[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 82 (Thursday, June 5, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING BRAD KOHRMANN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 4, 2003

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I stand before this body of Congress today 
to praise a man who has volunteered his time to help solve the mystery 
behind the unfortunate explosion of the space shuttle Columbia. This 
event was a tragic moment in our nation's history, but I am proud to 
know that our country and its citizens are making every effort to 
ensure the future safety of our brave astronauts. Brad Kohrmann, a 
volunteer fire fighter from Eagle, Colorado, searched the state of 
Texas for debris from the shuttle in hopes of obtaining clues into this 
mysterious catastrophe.
  Brad became part of an 18-person team designed and put together by 
the Forest Service to recover shuttle debris. Brad selflessly left his 
home and family to help since he understood that a firefighter's 
training would be of use to NASA in their search. Brad has worked to 
hone his attention to detail, which made him an ideal candidate for the 
search party.
  Brad's team found many pieces from the shuttle; the biggest was a 
chunk of the bulkhead, which was four feet long and over six feet wide. 
The smallest piece they found was no bigger than a quarter inch. When a 
piece was discovered, the recovery team would mark the area, and 
transmit the coordinates to a Global Positioning Satellite. Brad 
estimated that his team walked about eight miles a day, covering farm 
country, creeks, and some swampland.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to speak before this Congress to highlight 
the contributions of Brad Kohrmann. He has sacrificed to assure the 
future safety of our astronauts as we lead the world in exploring the 
heavens. His actions exemplify the character and pride great Americans 
show in times of need by putting their country first. Thank you, Brad, 
for your work. You have done your country a tremendous service.

                          ____________________