[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 109 (Tuesday, September 6, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1761-E1762]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO A LEADER, GEN. JOHN W. HANDY, COMMANDER, U.S. TRANSPORTATION 
                    COMMAND AND AIR MOBILITY COMMAND

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM SAXTON

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 6, 2005

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and privilege today to pay 
tribute to a leader and warrior, GEN John W. Handy, Commander, United 
States Transportation Command, USTRANSCOM, and Commander, Air Mobility 
Command, AMC. General Handy is retiring after honorably serving this 
great Nation for over 38 years. It has been a distinguished career.
  General Handy was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force in 1967 and 
received his pilot wings in 1968. He has accumulated over 5,000 hours 
piloting just about every mobility aircraft in the U.S. Air Force, to 
include the C-7A Caribou, the C-130 Hercules, the C-141 Starlifter, the 
C-37 Gulfstream V, the C-9 Nightingale, the KC-10 Extender, and the 
Nation's newest mobility airlifter, the C-17 Globemaster III. His 
hands-on performance, sound judgment, and expertise made him an 
exceptional Air Force leader.
  General Handy commanded the 21st Air Force at McGuire Air Force Base. 
He created and commanded AMC's Tanker Airlift Control Center. He also 
commanded two airlift wings and a maintenance squadron. He previously 
served as the Director of Operations and Logistics for USTRANSCOM; the 
Air Force's Director of Programs and Evaluations; the Deputy Chief of 
Staff, Installations and Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, 
Washington, DC; and Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, 
Washington, DC. It is clear and widely

[[Page E1762]]

accepted that General Handy is the preeminent mobility and logistics 
expert in the Department of Defense.

  In November 2001 General Handy assumed command of US TRANS COM at 
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. USTRANSCOM is one of nine unified 
combatant commands and executes mobility combat operations through its 
three component commands: The Air Force's IAMC, the Navy's Military 
Sealift Command, MSC, and the Army's Military Surface Deployment and 
Distribution Command, SDDC. General Handy has had the unique 
distinction of simultaneously commanding both USTRANSCOM and its air 
component command, AMC. USTRANSCOM provides the synchronized 
transportation, distribution, and sustainment which projects and 
maintains our national power. As a global combatant commander, General 
Handy has made supporting the American warfighter his top priority.
  Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, USTRANSCOM, under 
General Handy's leadership, has moved over 2.4 million passengers, 6.4 
million short tons of cargo, and 2.8 billion gallons of fuel in support 
of the Global War on Terrorism, including Operation Noble Eagle, 
Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. To put this in 
perspective, the passenger movement is equivalent to moving the entire 
population of Kansas while the cargo movement is equivalent to moving 
over 70 Washington Monuments halfway around the world. General Handy, 
an avid NASCAR racing fan, is fond of stating the amount of fuel moved 
could run the Nextel Cup Series for the next 19,473 years.
  America truly has a military deployment and distribution system that 
is unmatched anywhere in the world. America's military might moves with 
USTRANSCOM, but so too does its heart. As quick as we are to defend 
this great nation, Americans are just as quick to assist those in need; 
and when we do, we turn to the remarkable capabilities of USTRANSCOM. 
Under General Handy's command, USTRANSCOM has provided humanitarian 
relief to hurricane victims in the United States, earthquake victims in 
Iran, and tsunami victims in South Asia, just to name a few. The 
medicines, supplies, equipment, and personnel that USTRANSCOM delivered 
to these and other natural disasters ultimately saved lives and eased 
human suffering.
  In addition to conducting the largest military movement since World 
War II and providing unparalleled humanitarian relief, General Handy 
has made it a priority to transform our Nation's deployment and 
distribution system, ensuring our ability to project national power 
where needed with the greatest speed and agility, the highest 
efficiency, and the most reliable level of trust and accuracy. As the 
USTRANSCOM commander, General Handy actively took on the role of the 
Distribution Process Owner for DOD, charged with improving efficiency 
and interoperability across the entire DOD supply chain. His initiative 
to develop Joint Deployment and Distribution Operations Centers, 
JDDOCs, in each of the regional combatant commands continues to improve 
combat capability and save valuable resources. Regional Combatant 
Commanders can now plug into the DOD supply chain system, track their 
requirements, and prioritize their actions. The net result is that 
troops and equipment are now arriving to the battlefield faster and at 
less cost. While meeting the needs of the warfighter, General Handy's 
Distribution Process Owner improvements have generated almost one-half 
billion dollars in cost avoidances and savings in the global war on 
terror.
  General Handy will be the first to tell you he did not accomplish 
these feats alone. General Handy has led the way in seeking 
collaborative joint solutions to today's complex combat issues. Those 
who worked for him and with him, military and civilians from every 
branch of Service, will miss his leadership and mentorship. They'll 
miss the stories and humor he used to get his message across. We in 
Congress will miss his straightforward approach and sound counsel. The 
nation will miss his devotion to duty, ceaseless drive for improvement, 
and unwavering support to the American warfighter.
  General Handy will be remembered as the man who brilliantly led our 
Nation's mobility forces during the Global War on Terrorism. I know we 
speak on behalf of our colleagues and a grateful nation in saying thank 
you to General Handy and his wife, Mickey, for their years of service 
and sacrifice. General Handy, we wish you well in all your future 
endeavors and pray that those who follow in your footsteps may continue 
the legacy of unprecedented support to our great Nation. Good luck and 
Godspeed.

                          ____________________