.
But I knew that we could not be the best if we tried to
preserve the status quo while the world changed around us.
And, as always, the men and women of the U.S. Navy rose to
the challenge. Over the last four years, they have shaken up
the old assumptions, and embraced change. They have traded a
traditional, independent view of the world for one that
promotes consensus and cooperation.
And I believe that this willingness to change, to divest
ourselves of some old assumptions, is enabling us to navigate
through the shoal waters of downsizing, and to realize the
great opportunities before us to improve our capabilities and
provide them at a more affordable price.
When I look at our Navy today, I see an organization which
has made a strategic leap of faith, transitioning from Cold
War priorities to the profoundly different, but very real
challenges we are facing.
I see a Navy which is more and more an integral player on
America's joint war fighting team, and with each passing day,
I see sailors working more closely with their comrades in the
Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and the Coast Guard.
I see a headquarters staff reduced in size by half, and
operating more efficiently than in the past, and I am
heartened by the improvements we have made in prioritizing
and programming our resources.
I see continued strong pride in our warfare communities,
but at the same time a greater willingness to speak as one
Navy.
I see an organization moving steadily toward real equal
opportunity, and in opening combat duty to women, maximizing
our ability to get the best qualified person for the job.
I see a Navy which acknowledges that we must continue our
efforts to diversity our officer corps. We must do it today,
so the leadership of tomorrow reflects every segment of this
society.
I see Navy leaders--officer, enlisted and civilian--
committed to the principle that smaller need not mean less
capable.
And I see adherence to the tenets of Total Quality
Leadership improving the entire fabric of our organization,
and empowering our people to become a part of this process of
change.
Finally, I see a climate which encourages and nurtures new
ideas, be they from the E Ring or the deckplates of our
ships.
The men and women who sail those ships are hard at work
this morning--they are part of the most ready and capable
force we have ever sent to sea. We have a plan, a solid plan
to maintain that readiness, and to lay the keel of the next
Navy, the Navy of twenty to thirty years from now. The
plan represents a concerted effort to shape our own
destiny, but the desire is in the execution, and there are
no guarantees.
As we strive to build on the strengths of this great
nation, we cannot afford to forget that national defense is
only part of the equation. There are many legitimate claims
upon the American taxpayer's dollar, and many competing
interests for resources, however much we all share the same
goals. Getting through the challenges ahead will call for
unlimited reserves of perseverance and moral courage.
What are the qualities which will sustain us during this
period? First and foremost will be our love and devotion to
this great nation. Equally important will be our loyalty to
our service. As those of you here today well understand, we
cannot afford to regard our service as only a job. It is, and
always has been more than that. It must continue to be a way
of life.
And while we have always counted among our ranks tough-
minded, colorful individuals, the greatness of our
organization has come from our sense of esprit de corps, from
the efforts of men and women willing to put the institution
above themselves.
That concept of teamwork is not an outmoded ideal--it is,
in fact, more relevant than ever before. But it is not a
quality found in the seabag of every new recruit or officer
candidate. We must instill that sense into our people, and
work to reinforce the message as they progress throughout
their careers.
Lastly, we must look to our strength of character. We must
be, and we must be perceived to be man and women with an
unwavering sense of honor, integrity and professionalism. The
American people--those who willingly entrust their sons and
daughters to our charge--expect no less from us.
In recent years, we have often found ourselves in the
spotlight, and sometimes the glare is very hard to take, but
I am convinced that degree of scrutiny is far more a blessing
than a curse. The keen public interest in everything we do
comes from the fact that our fellow Americans, for more than
two centuries, have indeed expected from us the highest
standards of behavior and personal honor.
Notwithstanding our occasional failings and foibles, the
American people put more confidence in their armed forces
than in any other public institution. I believe we should
welcome the closest scrutiny; we must want to be held to the
highest standards, because our values define us--they go with
the privilege of serving this country.
In the end, there are no problems we cannot resolve, so
long as we are forthright and honest, committed, and
ultimately, do what is right.
You who love our Navy as much as I do should feel proud of
our ability, as an organization, to meet the challenges
ahead. I make no claim to predicting the future, but whatever
the future holds, the Navy remains forward deployed, relevant
and valuable in a still changing world.
The challenges facing our wardrooms and senior enlisted
personnel in the days ahead will be daunting. Instability
around the globe suggests that the operating tempo of our
ships and squadrons will remain high for the foreseeable
future. But even as we continue to carry out our worldwide
commitments, we will be executing the plan which will get us
to the ``next Navy.'' That means some new ships will come on
line, older units retiring, bases we have called home for
years closing. Nor can we expect technology to stand still
throughout that process. There will be new skills to master,
changing missions which we must train for.
I have all the confidence in the world in Navy leaders
across our ranks to meet these challenges. They are the best,
and they have fantastic material to work with. Today's
sailors cannot be beat. They continue to take on tough
assignments at sea and at shore stations all over the world.
They willingly give up comforts and conveniences enjoyed by
their fellow citizens, and spend months at a time away from
home and loved ones. Today, just like four years ago, over
forty percent of our fleet is underway and operating around
the globe.
And whether they are serving in the Red Sea or Arabian
Gulf, the Mediterranean or the Adriatic, or off of Somalia,
our people understand the importance of their mission. They
are proud to represent this nation. And though they
acknowledge that they themselves cannot solve all the world's
problems, being able to give others the chance for a better
life is something very meaningful to them.
As I stand before you today, I can tell you that the
American bluejacket still exemplifies the idealism and
devotion to duty which have made this nation great. In the
days ahead, we will change them as much as we ever have, but
I have no doubt they have the right stuff to get the job
done.
Our senior enlisted leadership, like Master Chief John
Hagan, our Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, are
dedicated, caring leaders. They are the backbone of the
organization, and they have embraced and accelerated the
change with their ideas.
I am sincerely grateful that we, as a nation, are blessed
with leaders like Secretary Perry, Secretary Deutch,
Secretary Dalton, and General John Shalikashvili, as well as
the committed elected officials who understand these young
people I've been talking about, along with their comrades in
the sister services. They know that these young people are
the true strength of America's defense capability, and if we
keep faith with them, they will never let us down.
In conclusion, let me say it has been for me an
extraordinary privilege to come of age in the U.S. Navy. Over
the course of the nearly thirty-eight years I have spent on
active duty, the men and women who wear this uniform have
never ceased to impress and inspire me. Nor have they failed
to sustain my belief that ours is the greatest Navy and the
greatest nation on the face of the earth.
When I reflect on the sacrifices they make on a daily
basis, I am reminded of the words of President Theodore
Roosevelt, a leader whose vision for our Navy and nation is
still very relevant today. He said:
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious
triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank
with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer
much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not
victory nor defeat.
Having the opportunity to lead these people over the past
four years has been the most rewarding experience of my life.
When I look out at our leadership today, and particularly our
young leadership, I see the leaders of tomorrow, and I know
our nation could not be in better hands.
My God bless our Navy, may God bless America.
____
Remarks by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John M.
Shalikashvili at the Retirement and Award Ceremony for Adm. Frank B.
Kelso
Secretary Deutch, Secretary and Mrs. Dalton, members of
Congress, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Admiral and Mrs.
Kelso, Admiral and Mrs. Boorda, distinguished guests, ladies
and gentlemen.
We are here today to two things, each of them full of
symbolism and full of emotion and each significant to the
history of the United States Navy and the Armed Forces of our
Nation. First we are here to pay great tribute to my very
good friend, Admiral Frank Kelso, and to honor his vast
achievements over 38 years of truly extraordinary service,
and to haul down his flag. And second, to break Admiral
Boorda's flag, thus designating him the 25th Chief of Naval
Operations.
And it is very fitting to celebrate Admiral Kelso's
accomplishments here. Because it is here, that it all began,
across the yard at Dahlgren Hall, Ensign Frank Kelso
graduated with distinction, graduated with distinction among
the 681 members of the class of '56 on cool and cloudy June
the 1st, nearly 38 years ago, years marked by the delicate
balance of the Cold War, marked by war itself, and marked by
vast, sweeping changes to the Navy, our Armed Forces and to
the world at large.
When Admiral Arthur Radford, then Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, addressed Frank Kelso's graduating class, he
could have been predicting Frank's future when he said,
``Your future will be challenging and interesting.
Undoubtedly, you will witness and take part in great events.
Now'', he went on, ``the part you play and the contributions
you make will be somewhat designated by fate, but largely
designated by you as an individual.'' And for the next 38
years, Frank Kelso lived by these words in one assignment
after another.
Beginning with his first duty as the 3d Division Boat Group
Officer aboard USS Oglethorpe, through three sumarine
commands, his command of Sixth Fleet, through three 4-star
billets, Frank Kelso proved to be a wise leader, a man of
great integrity and character, a man people follow into
battle, a man people trust with their lives.
This was clear to the world when the men and women of the
U.S. Sixth Fleet, under the leadership of Admiral Frank
Kelso, were called upon to capture the terrorists who had
highjacked the Aquille Lauro and killed an American tourist .
. . When they were called into combat in the Gulf of Sidra
and again into the heart of Libya, when Libya was implicated
in the bombing of a German disco, killing an American
serviceman and wounding scores of other military personnel.
And it was true as well, during his four years as Chief of
Naval Operations. Admiral Kelso has led our Navy through its
most challenging, difficult period of its recent history.
Within months of assuming his new role, Admiral Kelso
organized the Naval force for Operation Desert Storm, the
awesome force whch played such a key role in that great
victory.
As the Armed Forces dealt with the force drawn downs and
budget reductions, Frank Kelso kept the Navy forward looking,
reorienting to a new role in the rapidly changing world and
reorienting a new doctrine.
And throughout his career, Frank Kelso demonstrated time
and again, the deep concern for his people, and the pride and
compassion to continually improve the quality of life for the
men and women of the United States Navy. And standing by him
with her unwavering support was the rest of his team, his
wife Landis and his four children, Tommy, Donald, Mary and
Carrie. Landis, for 38 years, you have stood by Frank through
the difficult assignments, the long years of one overseas
duty after another, raising your family and enduring the
pressures and challenges with your hallmark, calm patience.
You have shown immense strength. And you have been a
wonderful friend to the men and women under Frank's command
and to their families. You have left your mark in our hearts
and we will miss you dearly.
But today as well, we welcome Admiral Mike Boorda and his
wife Betty. Admiral Boorda comes to Washington after having
just served--brilliantly, I might add--as Commander in Chief
of Allied Forces, South in Italy and Commander in Chief of
U.S. Naval Forces, Europe. And as the principal commander for
all NATO air and maritime operations near and over Bosnia-
Herzegovina.
My association and friendship with Mike Boorda goes back to
our days together in Europe and I am most pleased that
President Clinton has appointed him to continue in the effort
to prepare the Navy for the 21st Century.
So, on behalf of the Joint Chiefs, we welcome you Mike and
Betty, and pledge our support while at the same time we
congratulate you, Frank and Landis. Thank you for your
friendship, and I wish you both continued fair winds and
following seas.
Thank you very much.
____
Adm. Jeremy Michael Boorda, USN, Chief of Naval Operations, Change of
Command Remarks
Good morning, Secretary Deutch, Secretary Dalton, General
Shalikashvili, Admiral Kelso, General Mundy--I could go on--
this is about two pages of names, I think I'll just stop and
say that if you're not a friend of Frank Kelso's, Mike
Boorda's or the United States Navy, you're in the wrong
ceremony.
It is our custom in the Navy, when an officer takes
command, that he will make a few very brief remarks--
certainly not talk about changes--and sit down quickly. And
I'm going to do that, but there are a few things I should
say. And Frank there will be one big change now that you're
leaving and I'm coming in. The podiums are going to be a lot
smaller for the next four years. For the people in the front
row, there is an admiral back here somewhere
First, instead of saving it for the end, I want to say
right up front how much I appreciate and love my wife Bettie
for her hard work on behalf of the Navy, on behalf of our
family, and on behalf of her husband all these many years. I
wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you an I wouldn't want to
be here without you. At a moment like this, I have to tell
you the truth. When we went to Europe I told Bettie, ``its
going to be kind of a quiet tour and I'll probably retire
when this is over and you'll see a lot of me for the next few
years,'' and then there was Yugoslavia. I'm not even going to
lie to you this time--I'll see you in about four years. I
also want to say that my mom, who is here, and my dad, who
can't be here but is with me anyway, are not just observers
at this ceremony are, instead, full participants in any
success I might have had. Thanks. All my kids are all here,
and that's a big thing to say and they have always been there
for me even when I couldn't be there for them because of long
deployments or one demanding job after another. So thanks to
all seven of you, and I love you a lot! I'd like to thank
Secretary Dalton for nominating me, that's kind of an
understatement. And I will do my best to live up to your
expectations, Mr. Secretary. I know that you and I and
General Mundy are going to be a good team and I look forward
to getting started. To Secretary Deutch and to Secretary
Perry and General Shali, thanks for supporting me as well.
And thank you especially for your support in my last job.
What progress we made in Yugoslavia--and it is always
fleeting progress--was due in large measure to the help,
advice, and guidance you gave. It is a tough time for people
there. Today is a particularly tough time, and I know that
Admiral Snuffy Smith is doing a great job and so are the
people from all of the services.
Admiral Kelso, we had a quick but a very thorough turnover.
And I want to thank you for making it possible. Thanks also
for your leadership and friendship over the years. Our entire
Navy wishes nothing but the best for you and Landess and the
entire family. The benefits of the new policies you've put in
place and the course you've set our Navy on for the future as
we approach the 21st century has been superb. Thanks my
friend and God bless you!
To the men and women of our Navy an to their families as
well . . . thank you! For over thirty eight years of my
career you, and those who preceded you, have been working
harder than anybody could have ever expected, often
sacrificing more than anyone should ever demand of others,
and always making things turn out well in the end. You, the
people of our Navy, are what this is all about. Without you
nothing is possible and I won't forget that. You are the
reason I am here and I won't forget that either.
We ask much of you. We need to be sure you have what it
takes to get the job done. I will work as hard as I can to
see that you get the ships, the aircraft, the systems, and
all the other ingredients of a ready Navy so that, when asked
to do the difficult jobs--and you will be asked--you can do
so in a safe and effective way and you can win. Secretary
Dalton and I are pledged to work together and we will achieve
that goal.
I intend to spare no effort, and I expect and require that
you spare no effort, toward the realization of real, total,
equal opportunity in our Navy. We have come a long way. And
let me say, because there's been a lot of talk about it,
Frank Kelso brought us a long way along that road. Many would
say, and I would agree, that we are ahead of much of society.
But that isn't good enough. We want perfection. When we don't
get it, and I'm sorry to say we won't always get it, then we
will react in a fair, appropriately swift, and always get it,
then we will react in a fair, appropriately swift, and always
just way. You can count on it.
My reason for mentioning this should be obvious to you, the
men and women of our Navy. If you agree with me that people
are the most important part of what we do . . . and I think
almost everybody would agree with that . . . then it should
be easy to see that we require, that we need to require and
permit--let me say that again, require and permit--every
single person on our team to achieve their personal best.
Taking care of each other is the essence of being on a team
and, as Frank said, this is a team. It is what we are. It is
also the essence of leadership at all levels from CNO to our
newest petty officer and everybody in between. I'll have
lots more to say on this subject in the days ahead.
We have a great Navy. It is great because our nation has
made it so by giving us the best tools to work with of any
Navy in the world. But it is great for an even more important
reason, because of its people. The men and women of our Navy
are a reflection of our society and we come from the most
wonderful nation in the world so it's no wonder they are so
good. but there is even more to it than that. As great as our
nation is, we * * * your Navy * * * have the best. We have
smart young people who are with us because they want to be
here. They volunteer to serve and they have to meet our
standards when they join our ranks. They come to us with high
hopes for their own futures and they quickly learn to care
about--and have equally high hopes for--their Navy and their
nation. When I say we have a great Navy, and we do, I am
really saying we have great Navy people, and we do.
I have many goals in mind as I start my tour as Chief of
Naval Operations. And I'll be working on all of them in the
days, weeks, months, and years ahead. And they're all
important. But I need to steal an Army recruiting phrase to
tell you of my most important goal. That phrase is ``be all
you can be.'' On February 10th, 1956, a chief petty officer
started helping me to be all I could be. Lots of petty
officers, chiefs, officers, and civilian leaders too, kept it
up * * * Day after day * * * year after year. Many of you are
sitting in this audience. I guess they succeeded. I think I
really did become ``all I could be.'' Now I need to pay them
back. I'm going to do just that and I'm going to do it by
taking the best care I can of the wonderful men and women of
your Navy.
Thank you and God bless you all.
____
Remarks as Delivered by Hon. John H. Dalton, Secretary of the Navy, on
the Introduction of Deputy Secretary of Defense John Deutch
passing the vision
The mark of success for those in positions of authority is
the vision of the future that they bequeath to those after
them. It is this vision that allows us to sail a steady
course amidst change and challenge * * * to sail from an era
of global confrontation to a vastly different world.
Today we are saying goodby to a bold, visionary leader of
the Naval Service, and we are welcoming his successor. The
naval career of Admiral Kelso, like that of his successor,
Admiral Boorda, has spanned the height of the Cold War--from
the rise of the Soviet challenge at sea to the collapse of
communism and end of the Soviet empire. Both officers have
spent a lifetime of long, demanding toil in the service of
America's defense. And both have provided a guiding vision
through periods of naval expansion, as well as periods of
right-sizing. Their eyes were on the horizon through
successive commands of ships, fleets and joint forces.
To Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Frank Kelso fell the
task of piloting the United States Navy beyond the Cold War's
end--a feat akin to sailing beyond the edge of the known
world. Many were the challenges he faced in dealing with new
strategic and social issues. His legacy as Chief of Naval
Operations will be lasting. The development of a new
strategic vision ``* * * From the Sea'', the full integration
of women, the emphasis on Total Quality Leadership, and the
reorganization of the OPNAV staff are but four of these.
This ceremony symbolizes many things. Of course, it marks
the passing of command--an act that means so much to those
who ``go down to the sea in ships.'' For like the commanding
officer who plots the course and ensures the safety of the
ship in both storm and battle, the Chief of Naval Operations
ensures the continual development and safety of his Service.
Admiral Boorda inherits from Admiral Kelso a ship on the
right course, one that has weathered the storms as it sails
from the open oceans to the littoral regions of the world.
But this ceremony also symbolizes a tradition of naval
leadership that is the force that maintains our Navy and has
built it into the finest the world has ever known. It is this
tradition--the tradition of Admirals Benson and Nimitz and
Sherman and Burke--that is now being passed from Admiral
Kelso to Admiral Boorda . . . and with it a heritage of
honor, courage and commitment that transcends this moment in
time. For leadership is a timeless trait and one whose ever
present concern is that of building a better future . . . a
future that men and women of conviction will carry on.
It is indeed my pleasure this morning to introduce a man of
vision whose efforts at building a higher quality and more
efficient Department of Defense are already well apparent.
Deputy Secretary of Defense John Deutch has over thirty years
of experience in national security policy and defense
acquisition and management. Since April 1993, he has served
as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, and in the
past month, was confirmed as Deputy Secretary. As
Undersecretary, he spearheaded our efforts at acquisition
reform and set the groundwork for policies to preserve the
defense industrial base.
A member of the MIT faculty--since 1970--as a professor of
Chemistry, and most recently, as university Provost, Dr.
Deutch also devoted countless hours and considerable talent
to service in government, both as an official in the
Departments of Defense and Energy and as a member of numerous
advisory panels.
I note that of the many advisory panels he has served on--
which include the White House Science Council and Defense
Science Board--Deputy Secretary Deutch found time to serve
with distinction as a member of the Chief of Naval Operations
Executive Panel. The CNO Executive Panel provides advice
directly to the CNO on matters pertaining to the programs and
policies of the United States Navy . . . including issues
such as future technologies and industrial policies. I think
the fact of John Deutch's participation indicates that the
Navy can recognize talent and welcomes the assistance of top
experts. And I certainly can't think of a better person to
provide such advice than John Deutch.
Dr. Deutch has also served as an Acting Assistant Secretary
and Undersecretary of the Department of Energy and director
of Energy Research.
To paraphrase Secretary of Defense Perry--who very much
wanted to be here today, John Deutch is indeed a man who has
walked through the doors that time has opened in the
development of new technologies and the strategies of their
application . . . developments that helped to bring an end to
the Cold War . . . developments that promise to fashion a
more secure future.
In conjunction with Secretary Perry, Dr. Deutch has
instituted a management style that empowers everyone in the
Department of perform at their very best . . . a management
style based on proven experience and blended with love and
respect for the magnificent men and women of our Armed
Forces. In the final assessment, all our leadership efforts
are directed toward giving our Sailors, Marines, Soldiers and
Airmen the tools and conviction that bring out the excellence
present within themselves. In this, Deputy Secretary Deutch
is already achieving great success. It is a genuine pleasure
to work with this man.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor and privilege to
introduce to you the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the
Honorable John M. Deutch.
____________________