[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 29, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S221-S222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SALUTING COLONEL EDWARD A. RICE, JR.

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, today I want to honor the commanding 
officer at Ellsworth Air Force Base--who has just returned home after 
directing Air Force operations over Afghanistan and who will become a 
brigadier general this week.
  This outstanding officer, Colonel Edward A. Rice, Jr., has 
demonstrated his leadership abilities in a number of settings, and my 
fellow Senators can expect to hear more of him as he assumes new roles 
and responsibilities in our nation's service.
  As commander of the 28th Air Expeditionary Wing, Colonel Rice 
directed the main Air Force combat group operating over Afghanistan 
from late September until mid-January. This force of 1,800 personnel 
and 30 planes (including B-1 bombers, B-52 bombers, and KC-10 tankers), 
delivered most of the ordnance that was so effective in shattering the 
Taliban and al Qaeda forces.
  All branches of the military played a role in this first victory in 
the war against terrorism, but as an Air Force veteran and a South 
Dakotan, I am particularly proud of the achievements of Colonel Rice 
and the forces under his command.
  Our experience in Afghanistan extends a military trend that began in 
our war against Iraq--the unprecedented ability of modern air power to 
achieve strategic objectives. Clearly our planes and munitions were 
markedly more precise, quicker to hit emerging targets, and generally 
more effective than the Soviet forces of the 1980s. A recent book 
labeled this trend ``The Transformation of American Air Power,'' and I 
believe Afghanistan will become the most recent example, joining the 
impressive results of the Gulf War, Kosovo, and our other Balkan 
campaigns.
  In addition, the 28th Air Expeditionary Wing broke new ground in 
several areas.
  Its bombers were the first to deliver our near-precision munitions in 
combat. These use navigational signals from GPS satellites to locate 
targets. They are much cheaper than laser-guided ``precision'' 
munitions and are not hampered by low-visibility weather conditions. 
Also, in coordination with ground spotters, the bombers were able to 
use advanced communications to reduce dramatically the time from target 
identification to target strike.
  Despite its controversial and troubled early years, I am also pleased 
that the B-1 continues its strong combat performance that began during 
Operation Desert Fox over Iraq and extended into the war in Kosovo. Its

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range and expansive bomb bays allowed it to make a round trip of nearly 
6,000 miles, and also loiter over the battlefield with a variety of 
munitions, waiting for targets to emerge. Throughout this demanding, 
round-the-clock operation, Colonel Rice reports, B-1 made all scheduled 
takeoffs, released all weapons successfully, and delivered ordnance 
with excellent accuracy.
  Colonel Rice returned home from this mission about two weeks ago, 
just in time to be promoted to brigadier general. The Senate confirmed 
his nomination on September 26, 2001, and the pinning ceremony occurs 
Friday, February 1, at Ellsworth Air Force Base.
  Since arriving at Ellsworth in May 2000, Colonel Rice's performance 
has been impressive, and I know that as a general, he will be a 
tremendous asset for the Air Force. During Rice's tenure, Ellsworth has 
dramatically improved its maintenance performance, chalked up 
impressive results in its 2001 Operational Readiness Inspection, and 
moved to the front of the pack in Air Combat Command assessments of 
command, control and communication; bomb removal; and response to 
nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) hazards.
  The men and women of Ellsworth have also benefitted from the 
dedicated service of Colonel Rice's wife, Teresa. When base personnel 
deployed for the war against terrorism. Teresa co-hosted a series of 
town-hall meetings with the acting base commander to update spouses and 
families on the status of their loved ones and to educate them on the 
role their family was playing to make America safe. In less stressful 
times, she volunteers twice a week in the base thrift shop, has been 
active in the Officer Spouses Club, and has organized and attended 
holiday parties, retirement ceremonies, promotion celebrations and 
farewells--too many to count.
  In closing, Mr. President, it gives me great pleasure to welcome 
Colonel Rice back home to Ellsworth after the successful execution of 
his mission in Operation enduring Freedom. His remaining time in South 
Dakota grows short, but I know I speak for many South Dakotans when I 
say it has been an honor to work with him and Teresa and to call them 
neighbors. They are a credit to their country, and we wish them all the 
best.

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