[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 13 (Monday, January 25, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S988-S989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO LT. GEN. NORMAND G. LEZY, USAF

 Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 
contributions of Lieutenant General Normand G. Lezy of the United 
States Air Force, who will retire on March 1st after more than three 
decades of outstanding service to our nation. Norm Lezy is an 
extraordinary officer whose leadership skills, professionalism and 
service before self are a tribute to our country's military.
  General Lezy is a native of Rhode Island, and was commissioned into 
the Air Force in November 1964 through the Reserve Officer Training 
Corps program. Throughout his career, General Lezy has earned a well-
deserved reputation as a leader who truly cares about people. Whether 
he was commanding his student training squadron, a Minuteman I combat 
missile launch crew, an air base squadron, a combat support group or 
working in his many key staff assignments, Norm Lezy made people his 
priority.

[[Page S989]]

  In addition to his many tours of duty around the world, General Lezy 
has served as Director of Administration and Information Management for 
the Secretary of the Air Force; the Deputy Chief of Staff for 
Personnel, Headquarters Pacific Air Force; and the Director of 
Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Many here in the Senate first 
came to know Norm when he was the Director of Legislative Liaison for 
the Secretary of the Air Force. With his exceptional knowledge of all 
aspects of Air Force operations and his keen awareness of the 
legislative process, General Lezy dramatically improved communication 
between the United States Congress and the United States Air Force. He 
was the driving force in gaining Congressional support for critical Air 
Force programs such as the C-17, B-2, and F-22 weapon systems, all of 
which will have a significant impact on the future of the United States 
Air Force and the security of our nation.
  In his most recent assignment as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
Defense (Military Personnel Policy), General Lezy was directly 
responsible for the establishment of all policies concerning military 
personnel matters. Specifically, he focused on accessing and retaining 
military personnel in all services; pay, compensation and benefits; and 
the classification, assignment, and career development for the 1.4 
million service members of the Department of Defense. True to his 
reputation, General Lezy fought for increased support for service 
members and worked to develop personnel policies that will successfully 
guide our armed forces well into the next century. Some of the more 
significant efforts he undertook include conducting a complete review 
of the military pay and retirement system, improving recruiting 
policies and advertising programs, enhancing Professional Military 
Education, and streamlining the Department of Defense Disability 
Evaluation System.
  Throughout his distinguished career, General Lezy's tireless and 
sincere dedication to the men and women in uniform has vastly improved 
their quality of life and mission readiness. As General Norm Lezy 
retires from the United States Air Force, he will leave behind a 
tremendous legacy.
  Mr. President, General Norm Lezy is a great credit to the Air Force 
and the Nation. He will certainly be missed by many, both in the 
Pentagon and in Congress. I salute him for his many years of selfless 
service to our country, and offer my gratitude to Norm, his wife 
Prudence, and their son Chip on the occasion of his retirement from the 
United States Air Force.

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