[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 21, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S5449]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         SENATE RESOLUTION 255--TO HONOR ADM. JEREMY M. BOORDA

  Mr. LOTT (for himself, Mr. Thurmond, Mr. Nunn, Mr. Warner, Mr. Cohen, 
Mr. Santorum, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Coats, Mr. 
Smith, Mr. Exon, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. McCain, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Levin, 
Mr. Akaka, Mr. Bradley, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. 
Dorgan, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Simon, Mr. Graham, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
Glenn, Mr. Reid, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Robb, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Kohl, Mr. 
Ford, Mr. Kerrey, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Bumpers, Mr. Pell, Mr. Feingold, Mr. 
Leahy, Mr. Moynihan, Mr. Kennedy, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Murray, and Ms. 
Moseley-Braun):

                              S. Res. 255

       Whereas Admiral Jeremy M. ``Mike'' Boorda was the 25th 
     Chief of Naval Operations.
       Whereas as the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Boorda 
     commanded the foremost Navy in the World;
       Whereas Admiral Boorda's career in the Navy reflected his 
     lifelong dedication to the United States and to the 
     principles he held dear--duty, honor, and commitment;
       Whereas Admiral Boorda is the only member of the Navy ever 
     to rise from the lowest enlisted grade to the position of 
     Chief of Naval Operations, and this rise gave him a full and 
     unique perspective on the opportunities and obligations of 
     command;
       Whereas this perspective instilled in Admiral Boorda an 
     unwavering concern for the members of the Navy and their 
     families;
       Whereas as Commander-in-Chief of NATO forces in Southern 
     Europe, Admiral Boorda ordered the first offensive use of 
     deadly force in the history of NATO, an air strike in 
     February 1994 against four Bosnian Serb aircraft flying in 
     violation of a United Nations ban on such flights;
       Whereas Admiral Boorda was a visionary in naval strategy 
     who recognized that circumstances in the post-Cold War era 
     made necessary a strategy that retained a forward presence 
     for the Navy even as it recognized that future Navy 
     operations would most likely occur in the littoral zones of 
     the world;
       Whereas this strategy, which Admiral Boorda called 
     ``Forward . . . From the Sea'', will serve as the basis for 
     Navy strategy well into the 21st century;
       Whereas Admiral Boorda was a visionary in naval technology 
     who spearheaded programs for the development of the arsenal 
     ship, the new attack submarine, theater ballistic missile 
     defense, and cooperative engagement capabilities;
       Whereas these programs, and many others spearheaded by 
     Admiral Boorda, put the Navy on the cutting edge of 
     technology and did so in an efficient, affordable, flexible 
     manner;
       Whereas Admiral Boorda recognized the need for the Navy to 
     develop a strategy for utilizing emerging technology 
     effectively and developed in response to that need the plan 
     known as ``20/20 Vision'', a long-range plan for the 
     acquisition and utilization of technology in the future in 
     order to achieve the strategic objectives of the United 
     States; and
       Whereas it is fitting that Admiral Boorda be remembered as 
     he described Admiral Arleigh Burke when saying that ``. . . 
     he defined what it means to be a naval officer: relentless in 
     combat, resourceful in command, and revered by his crews . . 
     . He was, indeed, a sailor's sailor.'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate honors Admiral Jeremy M. ``Mike'' 
     Boorda for a career that included extraordinary contributions 
     to the defense of the United States and a singular commitment 
     to the members of the Navy and thereby exemplified all the 
     best qualities in an officer in the United States Navy.

                          ____________________