[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 159 (Thursday, November 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2380-E2381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN PRAISE OF THE EFFORTS OF BRIG. GEN. HARRY GATANAS, COMMANDING 
                GENERAL OF WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, NM

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JOE SKEEN

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 10, 1999

  Mr. SKEEN. Mr. Speaker, I call attention to an important event which 
will occur in my congressional district in southern New Mexico next 
week, on November 16th, 1999. On that day, Brig. Gen. Harry Gatanas 
will turn over the reins as Commanding General of the U.S. Army's White 
Sands Missile Range to incoming Brig. Gen. Steven Flohr.
  Gen. Gatanas is deserving of special recognition for his efforts as 
the Commanding General of one of the nation's major test and evaluation 
ranges and for instituting cost-cutting measures and retooling 
strategies to enable the Range to upgrade existing technologies and 
capabilities as well as to attract new business. His story offers 
insights and positive suggestions to all military commanders throughout 
the country.
  Gen. Gatanas took charge of White Sands on April 13th, 1998. During 
his tenure at the Range, he demonstrated outstanding command 
performance of duty by significantly improving every aspect of the 
Range, while enhancing the well being of all with whom he served and 
was professionally associated. His command philosophy effectively 
focused on three principal elements simultaneously: mission, people and 
shaping White Sands for the 21st Century.
  Upon assuming command at the Range, Gen. Gatanas immediately began 
rebuilding ties with several offices and customers of White Sands. 
During the last fiscal year (1999), White Sands Missile Range operated 
on a total budget of approximately $550 million. Of that amount, only 
30 percent was provided by the government in institutional (budget) 
funds, while the remaining 70 percent was generated from outside 
customers. All together, the Range employs almost 7,000 people, 
including military, government-contract labor and civilian labor.
  To attract more business, Gen. Gatanas quickly implemented cost 
cutting efficiencies in test design and execution while streamlining 
test-support processes and procedures. The remarkable net effect of 
these efficiencies and processes not only increased White Sands' test 
activities by more than 18 percent during the last year, but also 
increased the Range's reimbursable income from 69 percent to 76 percent 
overall. By reinvesting dollars earned through well planned and 
executed efficiencies, White Sands has been able to invest over $10 
million of its budget dollars this year to accomplish modernization, 
while becoming one of the most cost-effective ranges for Project 
Managers to test rockets, missiles and weapon systems.
  Gen. Gatanas' strategy for the 21st Century is already underway in 
many areas with modernized Range launch complexes currently under 
construction, test instrumentation upgrades being implemented, 
communication trunk radio networks and fiber optic local area networks 
being installed throughout the entire Range, and accelerated scheduled 
construction of the ``state of the art'' Cox Range Control Center which 
is nearing completion. I was pleased to work with the General to secure 
the necessary funds for these important projects in the 105th and 106th 
Congresses. The Range is pursuing technological breakthroughs in the 
development of miniaturized digital cameras and associated digitized 
test suites to allow White Sands to make finite measurements of 
sophisticated weapon systems.
  Perhaps the General's greatest success was embodied in the Range's 
completion and validated Year 2000 compliance of White Sands' 6,500 
computers that support daily test, analysis and operations. In fact, 
Gen. Gatanas established White Sands as the Year 2000 frontrunner in 
the entire Department of Defense through flawless Year 2000 
demonstrations on four separate occasions during tests of Range and 
infrastructure assets for compliance, including live fire tests of four 
major weapon systems and associated command and control computers in 
comprehensive integrated end-to-end demonstrations. These events 
received national media news coverage. Even the House Appropriations 
Committee, in its committee report accompanying the FY 2000 Defense 
Appropriations bill, called attention to the Range's efforts on these 
matters by noting, ``the White Sands Missile Range deserves particular 
mention for its early and aggressive Y2K effort.''
  During the watch of Gen. Gatanas, White Sands Missile Range and the 
Army witnessed several firsts in the success of weapons systems 
developments. These successes include the first intercepts of the 
Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) and the Theater High Altitude Area 
Defense (THAAD) missile systems. The successes of these systems are a 
direct reflection on the great teamwork and capability of the White 
Sands work force.
  Gen. Gatanas exercised great community leadership as the Commander of 
White Sands, especially in keeping good ties with the three major 
communities surrounding the Range: Las Cruces and Alamogordo, New 
Mexico and El Paso, Texas. He also worked with the commanders of nearby 
bases--Ft. Bliss and Holloman Air Force Base--on important issues such 
as joint testing and training activities, federal land withdrawal 
legislation, air defense issues, and Air Force weapons development, 
testing and training concerns.
  Gen. Gatanas took command of the Range at a time of intense conflict 
and turmoil as a result of military cutbacks in personnel positions and 
was immediately faced with the decline of over 400 civilian positions 
and over 100 soldier slots. He immediately designed a program that 
capitalized on early retirements and transfers in a manner which had 
minimal impact on the work force morale. Consequently, the plan was 
implemented without a single unresolved civilian issue or any complaint 
from a soldier family. In addition, Gen. Gatanas stressed the 
importance of a qualified work force by instituting several programs 
which focused on the needs and concerns of employees on the Range. He 
instituted the important Consideration of Others program ahead of 
schedule and made it a role model with the Army Test and Evaluation 
Command. He earnestly and efficiently implemented Disabled employee 
Programs which earned the Range the 1998 Department of the Army award. 
And Gen. Gatanas implemented programs which earned the Range the 1999 
IMAGE de Neuvo Mexico award for support of Hispanic employees, the 1999 
National IMAGE award for education excellence for Hispanic employees 
and the 1999 Secretary of the Army award for Outstanding Achievement in 
Equal Employment Opportunity.
  Gen. Gatanas made quality of life initiatives for soldiers and 
civilians a major priority at White Sands by implementing programs to 
improve housing, re-open facilities to provide recreation and dining 
support as well as making the gymnasium facility fully accessible to

[[Page E2381]]

soldiers and the work force. I was pleased to work with him in Congress 
to secure funds to make a host of needed repairs to Range building and 
workplaces, as well as improvements to roads and water and sewer 
projects. These efforts made White Sands Missile Range a finalist for 
the Presidential Quality Award. Further, he canonized the Hembrillo 
Battlefield where the 10th Cavalry fought a heroic campaign in the late 
1800s by requesting its inclusion as a place on the National Register 
of Historic Places. He also continued the time-honored tradition to 
remember the New Mexico Veterans of the World War II Bataan Death March 
by recreating an annual march (begun in the early 1990s) through 25 
miles of surrounding Range desert in tribute to the heroes of Bataan.
  Throughout the past 18 months, Gen. Gatanas has effectively and 
continuously led White Sands and its work force on a journey of 
continuous improvement. He created a foundation of technical and 
infrastructure improvements which will serve the Range for generations 
and instilled a true spirit of professionalism and pride throughout the 
work force. The general's efforts have been noted throughout the work 
force. The General's efforts have been noted throughout the entire 
Materiel Development Community, the Army Staff, the Department of 
Defense and the U.S. Congress. His dedication to duty, selfless service 
and outstanding leadership mark him as a truly successful commander. 
These accomplishments are deserving of the highest attention and 
accolades, and it is only appropriate that after the completion of next 
week's change-of-command ceremony, Brigadier General Harry Gatanas will 
be promoted to the rank of Major General and will depart to take 
command of his next assignment as the Commanding General of the U.S. 
Army's Test and Evaluation Command in Alexandria, Virginia.
  All of us in New Mexico have been blessed by an impressive cadre of 
commanding generals who have taken charge of the reins at White Sands 
since its founding in World War II. I've been pleased to work with each 
Commanding General at the Range for the past two decades.
  Next month, the Range will celebrate its final firing of the century. 
Established on July 9, 1945, the first atomic bomb explosion occurred 
on the Range one week later, on July 16th at Trinity site. Since that 
time, over 42-thousand test firings have occurred at White Sands, which 
have included the initial test flights of all of the Army's missile 
systems including the V-2 rocket, the Nike Hercules, the Nike Zeus, the 
Redstone, the Hawk and the Pershing II.
  I look forward to working with soon-to-be Major General Gatanas and 
the rest of the Army leadership in continuing the impressive 
technological contributions to our national security throughout tests, 
evaluations and operations conducted at White Sands Missile Range.

                          ____________________