[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 20, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5454-S5455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  LIEUTENANT GENERAL RONALD B. BLANCK

 Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to 
honor Lieutenant General Ronald B. Blanck as he retires from the United 
States Army after more than thirty-two years of active duty service. 
For the last four years, General Blanck has served as

[[Page S5455]]

the United States Army Surgeon General and Commander, U.S. Army Medical 
Command General. During his tenure, he had significant oversight of 
eight Department of Defense activities as well as the management of the 
Army's $6.6 billion, worldwide integrated health system.
  Beginning his career as a general medical officer in Vietnam, General 
Blanck went on to hold a variety of executive positions that include: 
professor and teaching chief in graduate medical education at the 
Uniformed Services University; medical consultant to the Army Surgeon 
General; Commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the North 
Atlantic Regional Medical Command; and finally as the U.S. Army's 39th 
Surgeon General. General Blanck has met every challenge with enthusiasm 
and zeal. His team-building, compassion, and vision have resulted in 
greater cooperation among the Federal Health Services and improved 
delivery of medical care to our nation's military, past and present.
  General Blanck guided the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) 
through a period of re-engineering and instituted collaborative 
missions with the Department of State, Department of Treasury, Federal 
Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, National Aeronautic 
and Space Administration, National Transportation and Safety Board, and 
the Veterans Administration. These partnerships have fostered 
unparalleled advances in science and facilitated the reputation of AFIP 
as being known as the ``People's Institute.''
  He re-energized the Army Medical Department and instituted best 
business practices to ensure the provision of comprehensive, quality 
healthcare to service members, retired and active, and their family 
members. Faced with a military medical end-strength reduction of 34%, a 
reduction in Army medical treatment facilities of 45%, and medical 
force structure requirements reduction of 77%, General Blanck met the 
challenge. His brilliant leadership, compassionate vision and 
unprecedented achievements will guide the Army Medical Department and 
the entire federal health care system into the new millenium.
  General Blanck's contributions to Persian Gulf Illness and Anthrax 
programs, his interactions with Congress and the Office of the 
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs), and his commitment to 
the delivery of world-class medical care in support of contingency 
operations, national emergencies, and potential weapons of mass 
destruction scenarios are unsurpassed. Mr. President, while General 
Blanck's many meritorious awards and decorations demonstrate his 
contributions in a tangible way, it is the legacy he leaves behind for 
the Army Medical Corps, the United States Army, and the Department of 
Defense for which we are most appreciative. It is with pride that I 
congratulate General Blanck on his outstanding career of exemplary 
service.

                          ____________________