[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 45 (Friday, April 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING LIEUTENANT COLONEL RICHARD ``SLUG'' McGIVEN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 14, 2005

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to bring to the 
attention of all the members of this Congress some good news and some 
bad news. First, the bad news; Lieutenant Colonel McGivern will no 
longer be serving the U.S. Congress as the Deputy Director of the Air 
Force's Congressional Liaison Office on Capitol Hill. He's retiring 
after 23 years of exceptionally patriotic and honorable service in the 
United States Air Force. The good news is that he's going to enjoy a 
well-earned retirement from military duty while pursuing a new civilian 
career. We are certain his infectious, ``we're the Air Force, we can do 
anything'' attitude, will uplift any organization he comes in contact 
with. Unfortunately for us, as nearly every member of this body knows 
who has traveled with'' Slug,'' we are losing one of the best liaison 
officers we've ever had. He is one of those unique military members who 
knows and understands the intricacies of Congress and the complexities 
of overseas travel to often-hostile environments.
  During the past 23 years, Lieutenant Colonel McGivern has served in 
the Air Force with honor and distinction. He's a master navigator/
weapons officer with over 2,300 hours. He flew over 100 combat hours in 
Southwest Asia and was the operations officer of an F-15E squadron at 
Seymour Johnson AFB, NC. As a result of his operational expertise and 
consummate professional he was twice selected to work in the 
congressional arena for the USAF.
  As we all know, we are engaged in a war different than those we have 
fought in the past. The war on terrorism is often a war of individuals 
and not a war of massed forces on a battle line. Lieutenant Colonel 
McGivern has contributed greatly to our success in this global war on 
terrorism by his individual attention and counsel to members of the 
U.S. Congress during trips to Iraq and Afghanistan. His insightful 
comments and professional skill has, on numerous occasions, been the 
difference between a safe and productive trip to visit our troops in 
the field. He's treated everyone of us like we were family and we 
couldn't appreciate it more. Despite the conflict and the natural 
frictions that develop in such an atmosphere, the relationship between 
the Congress and our military services has never been better. I 
attribute much of this to the unquestioned judgment and integrity of 
individual officers up and down the line--officers like LTC Rick 
McGivern. Whether it was responding to a constituent inquiry, providing 
information about force modernization or escorting our delegations to 
all corners of the world, we could count on the Air Force and it's 
congressional affairs officers to respond quickly, accurately and 
courteously.

  As LTC Rick ``Slug'' McGivern departs from his active duty service to 
the United States Air Force and the Nation, we the members of the U.S. 
House of Representatives on behalf of all of our constituents, the 
citizens of this great nation, wish him the fondest farewell and 
deepest thanks for a job well done and mission complete.




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