[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 83 (Thursday, June 14, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S6316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE ROBERT B. PIRIE, JR.

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize an 
outstanding public servant, Robert B. Pirie, Jr., as he completes more 
than 7 years of continuous service within the civilian leadership of 
the Department of the Navy, first as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 
Installations and Environment, then as the Under Secretary of the Navy, 
and finally as Acting Secretary of the Navy. In each capacity, he 
worked tirelessly to serve America and our Navy and Marine Corps. His 
time in the Pentagon was the pinnacle of a public service career 
spanning fifty years.
  Secretary Pirie is a 1955 Naval Academy graduate, whose achievements 
as a midshipman propelled him to a Rhodes Scholarship. He served 20 
years on active duty, a military career that culminated in command-at-
sea aboard a nuclear attack submarine. Secretary Pirie went on to 
provide exceptional public service as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
Defense in the Carter Administration.
  When he returned to the Department of the Navy seven and a-half years 
ago, his confident leadership and far-reaching vision helped the Navy 
navigate through many complex issues. Whether leading the Department's 
efforts to conduct critical training at the Atlantic Fleet Weapons 
Training Facility at Vieques, Puerto Rico, or increasing force 
protection for Sailors and Marines in the aftermath of the USS COLE 
terrorist attack, or addressing the encroachment issues that complicate 
our operational and training ranges, Robert Pirie's leadership has been 
vital to the readiness and success of our country's military forces.
  Secretary Pirie provided exceptional advice, support and guidance to 
the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval 
Operations, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. His keen insight, 
relentless dedication, and extraordinary talent have contributed 
significantly to building and maintaining the world's best-trained, 
best-equipped, and best-prepared Navy and Marine Corps. His vision has 
positively shaped the future readiness and capabilities of the fleet in 
ways that will resonate for many years.
  It is a pleasure to recognize Secretary Pirie for his many 
contributions in a life devoted to our nation's security as he leaves 
the Department of the Navy. I know my colleagues join me in wishing him 
and his wife Joan much happiness and fair winds and following seas as 
they begin a new chapter in their lives.

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