[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 86 (Tuesday, May 23, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7229-S7230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO COL. JOSEPH W. CORNELISON

  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the dedication, public 
service, and patriotism of Col. Joseph W. Cornelison, U.S. Army, on the 
occasion of his retirement after 26 years of faithful service to our 
Nation. Colonel Cornelison's strong commitment to excellence will leave 
a lasting impact on the vitality of our modern war fighters, commanding 
admiration and respect from his military colleagues and Members of 
Congress.
  Colonel Cornelison, a 1969 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, is 
serving his last day of a 21 month assignment as the special assistant 
for Environment and Installations, Office of the Assistant Secretary of 
Defense for Legislative Affairs.
  He holds a master's degree in public service from Western Kentucky 
University, and has his juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law 
Center.
  From April 1970 to August 1971, Colonel Cornelison was a forward 
observer, fire direction officer, and artillery liaison officer, 173d 
Airborne Brigade, Republic of Vietnam. He ensured the effective 
delivery of direct artillery support to an infantry unit in combat. He 
then served as battery commander, assistant division personnel officer 
and assistant battalion operations officer for 101st Airborne Division 
[Air Assault] in Fort Campbell, KY. As commander, he conducted a 
tactical standdown of a field artillery battery in Vietnam and 
redeployed its personnel and equipment to the United States. In the 
personnel position, was a key player in the assignment of several 
hundred officers and undertook review of an array of regulatory 
requirements to identify those that could be eliminated because of 
redundancy, obsolescence or insufficient value. He also organized and 
executed an advanced training program for newly assigned personnel.
  From August 1977 to July 1978, Colonel Cornelison was the law clerk 
to the Hon. Oliver Gasch, judge of U.S. District Court for the District 
of Columbia. He assisted the judge in management of his civil docket 
which included hearings, researching and briefing issues and drafting 
opinions. He then served as trial counsel, chief of administrative law, 
and officer-in-charge of Bamberg Branch Office for the 1st Armored 
Division in the Federal Republic of Germany. In these three positions, 
he progressed from serving as prosecutor in criminal trials to 
providing legal support on issues associated with command to serving as 
city counsel to a major military community.
  Colonel Cornelison went to serve as assistant to the General Counsel, 
Office of the Secretary of the Army, Headquarters, Department of the 
Army, Washington, DC from June 1982 to December 1983. He developed 
improvements to debarment and suspension procedures and increasing 
emphasis on [[Page S7230]] contract fraud discovery and avoidance. He 
contributed to studies of spare parts procurement and of ways to 
improve contracting for major weapons. His next position was as chief, 
Special Litigation Branch (Environmental), Office of the Judge Advocate 
General, Washington, DC from December 1983 to January 1985. He 
organized a team of five attorneys and two engineers to assist 
Department of Justice in a lawsuit filed against Shell Oil under the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. 
He then served as General Counsel [SJA] for U.S. Army South and Joint 
Task Force Panama from July 1985 to June 1989. He managed the delivery 
of all legal services within the command.
  Colonel Cornelison's next assignment was as special counsel to the 
Assistant Attorney General (Civil Division) for Department of Justice 
from July 1989 to June 1990. He was selected to serve in this capacity 
under a fellowship through the Army War College. He represented DOJ on 
an interagency group responsible for implementing a Presidential 
executive order calling for a drug-free, Federal workplace, serving as 
liaison to the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and advising on 
settlement of litigation. He served as chief, Environmental Law 
Division, Office of the Judge Advocate General for the Department of 
the Army from June 1990 to March 1991. He managed the Army's 
environmental litigation and provided legal advice to the Army staff 
and executed the Army's environmental program. From March 1991 to 
September 1993, he was executive to the Judge Advocate General for the 
Department of the Army. Served as personal advisor and executive 
assistant to the Army's senior military lawyer. He managed an office of 
74 lawyers and 47 support personnel, $3,000,000 budget, and assisted in 
providing legal support to the Army worldwide.
  Colonel Cornelison currently is serving as assistant for 
Installations and Environment, Office of the Assistant Secretary of 
Defense for Legislative Affairs. He serves as a liaison between 
Congress and the Office of the Secretary of Defense and as an advocate 
of the Department's legislative program.
  Our Nation, the U.S. Army, his wife Ella and his family, can truly be 
proud of the Colonel's many accomplishments. A man of his extraordinary 
talent and integrity is rare indeed. While his honorable service will 
be genuinely missed in the Department of Defense, it gives me great 
pleasure to recognize Col. Joseph Cornelison before my colleagues and 
wish him all of our best wishes in his new and exciting career.


                          ____________________