[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 61 (Thursday, May 14, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4900-S4901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO REAR ADMIRAL KENDELL PEASE, USN

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I want to recognize and honor Rear Admiral 
Kendell Pease, United States Navy, as he prepares to retire upon 
completion of more than 34 years of faithful service to our great 
nation.
  A Boston native, Rear Admiral Pease grew up in Natick, Massachusetts, 
enlisted in the United States Navy in 1963 and was selected to attend 
the United States Naval Academy. Upon graduation in 1968, he was 
commissioned an Ensign and began a distinguished career as a Public 
Affairs Officer. He initially served in the Republic of Vietnam and had 
follow-on public affairs assignments in Charleston, South Carolina; 
Naples, Italy; and Norfolk, Virginia. He served as the Public Affairs 
Officer for the Navy's Atlantic Fleet, the Naval Academy, and was 
assigned to multiple tours in Washington including the Department of 
Defense, the On-Site Inspection Agency and the Department of the Navy.
  Since 1992, Rear Admiral Pease served as the Navy's Chief of 
Information. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in educating 
the American public about the Navy's role in protecting American 
interests around the world. During his watch, he led hundreds of 
successful efforts to communicate Navy operations in areas from A to Z, 
Albania to Zaire, including Bosnia, the Persian Gulf and Somalia. He 
also deserves tremendous credit for his efforts to communicate the need 
for very important Navy programs such as the SEAWOLF and NSSN submarine 
programs; CVN 77 and CVX; DDG 51 and DD 21; and Super Hornet. He 
accomplished all of this while navigating the Navy through a number of 
contentious issues, earning deep respect for his style of aggressively 
and honestly communicating all of the facts.
  Most significantly, Rear Admiral Pease served as a passionate 
advocate for the Sailors in the Fleet--the men and women who serve far 
from home

[[Page S4901]]

anywhere, anytime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their welfare was 
always his number one priority, for he truly understood that Sailors 
are the backbone of our nation's strategy of forward presence, and 
providing them with better internal communication would make for a more 
successful Sailor. He focused on improving the Navy's internal 
communication tools and methods--including improvements to the fleet-
wide internal magazine (All Hands), the television program ``Navy and 
Marine Corps News'' shown each week aboard ships at sea, and a new 
program to take satellite television direct to Sailors at sea. Rear 
Admiral Pease made it his mission to ensure that opinion leaders and 
decision makers understood the special needs of Sailors and their 
families.
  An individual of exceptional character and uncommon vision, this 
great Nation and our military are indebted to Rear Admiral Pease for 
his many years of outstanding service. I am proud, Mr. President, to 
thank him for his honorable service in the United States Navy and to 
wish him ``fair winds and following seas'' as he closes his 
distinguished military career.
  Mr. KEMPTHORNE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
  Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Thank you, Mr. President.

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