[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 42 (Tuesday, April 16, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S2720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 CYGNUS

 Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Cygnus, 
Inc. of Ponderay, ID on being recognized as one of Boeing's Top 25 
Suppliers for the C-17.
  As we all know, the C-17 is one of our key aircraft. Since it was 
first put into service in 1993, the C-17 has proven its worthiness as 
an extremely flexible airlift aircraft vital to our national security. 
Lately, Congress has reaffirmed its commitment to the C-17 by 
authorizing the purchase of additional aircraft. This is the right 
thing to do and I applaud my colleagues. In this day and age, we need a 
rapid-deployment airlift aircraft that can reach remote areas. The C-17 
delivers and we must continue to support the program. Not only is it 
important for our national defense, it is money well spent because of 
quality subcontractors like Cygnus.
  Cygnus has supplied top-notch parts for the C-17 since the first 
aircraft rolled off the assembly line. Today, Boeing and Cygnus 
celebrated the delivery of the parts for the 100th C-17 and Boeing will 
recognize Cygnus as one of the top 25 suppliers for the program.
  Cygnus is a real success story of Idaho. It started in 1998 and since 
then has grown to sixty-five employees, forty-five of which work on its 
C-17 program. What is truly remarkable is they have taken those 65 
employees, who didn't have experience in the aerospace manufacturing 
field, and turned them into a stellar team supplying our Nation's 
military. Because they have chosen to locate in Ponderay, ID, they have 
helped to diversify the local economy from a natural resource dependent 
economy to one that has a diverse industrial base.
  Boeing is not the only one to recognize Cygnus' performance. In 2000, 
Region 10 of the Small Business Administration recognized Cygnus as the 
Subcontractor of the Year for their outstanding work on the U.S. Navy's 
F-18 E/F program.
  Since September 11, our country has recognized, more than ever, the 
sacrifice that our Nation's military gives to protect our freedoms. 
Today, I also want to recognize the effort that our civilian laborers 
put into the effort. Much like Rosie the Riveter assisted our troops in 
World War II, our civilian manufacturers of today, working with our 
military, will ensure the freedoms we all enjoy.

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