[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S4427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO COLONEL WILLIAM GROVES

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
exceptional officer in the United States Air Force, an individual that 
a great many of us have come to know personally over the past few 
years--Colonel William ``Bill'' Groves. Colonel Groves, who currently 
serves in the office of Air Force Legislative Liaison, will retire 
after 21 years of active duty Air Force service. During his time in 
Washington, and especially with regard to his work here on Capitol 
Hill, Colonel Groves epitomized Air Force core values of integrity, 
selfless service and excellence in the many missions the Air Force 
performs in support of our national security. Many Members and staff 
have enjoyed the opportunity to meet with him on a variety of Air Force 
issues and came to deeply appreciate his character and many talents. 
Today it is my privilege to recognize some of Colonel Groves' many 
accomplishments, and to commend his superb service he provided the Air 
Force, the Congress and our Nation.
  Colonel Groves entered the Air Force by Direct Appointment in 1983 
with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Akron School of Law. 
During his 21-year career, he served three tours as a Staff Judge 
Advocate, with assignments at the 6th Air Refueling Wing, the Air Force 
Office of Scientific Research, and the Aerospace Guidance and Metrology 
Center. In 1990, he completed a Masters of Law program in Government 
Procurement at George Washington University, in Washington, DC. He has 
completed two overseas tours in Germany and was deployed in 1994 as the 
Legal Advisor for the Combined Air Operations Center, Vicenza, Italy, 
during Operations DENY FLIGHT and PROVIDE PROMISE. Just prior to his 
current assignment, he served as Assistant General Counsel for 
Procurement, Missile Defense Agency here in Washington, D.C.
  In 2001, Colonel Groves was selected as Chief, Programs and Policy 
Branch for the Air Force Directorate of Legislative Liaison. During 
this period, Colonel Groves led 14 liaison personnel responsible for 
all Air Force interactions with the Armed Services Committees on 
personnel issues, readiness, depot maintenance, environmental 
compliance, airspace and range operations, force structure, base 
closure, health care, inspector general matters, military construction, 
and acquisition policies. Additionally, he directed the process used 
for USAF activities worldwide to submit legislative proposals to 
Congress. In his years of working with the Congress, Colonel Groves 
provided a clear and credible voice for the Air Force while 
representing its many programs on the Hill, consistently providing 
accurate, concise and timely information. His integrity, 
professionalism, and expertise enabled him to develop and maintain an 
exceptional rapport between the Air Force and the Congress. The key to 
his success, I believe, was his deep understanding of congressional 
processes and priorities and his unflinching advocacy of the programs 
essential to the Air Force and to our Nation. I am greatly appreciative 
of Colonel Groves' 21-year service to his Nation and offer my sincere 
wishes for a happy and prosperous retirement. On behalf of the Congress 
and the country, I thank Colonel Groves and his wife Joanne for the 
commitment and sacrifices that they have made throughout his honorable 
military career. I know I speak for all of my colleagues in expressing 
my heartfelt appreciation to Colonel Groves for a job well done.

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