[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 99 (Tuesday, July 8, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S9046]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO MAJOR ROBERTA KEARNEY CHANG

 Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a great 
American and a true military heroine who has honorably served our 
country for over 20 years in the Army Medical Service Corps: MAJ 
Roberta Kearney Chang. As a resident of Bellevue, WA, MAJ Chang began 
her career at Fort Benning, GA, home of the Army's infantry, as a 
medical platoon leader. There, she earned the coveted Parachutist Wings 
and Expert Field Medical Badge. Following in her father's footsteps, 
the late First Lieutenant Robert M. Kearney, United States Army, 
Retired, she quickly rose through the ranks and served at Army bases 
throughout the world.
  MAJ Chang had two overseas tours, one in Honduras, Central America, 
and one in the Republic of Korea. In Honduras, she participated in 
humanitarian missions to provide aid and medical care to the people of 
this country. In Korea, she successfully completed two consecutive 
company commands for the 121st Evacuation Hospital and Headquarters, 
18th Medical Command. MAJ Chang was handpicked to become an instructor 
at the U.S. Army Academy of Health Sciences, Fort Sam Houston, TX. In 
this capacity she taught health care administration subjects to over 
5,000 officers annually. MAJ Chang also served as the senior patient 
administrator for the Command Surgeon, United States Army Reserve 
Personnel Command. She counseled and assisted hundreds of reservists 
that were injured as a result of service in Operation Desert Storm. Her 
knowledge of the intricacies of the physical disability system for both 
the active duty and reserve component soldiers is unsurpassed, and she 
is considered an expert trainer in these areas. She served as a health 
care operations officer and the head of communications and customer 
service at the TRICARE Mid-Atlantic, Lead Agent Office Norfolk, VA for 
final assignment TRICARE Mid-Atlantic serves over 1 million military 
beneficiaries.
  In each assignment, MAJ Chang excelled and met every challenge, and 
was rewarded with greater responsibilities and opportunities. Her 
talent for teaching and mentoring personnel, as well as her creativity 
and skill in management, were instrumental in providing army medicine 
the fine cadre of hospital administrators serving today. Above all, she 
is a stellar officer and leader who always put the welfare of her staff 
and patients first. MAJ Chang is a committed health care professional, 
and is an active member of the American College of Healthcare 
Executives and the American Health Information Management Association. 
MAJ Chang always went the extra mile to serve her country and her 
fellow man. Her performance reflects greatly on herself, the United 
States Army, the Department of Defense, and the United States of 
America. I extend my deepest appreciation to MAJ Roberta Kearney Chang 
on behalf a grateful Nation for her over 20 years of dedicated military 
service. Congratulations, MAJ Chang, and let me be the one of the first 
to welcome you home to Washington State.

                          ____________________