[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 18, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1637-E1638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           A GREAT AMERICAN RETIRES AFTER 40 YEARS OF SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 18, 1996

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, today our Nation salutes the career of a 
distinguished Naval officer, Adm. Bruce DeMars, who will retire from 
the Navy this fall after more than 40 years of dedicated service to our 
country. For the last 8 years, Admiral DeMars held the position of 
Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, and faced the task of 
strengthening the capability and quality of our Nation's nuclear 
powered warships despite ever-tightening budget constraints in the 
post-cold war era.
  Admiral DeMars was appointed Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion 
Program after compiling an impressive record of accomplishments, 
including tours as the Commanding Officer, U.S.S. Cavalla (SSN 684), 
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Marinas/U.S. Naval Base Guam, and as 
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Submarine Warfare. At the time of 
his appointment, the Navy had plans for substantial nuclear powered 
warship construction--the product of a continuing Soviet threat. The 
sudden and dramatic collapse of the Soviet Union during the next few 
years called for a comprehensive review of our defense requirements. 
The Seawolf attack submarine program was terminated, and Admiral DeMars 
faced the difficult challenge of adjusting to drastically changing 
defense requirements while maintaining the program's long established 
reputation for technical excellence and uncompromising safety. The 
program's reputation had been established by Adm. Hyman G. Rickover, 
the program's founder, and later commended by President Reagan as 
recognized worldwide for excellence in all phases of its work.
  Admiral DeMars met this challenge headon, continuing the superb 
performance, safety, and environmental record of nuclear powered 
warships. Our nuclear powered warships benefit from acceptance in 
foreign ports worldwide, which reflects the emphasis placed on safety--
not only for the sailors who must work and live on these warships, but 
for preserving the environment which affects all of us. Over the past 8 
years, these warships safely steamed over 40 million miles, and over 
20,000 sailors and officers were trained to operate their nuclear 
propulsion plants. In 1994, nuclear powered warships reached the 
significant milestone of over 100 million miles safely

[[Page E1638]]

steamed since the program's inception. In recognition of this event, 
the President wrote ``* * * The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, with 
its high standards and efficiency, exemplifies the level of excellence 
we are working toward throughout our government.'' Congress highlighted 
this remarkable achievement in the conference report accompanying the 
fiscal year 1995 National Defense Authorization Act.
  Admiral DeMars effectively managed fleet downsizing while 
facilitating force modernization initiatives. He oversaw the successful 
construction and delivery to the fleet of 35 nuclear powered warships, 
while directing the overhaul, refueling, or decommissioning of 98 
ships. Of particular note, he sought to attain long-term cost savings 
by reducing the size of the Naval nuclear industrial base. In the wake 
of a sharply reduced rate of ship building, he made the necessary 
adjustment of going from multiple suppliers to, in most cases, one--a 
change crucial to achieving an economic defense while still fostering a 
viable industrial base in this highly specialized area.
  Admiral DeMars completed development of the nuclear propulsion plant 
for the revolutionary Seawolf attack submarine class, which recently 
completed initial sea trials with exceptional success. The Seawolf will 
be the fastest, quietest, and most heavily armed submarine in the 
world. While concluding development of Seawolf, he initiated 
development of a new attack submarine class to capture the militarily 
significant Seawolf advances in a more affordable ship.
  For five decades the use of nuclear energy as a means of propulsion 
in warships has been pivotal to our national security. Since the 
world's first true submersible, the Nautilus, broadcast her historic 
message ``Underway on nuclear power.'', nuclear powered warships have 
been a valuable asset in projecting U.S. naval dominance worldwide. 
Today, our submarines are deployed around the globe, and our nuclear 
powered aircraft carriers have answered the call to provide essential 
military assistance worldwide in regions such as the Persian Gulf, 
Bosnia, and the Straits of Taiwan. The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program 
developed and implemented nuclear propulsion technology, and its 
continuing success has hinged on the exceptional leadership 
demonstrated by its director.
  Mr. Speaker, Admiral DeMars' contributions to his Nation and his 
commitment to providing the best possible national defense demonstrate 
a record of excellence to which all military leaders should aspire. In 
a period of drastic change, he took tremendous strides in restructuring 
our Navy to help enable continued military superiority well into the 
next century. We thank him for a job masterfully done. .

                          ____________________