[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 51 (Wednesday, April 2, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2313-S2314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO COLONEL MICHAEL P. BARBERO

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the U.S. Army will soon say farewell to one 
of its most honorable officers, COL Michael P. Barbero. The colonel 
will retire after 26 years of service to the Army and to the Nation. 
For the last 5 years, I have come to know him as Chief of the Army's 
Senate Liaison Office.
  Throughout his career, Colonel Barbero has always put the well-being 
of our soldiers and our country first. Of primary concern to him and 
his team at the Liaison Office has been helping soldiers, Guard and 
Reserve, navigate the bureaucracy to solve the problems that can be 
common to a soldier's life.
  Sometimes this has meant guiding them through the bureaucracy to 
access Government benefits for their families. Sometimes it has meant 
dealing with a family emergency during deployment. Sometimes it has 
meant helping whistleblowers who report fraud or abuse that needs 
further investigation.
  No matter what the challenge, Colonel Barbero always treated our 
citizen soldiers who seek help from Congress with care, fairness, and 
the respect they deserve.
  As Senate minority and majority leader, I had the privilege to ask 
the Army to support my foreign travel. For the last several years, 
Colonel Barbero was a central part of these efforts. He handled high-
profile and sensitive congressional delegation visits that I led to 
Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Georgia, Ukraine, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, 
Paraguay, Colombia, Mexico, and Guatemala. These missions were 
successful because of the careful planning of Colonel Barbero and his 
excellent team.
  On these long trips, I also came to know Mike Barbero as a person, 
not as a soldier. He is a gourmet chef. He remembers birthdays and 
makes sure there is a cake--even when it means the cake is packed on 
dry ice and stored for 6 days on an airplane.
  I also learned he is a loving father and husband. In sacrifice for 
his service to our country, his wife Vicki and his daughter Mary and 
son Michael have not seen as much of him as probably they wanted.
  Our loss with his retirement will be his family's gain, and, 
hopefully, they will soon get their father back for all the ball games 
and school events that his duties here have required him to miss.
  We in the Senate honor the service and contributions of COL Michael 
Barbero.

[[Page S2314]]

  Always thinking of his soldiers and the interests of the Army and the 
Nation he loves, Colonel Barbero is an example for generations of 
officers to come.
  So on behalf of all my colleagues who know this good man, I thank him 
for his outstanding service and wish him well in the next chapter of 
his life.

                          ____________________