[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 97 (Friday, June 27, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S8861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO DOCTOR A. MICHAEL ANDREWS II

 Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute today to an 
outstanding American for his significant, lasting contributions to the 
soldiers of the United States Army.
  On June 23, 2003, Dr. A. Michael Andrews II, the Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology/Chief Scientist, 
returned to the private sector after over six and a half years of 
selfless service to the Army and the Nation. Mike hails from the great 
state of Oklahoma, and received his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical 
Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. In 1971, he received his 
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois.
  Following a stellar 25-year career as a senior engineer and senior 
executive at Rockwell International Corporation, Mike came to the 
Pentagon in January 1997 as the Director for Technology in the Office 
of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research, Development and 
Acquisition.
  His exemplary performance as Director of Technology led to Mike's 
appointment as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research 
and Technology/Chief Scientist, DAS, R&T, in November 1998. As DAS, 
R&T, Mike was responsible for the Army's entire Research and Technology 
program, spanning 21 Laboratories and Research, Development and 
Engineering Centers, with approximately 10,000 scientists and engineers 
and a budget that, under his leadership, grew over 30 percent to reach 
$1.8 billion in Fiscal Year 2004.
  In October 1999, the Army Secretary and the Chief of Staff of the 
Army announced their Vision for transforming the Army to an Objective 
Force--a force that is rapidly deployable and can operate in both 
large-scale wars and urban peacekeeping operations. It was clear that 
the Army's Science and Technology, S&T, program was the cornerstone to 
achieving their vision of a full spectrum force within this decade. 
Mike took bold steps to shift the focus of the Army's technology by 
judiciously refocusing and redirecting the Army's $10 billion plus S&T 
investments over 2000-2007 towards developing and demonstrating 
Objective Force technologies.
  Understanding the importance of Congressional support for the Army 
S&T program, Mike consistently worked to develop better communications 
with Members of Congress and Congressional Staff. These efforts 
resulted in Congress providing over 98 percent of the requested Army 
S&T program funding over the last five Fiscal Years and 100 percent, 
thus far, for Fiscal Year 2004.
  In addition to his pursuit of achieving a lighter, more lethal Army, 
Mike also initiated a unique partnership with the private sector to 
link the Army and the entertainment industry to establish unique 
training environments for our soldiers. By leveraging significant 
entertainment industry investments and capabilities in modeling and 
simulations, e.g., electronic games, theme parks and digital movies, 
and existing Army efforts, Mike established a university-based center 
called the Institute for Creative Technologies. The Institute provides 
an environment for shared investment and joint projects to enhance Army 
training. The Institute has expanded beyond Hollywood to the Army's 
Field Artillery Center and School at Fort Sill, OK, where its 
significant simulation and modeling capabilities can be brought 
directly to soldiers undergoing basic and advanced Field Artillery 
training.
  Finally, Mike was also the driving force in launching the 
Cybermission program, a personal initiative of Chief of Staff of the 
Army CSA, General Eric K. Shinseki. This program raised the visibility 
of the Army's commitment in the education of America's youth in 
science, math and technology among 7th-8th grade students across 
America. ECybermission introduces young Americans and potentially 
future soldiers to the Army and the theme of Service to Our Nation 
while supporting the President's commitment to education.
  Mike was honored with the Presidential Rank Award in 2001, elected as 
a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 
2001, and presented the National Defense Industry Association Firepower 
Award in 2000.
  In this short space, it is difficult to fully document the many 
significant, positive ways that Mike has shaped the future of the Army. 
Through his tireless attention to detail and personal involvement, Mike 
has shepherded the FCS program through the past five years and has 
brought attention and credit to the Army's S&T community for the 
outstanding achievements that they have made. Mike Andrews' effective 
work with senior Army and DoD staff principals, scientists and 
engineers, and industry significantly enhanced the Army's efforts 
toward the development of the Future Combat Systems, Objective Force, 
and Transformation. He demonstrated visionary leadership, planning and 
organizational skills throughout his tenure. As we honor him, we note 
that this institution and our country is better off for the major 
contributions he has made. We wish him all the best in his future 
endeavors.

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