[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 30, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1949]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF GENERAL JOHN G. COBURN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ERNIE FLETCHER

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 30, 2001

  Mr. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention that General 
John G. Coburn is retiring after 37 years of exemplary active military 
service in the United States Army. He served his country with dignity, 
honor, courage and integrity.
  General Coburn is a native of the great state of Kentucky and a 
distinguished military graduate of Eastern Michigan University where he 
was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education in 1962 from Eastern 
Michigan University and commissioned as a second lieutenant of 
Infantry. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Political Science and is 
a graduate of the Industrial College of Armed Forces, Fort McNair and 
Washington, D.C. General Coburn also has a Juris Doctor degree from the 
University of Missouri and is licensed to practice law before the 
Supreme Court, State of Michigan; Supreme Court, State of Kentucky; 
District of Columbia Court of Appeals; the United States Court of 
Military Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States.
  General Coburn is a world-class logistician, who served our nation 
brilliantly in numerous logistics assignments throughout his career, to 
include his prior assignment as the Deputy Chief of Staff for 
Logistics, Department of Army from 1996 to 1999; Deputy Commanding 
General, AMC, Alexandria, Virginia and Commanding General, U.S. Army 
Ordnance Center and School, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. He was 
also the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, U.S. Army Europe and 
Seventh Army, Germany from 1991 to 1992. Prior to that, he served as 
the Deputy Commanding General, 22d Theater Army Support Command, Saudi 
Arabia from April 1991 to July 1991, and as the Deputy Chief of Staff 
for Procurement, U.S. Army Materiel Command from 1989 to 1991. From the 
jungles of Vietnam to the Sands of Saudi Arabia, to the floors of our 
nation's depots, General Coburn brought astute judgment, bold 
leadership and selfless service to our Army.
  Other major command assignments of outstanding service include 
Commander of Materiel Readiness Support Activity, Lexington, Kentucky, 
from 1987 to 1989; Commander, Division Support Command, 2d Armored 
Division, Fort Hood, Texas, from 1984 to 1986; Commander, 124th 
Maintenance Battalion, 2d Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas, from 1980 
to 1982; Commander, Defense Contract Administration Services Management 
Area, Defense Logistics Agency, South Bend, Indiana, from 1978 to 1980; 
and Plant/Depot Commander, Taiwan Materiel Agency, AMC, Taiwan, from 
1971 to 1973. After returning from Taiwan, General Coburn attended the 
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
  General Coburn's staff assignments include: Assistant Chief of Staff, 
G-4 (Logistics), 2d Armored Division, from 1982 to 1983; Executive 
Officer, Battlefield Systems Directorate, Headquarters, AMC, from 1977 
to 1978; Procurement Officer, Procurement and Production Directorate, 
Headquarters, AMC; Senior Advisor, Training and Personnel, U.S. Army 
Engineer District-Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 1975 to 
1977; Executive Officer, Defense Contract Administration Services 
Region, Defense Supply Agency, New York, NY, from 1968 to 1971; 
Assistant G-3 (Operations), II Field Force Vietnam, U.S. Army, Vietnam, 
from 1967 to 1968; and Special Weapons Platoon Leader, Savanna Army 
Depot, Illinois, from 1963 to 1964.
  General Coburn's military decorations include the Defense 
Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of 
Merit with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf 
Clusters, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal 
with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army 
Commendation Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, and the Kuwait 
Liberation Medal.
  The General is concluding his illustrious career as the Commanding 
General of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) from May 1999 to 
October 2001. General Coburn's extraordinary leadership extended around 
the globe commanding one of the largest commands in the Army, with over 
50,000 military and civilian employees, and activities in 42 states and 
over a dozen foreign countries. The AMC missions are intricate and 
complex, ranging from developing sophisticated weapons systems and 
cutting edge research to maintaining and distributing spare parts. It 
is the one place in the Army where technology, acquisition, and 
logistics are integrated to assure Army readiness. With General Coburn 
at the helm, AMC led the Army in sustaining the nation's defense 
industrial base with the right combination of maintenance depots, 
ordnance plants, arsenals and innovative industry partnerships. General 
Coburn is known as one of the foremost leaders in transforming the 
Army. His strategy in building AMC as the conduit for new technologies 
is making the Army more lethal, lighter and readily deployable thus 
setting the path for the future.
  Mr. Speaker, General Coburn deserves the thanks and praise of the 
nation that he faithfully served for so long. I know the Members of the 
House will join me in wishing him, his wife, Janice and their three 
sons, John, Robert and Matthew, all the best in the years ahead.

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