[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 69 (Monday, May 17, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5553-S5554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            GENERAL PETRAEUS

 Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise today to say a few words in 
support of my good friend, Major General David Petraeus. On May 4, the 
President nominated General Petraeus for appointment to the grade of 
lieutenant general and assignment as chief of the Office of Security 
Transition--Iraq.
  As head of the Office of Security Transition, General Petraeus will 
be charged with demobilizing militias and organizing and training the 
Iraqi military, civil defense force, police, and protective services. 
His mission is a vital part of helping Iraqis come together as a 
nation.
  General Petraeus embodies all the values of a true soldier serving 
his country. Leadership, bravery, duty, honor. Indeed, he is one of our 
most talented soldiers.
  I first met General Petraeus in 1991, while I was serving as a heart 
surgeon at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. I got 
an afternoon call from the emergency room that a person with a gunshot 
wound was being rushed to the hospital. I knew the person had been shot 
in the chest and at close range with an M-16.
  When General Petraeus arrived, he was bleeding faster than the blood 
could be replenished so I put in a chest tube and we headed to the 
operating room. On the way to the operating room, I remember explaining 
to him the risk of infection from the bullet. I didn't get more than 
halfway through my explanation before he responded with, ``Doctor, 
let's go get this over with; you need to tell me nothing more.''
  Very few people would have been out of bed within 12 hours of 
surgery. But General Petraeus is a strong and determined man.
  Anyone who has ever seen him with his soldiers can see his dedication 
and commitment to those he leads.
  The record of the 101st Airborne and the leadership of General 
Petraeus speaks for itself.
  Over a year ago, General Petraeus and the 101st Airborne Assault 
Division, along with the 160th SOAR and Fifth Special Operations Group, 
departed Fort Campbell for action in Iraq and to engage hostile forces 
in the War on Terror in Afghanistan. This past year the Screaming 
Eagles lived up to the division's motto of ``rendezvous with destiny.'' 
They endured untold hardships, confronted incredible obstacles, and 
completed their mission with astounding results.
  They began with a grueling and dangerous trek north from Kuwait in 
which they liberated countless Iraqis. Arriving in Northern Iraq on 
April 22, 2003, the division conducted the longest air assault in 
history, and quickly assumed responsibility for the ancient city of 
Mosul and the security of its citizens. Within 2 weeks of arriving in 
Mosul, the division rebuilt Khazir Bridge and facilitated the first 
free election in Iraq since the rise of the oppressive Baathists, 
allowing local leaders to elect the city's new mayor and regional 
governor.
  In late July, acting on the word of a number of Iraqi citizens, the 
101st was successful in locating Uday and Qusay Hussein. These two 
brutal thugs, along with their father, were symbols of an oppressive, 
evil regime that millions of Iraqis were forced to endure for decades.
  Having successfully contained much of the remaining threat, the 
Screaming Eagles wasted no time in distinguishing themselves not only 
as liberators, but as partners in Iraq's reinvention. General Petraeus 
acted as a civil administrator by overseeing projects restoring 
electricity and water services, replenishing the area's supply of 
cooking oil, digging new wells, refurbishing over 500 schools, and 
building new health clinics. All of these projects were major 
successes.
  I commend General Petraeus for his service and devotion to our 
Nation. I greatly respect his leadership. I applaud the good work that 
the 101st has been able to accomplish for the Iraqi people and in the 
war on terrorism. I can think of no better individual to

[[Page S5554]]

take on this important and difficult duty. I urge my colleagues to 
approve General Petraeus' promotion to the rank of lieutenant 
general.

                          ____________________