[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 140 (Tuesday, October 7, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1980]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO MG ARNOLD PUNARO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 7, 2003

  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to MG Arnold 
Punaro, United Stated Marine Corps Reserve, on the occasion of his 
retirement. Major General Punaro has served our Marine Corps and our 
Nation for more than 35 years.
  A native of the great state of Georgia, Major General Punaro grew up 
in the town of Macon, and graduated from Mount de Sales Academy. He 
then chose to focus on higher education, earning a Bachelor of Science 
degree in English from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. He would 
later earn Masters degrees at the University of Georgia and also 
Georgetown University. Like many fine, Southern gentlemen before him, 
he answered the call to duty and joined the Marine Corps, serving as a 
platoon commander in Vietnam where he was decorated for heroism and 
wounded in combat.
  In 1973, after completing his active duty tour, Major General Punaro 
transferred to the Marine Corps Reserve, and continued to dedicate 
himself to the service of our country, working in the U.S. Senate for 
Senator Sam Nunn on national security matters for 24 years. In his work 
with the Senate Armed Services Committee as Staff Director of the 
Senate Armed Services Committee, he was involved in the formulation of 
all major defense legislation and the oversight and review of all major 
defense activities for over two decades. This included the Defense 
Officer Personnel Management Act and its Reserve counterpart, the 
Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act, the Acquisition 
Streamlining Act, personnel transition provisions, special operations 
reforms, and all pay and benefits matters. Major General Punaro also 
remained actively involved in numerous Reserve organizations, including 
a tour on active duty in Operation Desert Shield and an extended tour 
on active duty as the Commander of Joint task Force Provide Promise 
(Forward) in command of U.S. Forces serving in the former Yugoslavia.
  Throughout his career, both civilian and military, MG Arnold Punaro 
dedicated himself to improving our national security. He serves as a 
member of Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld's newly formed Defense Business 
Board and is also a Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and 
International Studies in Washington, D.C. He serves on the adjunct 
faculty at the Marine Corps University and on the Secretary of Defense 
Reserve Forces Policy Board. As a general officer, he has spent 5 years 
in command, focusing on increased operational readiness and the 
integration of reserve forces into the total force Marine Corps. Always 
keeping the welfare of his Marines at the forefront of his efforts, 
Major General Punaro spearheaded several programs that directly 
benefited the quality of life for our service members.
  Major General Punaro was recently mobilized on active duty, serving 
concurrently as a Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. European 
Command and as Director of Reserve Affairs Division where he oversaw 
the largest mobilization in the history of the Marine Corps. In support 
of the Global War on Terrorism, more than 22,000 Reserve Marines were 
called to duty. More than 75 percent of those were deployed into 
theater, where they served with distinction. His dedication to the 
defense of our country, as a young man in Vietnam to his actions with 
the Senate together with his continued service with the Marine Corps 
Reserve, has been a lifelong endeavor. We have been fortunate to have 
such a high caliber marine officer in support of our nation.
  Throughout his distinguished career, Major General Punaro has 
demonstrated uncompromising character, discerning wisdom, and a 
sincere, profound sense of duty to his country, and his Corps. On 
behalf of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I would like to 
recognize Major General Punaro's accomplishments and his devoted 
service to the Nation. Congratulations to him, his wife Jan and their 
four children, 2LT Joe Punaro (USMC), Julie, Meghan, and Daniel on the 
completion of a long and distinguished career. I wish them all the best 
as they continue to live life beyond our country's beloved Corps.

                          ____________________