[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S12154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SECRETARY OF THE NAVY JOHN H. DALTON

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, as the framers of the Constitution 
worked to lay out the foundation of the United States, they very wisely 
decided that the military forces of this nation should be subservient 
to civilian leadership. For the past 224 years, this arrangement has 
worked well proving the wisdom of the men who drafted the document that 
serves as the cornerstone of our democracy and government.
  One of the reasons that civilian leadership of the military has 
worked so well is because Presidents search tirelessly to find 
qualified individuals to fill the critical positions of the service 
secretaries. If we were to look across the Potomac and into the ``E'' 
ring of the Pentagon, we would find a group of selfless men and women 
serving as the civilian leadership of America's armed forces. One of 
those individuals is Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton, who will be 
stepping down from his position at the end of this year.
  When John Dalton raised his right hand on July 22, 1993, swore his 
oath and became the 70th Secretary of the Navy, he came to the office 
well trained to discharge the duties of his new office. Not only was he 
a successful corporate executive with invaluable experience in managing 
a large organization, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy 
and served as an officer aboard the submarines USS Blueback and USS 
John C. Calhoun. Additionally, he served in the Carter Administration 
as a member and chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board.
  The challenges of essentially being the first post-Cold War Secretary 
of the Navy were significant. Secretary Dalton had the unenviable task 
of being responsible for the reshaping of the Navy and the Marine Corps 
to meet the security needs of the United States in a world that is no 
longer bi-polar. Under his direction, the Navy and the Marine Corps 
implemented the new doctrines of ``Forward, From the Sea: Anytime, 
Anywhere'', and ``Operational Maneuver from the Sea'', both which will 
help America meet its short and long-term tactical and strategic needs. 
Furthermore, Secretary Dalton worked to achieve acquisition initiatives 
seeking to establish practices resulting in the procurement of the best 
equipment for our sailors and marines, at the fairest cost to the 
taxpayer. The new attack submarine teaming arrangement, the DDG-51 
multi-year procurement, and the testing and evaluation of the F/A-18 E/
F are all examples of such successful endeavors.
  Unquestionably, the Navy and Marine Corps that Secretary Dalton will 
turn over to his successor are institutions that have benefitted from 
the leadership of this charismatic and kind Texan. His efforts have 
earned him the respect and accolades of people in the Congress, in the 
Executive Branch, in industry, in academia, and around the world, and 
even resulted in his being awarded with the National Security Caucus' 
prestigious International Leadership Award in 1997. He is the first 
service secretary to be recognized in this manner and his winning this 
award is a testament to the regard in which he is held.
  Mr. President, I have worked with a lot of service secretaries in my 
almost 45 years in this body and I say without reservation that John 
Dalton is one of the finest individuals to have ever served in that 
capacity. He is a man of honor, ability, and dedication and he will 
certainly be missed. I know that everyone in this chamber joins me in 
wishing him ``fair winds and following seas'' as he completes his 
public service to the Department of the Navy and the United States of 
America.

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