[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 54 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4518-S4519]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


            TRIBUTE TO COMMANDER LORENZO ``PETE'' CASALEGNO

 Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the dedication, 
public service, and patriotism of Comdr. ``Pete'' Casalegno, U.S. Navy, 
for 30 years of unselfish service to our Nation in both the U.S. Air 
Force and the U.S. Navy.
  Commander Casalegno's military service began in 1965 when he enlisted 
in the U.S. Air Force and served as a weather observer and forecaster. 
A veteran of the Vietnam war, he served as a member of the combat 
weather team at Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam, from December 1967 to December 
1968.
  Upon graduation from the University of San Francisco, Commander 
Casalegno was commissioned and subsequently designated as a naval 
flight officer. After completion of advanced training in the E-2 
Hawkeye aircraft, Commander Casalegno was assigned to Carrier Airborne 
Early Warning Squadron 114 and completed two overseas deployments 
onboard the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and the U.S.S. Coral Sea (CV-43). 
During this assignment, Commander Casalegno completed arduous 
qualifications as officer of the deck and tactical action officer.
  After graduating from the United States Postgraduate School in 1981 
with a master of science in systems engineering, Commander Casalegno 
was assigned to the staff of Cruiser
 Destroyer Group Three as assistant air operations and electronic 
warfare officer. Involved in frequent deployments to both the Western 
Pacific and Southwest Asia, Commander Casalengo participated in 
military operations following the fall of the Shah of Iran, and 
numerous humanitarian operations.

  In 1985, Commander Casalegno reported to Carrier Airborne Early 
Warning Squadron 116, where he served as operations officer and 
maintenance officer during deployments to the Western Pacific and 
Southwest Asia. Commander Casalegno was involved in operations which 
included escorting U.S. merchant ships through the Straits of 
[[Page S4519]] Hormuz and retributive strikes on Iranian oil 
facilities.
  Following this tour, Commander Casalegno was assigned to the staff of 
Commander Allied Forces Southern Europe in Naples, Italy. As a staff 
officer, he was involved in numerous North American Treaty Organization 
operations, including support of allied forces during Operations Desert 
Shield and Desert Storm.
  In 1990, Commander Casalegno was assigned as the United States Navy 
Exchange Officer to the Royal Navy's Maritime Tactical School in 
Portsmouth, England, where he trained senior allied officials in the 
employment of naval forces. In 1994, Commander Casalegno returned to 
the United States to serve at the Navy's Tactical Training Group, 
Atlantic Fleet, as the air defense instructor.
  Commander Casalegno, his wife Marla, and his sons Cory and Phillip 
are stalwart Americans whom have sacrificed greatly for the past 30 
years. Commander Casalegno has honorably and faithfully upheld the 
Nation's special trust and confidence conveyed through his military 
commission. In every way, he has lived up to his oath of office and 
bore true faith and allegiance to our Constitution and the Nation. It 
gives me great pleasure to recognize Commander Casalegno before my 
colleagues and wish him all of our best in his retirement.


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