[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 96 (Friday, July 21, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S7445]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO COL. BRUCE BERWICK, COMMANDER, BALTIMORE DISTRICT, U.S. ARMY 
                           CORPS OF ENGINEERS

 Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Colonel Bruce Berwick, Commander of the Baltimore District, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers. Col. Berwick is moving on to a new assignment at 
the Pentagon and I want to express my personal appreciation for the 
outstanding work that he has done.
  The Baltimore District is one of the Corps' largest districts 
encompassing five States and the District of Columbia. It is 
responsible for twenty-three military installations, three major 
watersheds including the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac and Susquehanna 
Rivers, 14 dams and reservoirs, numerous navigation projects--large and 
small, and the public water supply for the Washington metropolitan 
area, as well as certain overseas activities. Managing the District's 
considerable and diverse workload presents a special challenge--a 
challenge that Col. Berwick met with great success. During his three-
year tenure as Commander of the Baltimore District, Col. Berwick has 
distinguished himself as an exceptional District Engineer and a 
dedicated and tireless advocate for the mission of the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers. Under his leadership, numerous military construction and 
civil works projects were initiated or completed including the $1.1 
billion Pentagon renovation project, the $147 million Walter Reed Army 
Institute for Research, phase one of the Poplar Island beneficial use 
of dredged material project and the storm damage restoration work at 
Ocean City and the north end of Assateague Island National Seashore, to 
name only a few. The Colonel worked to ensure that these projects 
remained on cost, on schedule and were built to the highest standards. 
Similarly, he directed and oversaw the successful completion of 
numerous environmental restoration projects including the fish 
passageway at the Little Falls Dam on the Potomac River, wetland 
restoration along the Anacostia River, the planning and design for the 
rewatering of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the protection of Smith 
Island, as well as the Chesapeake Bay oyster recovery effort.
  I have had the pleasure of working closely with Col. Berwick over the 
last three years on these and other initiatives throughout Maryland and 
the mid-Atlantic area. I know first hand the exceptional talent, 
ingenuity, and energy which he brought to the Baltimore District and to 
the Corps of Engineers. One of our most significant cooperative efforts 
and one which, in my view, underscores the exceptional leadership and 
commitment of Bruce Berwick was the repair of the Korean War Memorial. 
Just three years after the memorial was dedicated it was clear that it 
was not functioning as originally designed and was plagued by problems: 
the water in the fountain no longer flowed, the grove of Linden trees 
died and had to be removed, there were walkway and safety hazards and 
the lighting for the statues was failing. Col. Berwick made it a 
personal mission to fix these problems and ensure that the monument was 
repaired in time for the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War. As a 
result of his determined efforts, our Korean War Veterans now have a 
memorial for which they can be proud, one that is a fitting and lasting 
tribute to their service to our nation.
  In recognition of his outstanding work in the Baltimore District and 
his other assignments throughout the world, Col. Berwick has been the 
recipient of numerous awards and decorations including the Legion of 
Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Parachutist 
Badge. Perhaps more significantly however, his efforts and 
accomplishments have earned him the respect and admiration of his 
colleagues and others with whom he has worked. It is my firm conviction 
that public service is one of the most honorable callings, one that 
demands the very best, most dedicated efforts of those who have the 
opportunity to serve their fellow citizens and country. Throughout his 
career Bruce Berwick has exemplified a steadfast commitment to meeting 
this demand.
  I want to extend my personal congratulations and thanks for his hard 
work and dedication and to wish him and his family the best of luck in 
his new assignment.

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