[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 66 (Thursday, April 24, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S3377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          AIR FORCE LEADERSHIP

  Mr. HATCH. Madam President, we live in cynical times, and today I 
want to address that cynicism; namely, a small number of media reports 
that, some have suggested, call into question the command abilities of 
the senior leadership of the U.S. Air Force.
  In addition, I was dismayed to learn that a Member of the Senate has 
compounded these misrepresentations by recently authoring a letter that 
makes inaccurate assertions about matters that have already been dealt 
with by the proper military authorities and investigated by the 
inspector general of the Department of Defense.
  Let me address the underlying matter directly. It has been my 
privilege and honor to represent the people of Utah in this august body 
for now more than 31 years. During that time, I have had the pleasure 
to meet many of our Nation's military leaders, their families, and, of 
course, military period. However, I can say without reservation the 
current generation of Air Force leaders is among the finest I have ever 
known in all my years in the Senate.
  Under the steadfast and capable leadership of Secretary Michael Wynne 
and GEN Michael Moseley, the leaders of our Air Force are resolute in 
the defense of this country, tenacious in their support and care for 
the young men and women who serve under them, and dedicated to 
modernizing the ancient--or should I say aging--equipment of their 
force.
  These are leaders to be proud of, not criticized the way they have 
been. They are leaders to have confidence in. They exemplify the Air 
Force's unofficial motto: ``Nothing Comes Close.'' They are the 
rightful heirs to the title: ``The Right Stuff.''
  This does not mean errors do not occur. In any organization, 
especially one with more than 350,000 servicemembers, some will make 
mistakes, a few will veer from the straight and narrow; and, sadly, a 
tiny minority might even betray the public trust. That said, I believe 
the true measure of military leadership is not to wipe away every 
possible temptation and sin of mankind; it is to create a culture where 
malfeasance, once identified, is dealt with firmly, swiftly, and 
justly.
  For example, the current Air Force leadership met this standard when 
it was recently tested by the wrongdoing of a civilian official during 
an initial attempt to replace our Nation's aerial tankers that are, on 
average, 47 years old. Once Senator McCain brought this malfeasance to 
the attention of the Air Force, the service responded by holding 
accountable those responsible. These individuals were prosecuted to the 
full extent of the law. Yet from that troubled time, the current Air 
Force leadership rallied and conducted one of the most transparent, 
open, and fair procurement competitions in recent memory. That is stuff 
of which real leaders are made.
  I was also disappointed to read the characterizations of some press 
reports regarding the speech given by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates 
during his trip on Monday to the Air War College. When one reads some 
of these reports, one could only conclude that Secretary Gates was 
issuing a rebuke to the Air Force's leadership. This is most 
perplexing. Although I have not spoken to Secretary Gates about his 
speech, I have read the official transcript. My impression of his 
address was that Secretary Gates was not issuing an admonishment--not 
at all. In fact, I believe the Secretary was seeking to do what all 
good Secretaries of Defense strive to obtain: a more effective and 
efficient force through new and creative thinking.
  Now, this conclusion is ironically bolstered by later reports from 
the same news service that published the initial reports I find so 
puzzling. These later reports quote the Pentagon press secretary as 
saying one of the major alleged reproaches was not directed at the Air 
Force as a service, but to ``the military as a whole.''
  As I said earlier, we live in cynical times. Unfortunately, it has 
become customary for many in political circles to hurl unfair and even 
untrue criticisms at one another. One could argue this is the price of 
a vibrant democracy. However, this sort of behavior is unbecoming when 
it wrongly distracts our military leaders, especially during a time of 
war.
  The Air Force leadership, under Secretary Wynne and General Moseley, 
has done an extraordinary job of protecting our Nation and supporting 
our other armed services in this war on terror. I, for one, am thankful 
we have such leaders in positions with such heavy responsibility. So 
today I rise to thank them. I thank Secretary Wynne. I thank General 
Moseley. They are thanks I believe they deserve from the entire Senate.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If the Senator would withhold.
  Mr. HATCH. I withdraw that.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana is recognized.

                          ____________________