[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 196 (Monday, December 11, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S18312-S18313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RETIREMENT OF GEN. ROBERT L. DeZARN

  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, when you've been in public life as long as I 
have, you see a lot of hard working, dedicated people in public 
service. But, every once in a while you come into contact with someone 
whose leadership qualities make them stand out from the rest. The head 
of Kentucky's National Guard, Adj. Gen. Robert L. DeZarn is that kind 
of leader. Over the years, he's been able to instill a sense of common 
purpose, and in doing so, bring out the best possible performance in 
everyone around him. And while we know that he will continue to 
contribute his talents in other ways, General DeZarn's retirement today 
will be a tremendous loss to those under his command and to the State 
as a whole.
  It's been said that ``a general is as good or as bad as the troops 
under his command make him.'' There is no doubt that Kentucky's 
National Guard will continue to make Kentucky and the Nation proud long 
after General DeZarn steps down. But, anyone who knows the Adjutant 
General also knows that he brought to his command an uncommon blend of 
courage, intelligence and compassion that will be sorely missed.
  Over the past 4 years, as the Kentucky Guard was called upon to 
respond to natural disasters or as our Nation sought them out to help 
ease discord around the world, I always knew that General DeZarn was 
working behind the scenes to assure order, to assure total commitment, 
and in the end, to assure victory over adversity.

[[Page S18313]]

  He was equally hard at work when the media's eye was not on the 
Guard, building upon Kentucky's resources to assure we would play an 
integral role in national security well into the next century. I owe 
him much for his assistance in making sure the C-130H's, what I often 
call the thoroughbreds of military aviation, stayed in Kentucky. Our 
Air Guard's performance at the controls of those C-130H's in Somalia, 
Bosnia, and Rwanda have brought them national recognition, and saved 
countless lives.
  In addition, his development of the western Kentucky training site 
will make it a model of high-tech and all-terrain training for both 
Guard and active duty soldiers for years to come. Last year, 16,000 
soldiers trained here. But, those numbers represent just the beginning 
in a long line of soldiers who will receive the best training this 
country has to offer. The skills they learn right in Kentucky will 
enable them to join the ranks of the best-trained military force in the 
world.
  General DeZarn has also had a tremendous impact on the national 
level. The Department of Defense has been working to restructure the 
Nation's entire defense forces to better respond to the needs of the 
post-cold war era. General DeZarn has worked closely with his 
colleagues from other States to assure that the National Guard 
continues to play an integral and undiminished role in that new 
structure.
  Mr. President, let me close by reiterating my thanks to General 
DeZarn for a job well done, and my appreciation for having had the 
honor to serve with him.

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