[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 82 (Wednesday, June 19, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5769-S5770]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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       TRIBUTE TO VICE ADMIRAL GEORGE PETER NANOS, JR., COMNAVSEA

 Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to 
honor Vice Admiral George Peter Nanos, Jr., United States Navy. Vice 
Admiral Nanos will retire on Monday, 1 July 2002, after 35 years of 
faithful service to our nation.
  Hailing from Bedford, New Hampshire, Vice Admiral Nanos is a graduate 
of the U.S. Naval Academy. At the Academy, he was awarded the 1967 
Harry E. Ward Trident Scholar's Prize. Following graduation, he spent 
two years at sea as Antisubmarine Warfare and Gunnery Officer on USS 
Glennon (DD 840) before entering Princeton University, where he earned 
a Ph.D. in physics in 1974.
  Returning to sea, Vice Admiral Nanos served as Engineer Officer 
aboard USS Forrest Sherman (DD 931) and as Materiel Officer on the 
staff of Destroyer Squadron Ten. From 1978 to 1982, he was the manager 
for Technical Development in the Navy's High Energy Laser Program 
Office (NAVSEA PMS 405). He then served as the Combat Systems Officer 
in Norfolk Naval Shipyard while also training to become an Engineering 
Duty Officer. He returned to sea yet again as Chief Engineer for the 
aircraft carrier USS America (CV 66). While on America, he participated 
in Operation Eldorado Canyon and helped to ensure the successful launch 
of naval airstrikes against

[[Page S5770]]

Libya after that country was linked to a terrorist bombing of a West 
Berlin discotheque, which killed 1 American and injured 78 people. 
Following this tour, he was assigned as the Deputy Director, Warfare 
Systems Engineering in the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command.
  In 1988, Vice Admiral Nanos reported to Strategic Systems Programs, 
serving consecutively as Head of the Navigation Branch, head of the 
Missile Branch, and Director of the Technical Division. In June 1994, 
he assumed duties as Director, Strategic Systems Programs, responsible 
for all aspects of the Navy's Fleet Ballistic Missile Weapon Systems.
  In May 1998, Vice Admiral Nanos assumed his rank and duties as 
Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, the Navy's largest acquisition 
organization. Throughout the past four years, he has been responsible 
for the design, engineering, procurement, integration, construction, 
in-service support, and maintenance of the Navy's ships, shipboard 
weapons, and combat systems.
  Vice Admiral Nanos' service education includes U.S. Naval Destroyer 
School at Newport, Rhode Island; Engineering Duty Officer basic and 
mid-career courses; the Senior Officer Ship Materiel Readiness Course 
at Idaho Falls, Idaho; and the Program Management Course at the Defense 
Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. His specialty as an 
Engineering Duty Officer is ordnance and weapons systems acquisition.
  Vice Admiral Nanos successfully led the Command through a brilliant 
transformation of NAVSEA'S business practices in executing complex 
acquisition and Fleet maintenance and modernization responsibilities. 
He expertly managed the resizing, recapitalizing, and realignment of 
the personnel and technical resources devoted to designing, building, 
repairing, and modernizing ships and their weapons systems. Displaying 
bold vision, innovation, and superb leadership, he instituted far-
reaching quality initiatives that forged a highly focused, reenergized 
workforce. These have transformed the Command into a unified 
corporation that provides world-class technical, acquisition, and life-
cycle support leadership to America's Navy. His contributions have had 
a direct and lasting impact on the overall readiness, effectiveness, 
and survivability of the United States Armed Forces.
  Vice Admiral Nanos' superb leadership, exceptional integrity, 
engineering expertise, and tireless devotion to duty reflect great 
credit upon him and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the 
United States Naval Service. He has done a superb job in leading the 
Naval Sea Systems Command to fulfill its mission: Keeping America's 
Navy #1 in the World.
  Although Vice Admiral Nanos has worked diligently to increase the 
efficiency and effectiveness of naval and marine shipbuilding 
capabilities throughout the United States, he has often shown his 
dedication to and respect for the men and women of the Portsmouth Naval 
Shipyard team. He recently visited the Shipyard to personally 
congratulate and thank the Shipyard team for their record-setting work 
on two submarines: A record-setting depot maintenance period on USS 
Miami, followed by a record-setting engineering refueling overhaul on 
USS City of Corpus Christi. Thanks in part to his vision, the Shipyard 
retains its important military-industrial capabilities and continues to 
provide critical jobs for the region.
  Vice Admiral Nanos' innovation has ensured the success of the Naval 
Sea Systems Command and the United States Navy's ships well into the 
21st Century. He is an individual of uncommon character and his 
professionalism will be sincerely missed. I am proud, Mr. President, to 
thank him for his honorable service in the United States Navy, and to 
wish him fair winds and following seas as he closes his distinguished 
military career.
  I suspect Vice Admiral Nanos will continue his adventures, and will 
bring much credit to his name, as well as our government and our 
country. He is a true American hero, and his direct contributions to 
our military will long be remembered with heartfelt gratitude.

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