[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 101 (Wednesday, June 18, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN TRIBUTE TO LT. GEN. MICHAEL HAMEL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELTON GALLEGLY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 18, 2008

  Mr. GALLEGLY. Madam Speaker, I rise in tribute to Lieutenant General 
Michael Hamel, who will officially retire from the United States Air 
Force on July 1 after 36 years of distinguished service.
  I first met General Hamel when he commanded the 14th Air Force, Air 
Force Space Command, and the Space Air Forces, U.S. Strategic Command, 
at Vandenberg Air Force Base, which is in my district. With a 
bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force 
Academy, a master's in business administration, and a lifetime of 
service to the Air Force and its role within and beyond our atmosphere, 
General Hamel impressed me not only with his knowledge, but also with 
his ability to explain it in conversational terms. We quickly became 
friends.
  General Hamel's illustrious career included assignments in a variety 
of command, acquisition, operations and policy positions involving 
space, system development, intelligence, space operations and launch. 
General Hamel has served in senior staff positions at Headquarters U.S. 
Air Force and Air Force Space Command, and he was the Vice President's 
military adviser on defense, nonproliferation and space policy.
  General Hamel's final assignment was to command the Space and Missile 
Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base. 
While there, he was responsible for managing the research, design, 
development, acquisition and sustainment of space and missile systems, 
launch, command and control, and operational satellite systems.
  General Hamel also was the Air Force Program Executive Officer for 
Space and was responsible for the Air Force Satellite Control Network; 
space launch and range programs; the Space-Based Infrared System 
Program; military satellite communication programs; the Global 
Positioning System; intercontinental ballistic missile programs; 
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program; the space superiority system 
programs and other emerging transformational space programs.
  Madam Speaker, in his nearly four decades as an Air Force officer, 
General Hamel has played a major role in our nation's military and 
civilian space program. I know my colleagues will join me in thanking 
General Hamel for his many years of dedicated service and in wishing 
him a long and fruitful retirement.

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