[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 191 (Thursday, December 13, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15457-S15458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CONGRATULATING DR. WALTER BRYZIK

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I would like to recognize Dr. Walter 
Bryzik as he retires after 40 years of service to the men and women of 
our Armed Forces and our Nation. Since 1968, Dr. Bryzik has held a 
variety of positions at the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Research, 
Development and Engineering Center, TARDEC, in Warren, MI, and is 
retiring early next year as its chief scientist. His career is one to 
be admired and he will be surely missed

[[Page S15458]]

by all of us who are fortunate enough to have worked closely with him.
  As he rose to become the Army's senior technical leader in ground 
system technology, Dr. Bryzik established a legacy of accomplishment 
that will be difficult to equal. Ten years ago, he was promoted to the 
highest scientific professional rank in the Army. In 2004, he was 
presented with the Distinguished Presidential Rank Award for his 
leadership and technical contributions to the U.S. Government.
  Dr. Bryzik's generation of scientists and engineers, and the 
technologies and systems they developed, are the forgotten part of 
America's success in winning the Cold War. I often worry that we aren't 
doing enough to replace this generation of innovators--especially with 
the quality of individuals like Dr. Bryzik. However, Dr. Bryzik is 
making an important contribution to this effort. Outside of TARDEC, he 
has served on the faculty of Wayne State University as a professor in 
the Department of Engineering, another example of his commitment to the 
development of the next generation of our Nation's engineers and to the 
service of his community.
  However, most important among his accomplishments are the 
technologies that Dr. Bryzik helped develop and transition to soldiers 
in the field. His efforts have helped give our service men and women 
the most cutting-edge, effective technology possible, and that has been 
a critical advantage for our Armed Forces as they engage our 
adversaries around the world. Most importantly, the technological 
advancements that Dr. Bryzik has overseen have saved lives.
  Throughout his career, Dr. Bryzik has been an invaluable resource to 
me and my staff. In addition to his insight and expert counsel, he has 
a remarkable ability to convert highly technical subjects into language 
that the rest of us can understand! I am told he has mentored at least 
five generations of my staff and helped them navigate the complexities 
of the work done at TARDEC and throughout the Army.
  I am sure my colleagues will join me in congratulating Dr. Bryzik on 
an extraordinary career and thanking him for his decades of service to 
our Nation, the Army and TARDEC.

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