[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 117 (Tuesday, September 19, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9721-S9722]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REAR ADMIRAL MICHAEL K. LOOSE

 Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, it is with great pleasure that I 
rise today to recognize and honor Rear Admiral Michael K. Loose for his 
exceptional achievement as Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering 
Command and Chief of Civil Engineers, from October 2003 to October 
2006.
  As Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, NAVFAC, Rear 
Admiral Loose led 17,000 civilian and military employees, executing an 
annual workload of $10.6 billion supporting global contingency 
engineering operations, the Navy shore infrastructure, and systems 
command engineering and acquisition support. As the chief of civil 
engineers, he led Active and Reserve components of the Civil Engineer 
Corps community of over 2,000 officers and the enlisted Seabee 
community of over 20,000 sailors that jointly serve as the Navy's 
contingency and facilities engineering experts and comprise the Naval 
Construction Force of 22 battalions, 4 regiments, and other supporting 
units.
  Upon assuming command of NAVFAC, Rear Admiral Loose quickly developed 
an overarching strategic plan that incorporated Department of Defense, 
Secretary of the Navy, and Chief of Naval Operations guiding 
principles. Building on this foundational document, and acutely focused 
on the critical imperative to dramatically reduce costs to support Sea 
Enterprise fleet recapitalization, improve service to joint/fleet 
operational commands, and align and single-up accountability, Rear 
Admiral Loose boldly conceptualized and implemented a dramatic 
restructuring and transformation of all components of NAVFAC--the most 
comprehensive and fundamental reorganization of the command since the 
Navy revamped the Bureau system more than three decades ago. As a 
direct result of his initiative and vision,

[[Page S9722]]

over $600 million in savings were harvested and redirected to the fleet 
starting in the Program Objective Memoranda for fiscal year 2006. 
Overall, Rear Admiral Loose increased production productivity by 13 
percent while reducing the required workforce by 1,100 civilian 
positions. Key elements of the transformation that enabled these 
efficiencies included dramatically consolidating and fully aligning 
NAVFAC field commands with Navy regional commanders. This structural 
realignment combined Navy public works centers focused on maintenance, 
transportation, and utilities services with engineering field divisions 
focused on planning, environmental, design, and construction services 
to establish a single, aligned, and vastly streamlined organization--a 
Regional Facilities Engineering Command. He also developed and executed 
strategic partnership agreements with Commander, Navy Installations 
Command and Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps--Installations--and 
Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command, to enable lowest facility 
life-cycle business analysis and management by leveraging the 
transformed NAVFAC organization. With the establishment of the single, 
aligned Facilities Engineering Command in each Navy region, Rear 
Admiral Loose operationalized NAVFAC, creating a command culture of 
accountability, technical competency, and responsiveness to fleet 
mission demands and surge requirements.
  Rear Admiral Loose also aggressively supported the newly established 
Naval Expeditionary Combat Command/Naval Expeditionary Combat 
Enterprise as Systems Command Commander and first chief operating 
officer. He developed a $400 million program to replace overage and 
expended equipment, weapons, personal protective gear, and materials 
supporting the Naval Construction Force extended operations in support 
of Operations Noble Eagle, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom. Rear 
Admiral Loose guided the largest mobilization since Vietnam of Seabees 
and Civil Engineer Corps Officers, enabling outstanding mission support 
of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
  Clearly, Rear Admiral Loose's comprehensive knowledge of the Navy, 
keen judgment, and unwavering commitment to the sailor, the Navy 
family, and the fleet have made him an asset to the Navy. I am proud 
that he is my fellow New Mexican and my fellow American, and I am 
pleased to recognize and thank Rear Admiral Loose for his tenure as 
Commander, NAVFAC and Chief of Civil Engineers.
  Today I honor Rear Admiral Loose for his service to our country, his 
inspirational moral courage, his exceptional strategic vision, and his 
relentlessly bold leadership. He and his wife Carol have made many 
sacrifices during his career in the Navy, and I call upon my colleagues 
and join his family, friends, and associates to wish them ``fair winds 
and following seas'' as they embark on yet another great Navy adventure 
and continue their dedicated and outstanding service to this grateful 
Nation.

                          ____________________