[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 41 (Monday, April 11, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S3410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                     LIEUTENANT COLONEL JULIA COOK

 Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I would like to bring to the 
Senate's attention the retirement of a Colorado native from the U.S. 
Army, LTC Julia Cook.
  Lieutenant Colonel Cook has distinguished herself with exceptionally 
meritorious conduct while serving in key positions of ever increasing 
responsibility as an Army quartermaster and human resources officer, 
culminating her career as a legislative liaison for Secretary of the 
Army, Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison. During her years of 
superlative service, Lieutenant Colonel Cook consistently demonstrated 
exceptional leadership, resourcefulness and professionalism while 
making lasting contributions to Army soldiers and families, readiness 
and mission accomplishment. Lieutenant Colonel Cook's 20 years of 
dedicated and faithful service enhanced the soldiers and the units to 
which she was assigned and reflects the greatest credit upon herself 
and the U.S. Army.
  Lieutenant Colonel Cook was commissioned a second lieutenant through 
the ROTC program, Quartermaster Corps, after graduating from the 
University of Colorado in December 1984. Her first assignment, 
following the quartermaster officer basic course, was to Ft. Leonard 
Wood, MO, from 1985 to 1986, serving as XO for an AIT company that 
trained 63Bs and 64Cs and as an assistant brigade S4. She volunteered 
to serve in Korea from 1986 to 1988, distinguishing herself as tech 
supply platoon leader in 595th Maintenance Company, K-16 Air Base and 
as battalion S1, 227th Maintenance Battalion, Youngman. Following her 
tour in Korea, she completed the quartermaster officer advance course 
and was assigned to Ft. Carson, CO, from 1988 to 1993. Again she served 
superbly in a variety of positions, as the 4th ID DISCOM support 
operations officer; the S2/3, 704th Main Support Battalion; as 
commander, Company C, 704th Main Support Battalion; and as the division 
equal opportunity officer. She also deployed on a 6-month rotation to 
JTF-B, Honduras, serving as the logistics plans officer. From 1993 to 
1997 she performed her duties as a soldier assigned to Headquarters, 
U.S. Army Materiel Command, AMC. She served in a variety of positions 
including, logistics operations officer in the Emergency Operations 
Center, staff action control officer for the Secretary of the General 
Staff, executive officer for the Chief of Staff, special project 
officer to Project Manager Soldier, and team executive officer for the 
Secretary of the Army's Senior Review Panel on Sexual Harassment after 
the Aberdeen Proving Ground Sexual Harassment scandal.
  After graduation from the Command and General Staff College, she was 
assigned to the 21st Theater Support Command, Kaiserslautern, Germany, 
from 1998 to 2001. While overseas, she served as chief, Distribution 
Management Center, where she developed supply distribution initiatives 
for a command supporting over 65,000 soldiers in European-based units. 
Lieutenant Colonel Cook's work enabled the Command to reduce shipping 
costs through the air challenge process by $2 million for the first two 
quarters of fiscal year 1999. She served as executive officer of the 
191st Ordnance Battalion, Miesau, Germany, and was responsible for 
internal operations of a 600-soldier battalion consisting of a 
headquarters and headquarters company, an ammunition company, a 
quartermaster rigging detachment, and two explosive ordnance disposal 
companies, all while exercising oversight of a $2 million annual 
budget. Lieutenant Colonel Cook finished her career serving with the 
Army's office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison from August 2001 to 
May 2005 where she was the staff action officer and legislative 
assistant to the Undersecretary of the Army and the Sergeant Major of 
the Army. She prepared the Undersecretary and Sergeant Major for all 
interactions with Congress including hearings, office calls, and phone 
calls. Finally, she served in the program division as the Army 
legislative liaison between the U.S. Congress and the Army staff for 
all issues related to logistics.

  Through these assignments, Lieutenant Colonel Cook has provided 
outstanding leadership, advice, and sound professional judgment on 
numerous critical issues of enduring importance to both the Army and 
Congress. Her actions and counsel were invaluable to Army leaders and 
Members of Congress as they considered the impact of important issues. 
Lieutenant Colonel Cook's dedication to accomplishing the Army's 
legislative liaison mission has been extraordinary. She is truly an 
outstanding officer who displays superb professional leadership skills 
and is totally dedicated to mission accomplishment in the highest 
traditions of military service, and I thank her for her service to this 
great Nation.

                          ____________________