[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 132 (Thursday, October 4, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1799]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRESSIONAL TRIBUTE TO GENERAL HENRY H. SHELTON, CHAIRMAN OF THE 
                         JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 4, 2001

  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, General Henry H. Shelton became the 
fourteenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 1, 1997, 
and was reconfirmed by the Senate for a second 2-year term in 1999. In 
this capacity, he serves as the principal military adviser to the 
President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council. 
Prior to becoming Chairman, he served as Commander in Chief of the U.S. 
Special Operations Command.
  Born in Tarboro, North Carolina in January 1942, General Shelton 
earned a Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina State 
University and a Master of Science degree from Auburn University. His 
military education includes attendance at the Air Command and Staff 
College in Montgomery, Alabama and at the National War College at Ft. 
McNair, Washington, D.C.
  Commissioned a second lieutenant in the Infantry in 1963 through the 
Reserve Officer Training Corps, General Shelton spent the next 24 years 
in a variety of command and staff positions in the continental United 
States, Hawaii, and Vietnam. He served two tours in Vietnam--the first 
with the 5th Special Forces Group, the second with the 173d Airborne 
Brigade. He also commanded the 3d Battalion, 60th Infantry in the 9th 
Infantry division at Fort Lewis, Washington; served as the 9th Infantry 
Division's assistant chief of staff for operations; commanded the 1st 
Brigade of the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and 
served as the Chief of Staff of the 10th Mountain Division at Fort 
Drum, New York.
  Following selection for brigadier general in 1987, General Shelton 
served 2 years in the Operations Directorate of the Joint Staff. In 
1989, he began a 2-year assignment as Assistant Division Commander for 
Operations of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), a tour that 
included the Division's 7-month deployment to Saudi Arabia for 
Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. Upon returning from the Gulf 
War, General Shelton was promoted to major general and assigned to Fort 
Bragg, North Carolina, where he commanded the 82d Airborne Division. In 
1993, he was promoted to lieutenant general and assumed command of the 
XVIII Airborne Corps. In 1994, while serving as corps commander, 
General Shelton commanded the Joint Task Force that conducted Operation 
UPHOLD DEMOCRACY in Haiti. In March 1996, he was promoted to general 
and became Commander in Chief of the US Special Operations Command.
  In his 4 years as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General 
Shelton worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for military 
members and their families. He championed numerous initiatives 
including the largest across-the-board pay raise for the military in 18 
years--helping to narrow the civilian-military ``pay gap.'' His push 
for pay table reform targeted greater increases for mid-grade 
noncommissioned officers, and his retirement reform package reinstated 
benefits for those entering service after 1986. Furthermore, thanks to 
his dedication and support, an enhanced housing allowance was 
implemented to gradually eliminate out of pocket expenses for service 
members living off post. Finally, the Chairman was a strong advocate of 
the effort to reform medical health care, to make medical care more 
responsive--to include military retirees over 65.
  The Chairman made great strides to improve the readiness of the US 
military by articulating a regiment for increased defense spending. As 
a result, the Department of Defense realized a $112 billion increase in 
defense spending over the 5-year defense plan to arrest declining 
readiness rates. He additionally implemented new processes to carefully 
manage high demand/low density resources in support of the National 
Security Strategy.
  The Chairman and his staff published Joint Vision 2020 to establish 
goals and the metrics for the future joint force, and he established 
U.S. Joint Forces Command as the proponent for Joint Experimentation 
and Joint Force readiness. He established Joint Task Force-Civil 
support to increase the military's ability to respond to crises in the 
US homeland and established Joint Task Force-Computer Network 
Operations to enhance protection of US information networks. General 
Shelton directed numerous initiatives designed to improve the 
interoperability of the four Services including a Joint Warfighting 
Logistics Initiative, development of a Global Information Grid, 
revision of all Joint Professional Military Education Programs and an 
enhancement on the joint warfighting focus of the Joint Requirements 
Oversight Council.
  General Shelton's awards and decorations include the Defense 
Distinguished Service Medal (with 2 oak leaf clusters), Distinguished 
Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with oak leaf cluster), Bronze Star 
Medal with V device (with 3 oak leaf clusters), and the Purple Heart. 
He has also been awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Joint Chiefs of 
Staff (Identification Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder 
Badge, Air Assault Badge, Military Freefall Badge, and Special Forces 
and Ranger Tabs and numerous foreign awards and badges.
  General Shelton is married to the former Carolyn L. Johnson of Speed, 
North Carolina. Mrs. Shelton has been actively involved with service 
issues and support to military families throughout General Shelton's 
career. The General and Mrs. Shelton have three sons; Jonathan, a 
Special Agent in the US Secret Service; Jeffrey, a US Army Special 
Operations soldier, and Mark, their youngest son.
  General Shelton represented the US military with great distinction 
for the past four years as its senior military officer. He participated 
in policy-making at the highest levels of government but never lost the 
common touch with our men and women in uniform. General Shelton will 
indeed be remembered as a soldiers' soldier and a quiet professional.

                          ____________________