[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 105 (Wednesday, August 2, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S8608]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO RALPH CONTE

 Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, today I wish to acknowledge the 
retirement and to honor the service of a fellow Virginian, a true 
patriot, and a career civil servant of the Department of Defense who 
has given 39 years of dedicated military and civilian service to our 
country. Mr. Ralph Conte was born in Ponza, Italy, in 1940. He 
immigrated to the United States in January 1956 whereupon he studied 
engineering at New York University. He was commissioned as an Air Force 
officer through OTS in June 1967, and his first assignment was at 
Aviano Air Base, Italy. His military career included serving in Vietnam 
as a member of the premier combat engineering unit in the Air Force, 
known as RED HORSE. He further served at Kunsan Air Base in Korea and 
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH. In 1975 he separated from 
active duty and continued service to his country as a civilian manager 
at Air Force Logistics Command and a NATO program manager at Ramstein 
Air Base, Germany. He finally settled in Virginia in June 1986, working 
for the Air National Guard eventually as the chief of programs.
  I believe everyone in the Air National Guard will attest that very 
few individuals have had a greater positive impact on providing the 
finest facilities and installations for the Air National Guard to 
accomplish their missions. During his tenure at the Air National Guard, 
Mr. Conte was directly responsible for planning and programming 
facility and real property requirements worth over $7 billion to 
support 177 Guard locations throughout the 50 States, 3 territories, 
and the District of Columbia. His leadership, outstanding technical 
expertise, and unlimited energy have created a blueprint for success 
for which generations of Air National Guardsmen will reap the benefits. 
I offer sincere appreciation and thanks for his service, and wish him 
and his family the best in retirement.

                          ____________________