[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 139 (Friday, October 3, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12446-S12447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     MAJOR GENERAL ARNOLD L. PUNARO

 Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, on October 14, 2003, at Marine 
Barracks 8th & I, Washington, D.C.--the oldest post in the U.S. Marine 
Corps--GEN James L. Jones, Supreme Allied Commander Europe and 
Commander, U.S. European Command and the former Commandant of the 
Marine Corps will officiate at a retirement ceremony for MG Arnold L. 
Punaro. GEN Punaro is completing 35 years of superlative commissioned 
service in the United States Marine Corps and is someone I have worked 
with both in and out of uniform for over 25 of these years. Contingent 
on the Senate schedule, I intend to be present and join his many 
friends in wishing him and his family fair winds and following seas.
  Many here will recall Arnold's outstanding 24 year career in the U.S. 
Senate working for our former Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, 
Senator Sam Nunn. He started as an intern in Senator Nunn's office in 
1973, and rose to become Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services 
Committee. During that 24-year period he was involved in every major 
national security decision and set a standard of excellence and 
leadership that few others achieve. While he came from Georgia, I am 
proud to say he has been a Virginia resident for 30 years and someone 
with whom I worked closely during his years in the Senate.
  Simultaneously, he was engaged in a highly successful career in the 
United States Marine Corps which he entered out of college in 1968. At 
the peak of the draft, he was a volunteer into a tough outfit that I 
know well. He was an infantry platoon commander in combat in Vietnam 
where he was wounded in battle and decorated for heroism.
  Following active duty service, he went into the reserves in 1973. 
Over the next 30 years he would serve with distinction in both command 
and staff billets to include mobilization for Desert Shield/Desert 
Storm in 1990. He also was mobilized in 1993 to serve as the Commander 
of Joint Task Force Provide Promise, Forward, in command of all U.S. 
troops serving in the former Yugoslavia and in Macedonia. His command 
was part of a multi-national force and provided much needed stability 
in that region.
  He was promoted to general officer in 1994, and served as Commanding 
General of several major commands for 5 of his 9 years as a general. 
Just as he was the longest serving Staff Director of the Senate Armed 
Services Committee, he had the longest tenure as Commanding General of 
the 4th Marine Division--one of the legendary divisions of World War II 
Iwo Jima fame. Today this division has over 20,500 Marines and Sailors 
located in 105 cities and 38 states. The vast majority fought in 
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Under his leadership, the 4th Division's 
warfighting readiness was significantly improved as was demonstrated in 
Iraq and, upon his departure, he turned over an organization that had 
achieved the highest readiness ratings that DoD provides.
  That does not surprise any of us who worked closely with him over the 
years because he was known as someone who always had a vision and knew 
how to get things done--both strategically and tactically. He was 
direct, forceful, and always focused on reaching the goal.
  He was most recently mobilized--for the third time in his reserve 
career--for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom as 
both the U.S. Marine Corps Director of Reserve Affairs and a Special 
Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. During this period 
the U.S. Marine Corps had the largest call-up of its reserves in their 
history with a 99 percent show-rate, a rapid deployment to their 
operational assignments faster than required and great success in 
combat operations. His experience and leadership were crucial in both 
the mobilization and demobilization phase.
  During this same period his oldest son, Joe Punaro, a 2LT in the 
Marine Corps was serving as a platoon commander in Iraq in the same 
Regiment his father served in Vietnam--the 7th Marines of the 1st 
Marine Division. Joe worked for me as an intern in 2000 and I had the 
pleasure of visiting with him in Kuwait prior to the invasion. Arnold's 
daughter Julie is student teaching at Thomas Jefferson High School; 
daughter Meg is at Mary Washington College and plays on their field 
hockey team which is in the top ten, and son Daniel is a senior in high 
school and an aspiring college lacrosse player. His wife Jan has kept 
them all on this highly successful course.
  MG Punaro has now completed two outstanding careers--one in the 
Senate and one in the Marine Corps. He is a superb leader, thinker and 
doer. He is now on his third career as a senior executive for a key 
Virginia company.
  On behalf of the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and 
Staff as well as the Senate, I want to extend our deepest 
congratulations and the gratitude of a grateful Nation.

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