[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 7, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO JAMES A. TEGNELIA

 Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the 
accomplishments and leadership of Dr. James Tegnelia for his service to 
the Defense Threat Reduction Agency--DTRA--and the Nunn-Lugar 
Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. DTRA is a 2,000-member combat 
support agency which is charged by the Department of Defense to 
safeguard the United States and its allies from weapons of mass 
destruction.
  I have had the pleasure of working closely with Jim and DTRA in their 
role as the primary implementers of the Nunn-Lugar program. I am 
thankful to have had such a strong ally in the fight against nuclear 
proliferation. The agency is an integral actor in the fight to reduce 
WMD proliferation worldwide and has proven to be an extraordinary 
source of leadership in reducing the threats posed by weapons of mass 
destruction.
  Dr. James Tegnelia, of Albuquerque, NM, has served as the Director of 
the Defense Threat Reduction Agency since February 2005, and will leave 
that post in February 2009, after 4 years of dedicated service. Dr. 
Tegnelia's accomplishments are as wide in scope as they are large in 
number, and for this we honor him today on the floor of the U.S. 
Senate.
  Dr. Tegnelia was instrumental in institutionalizing and integrating 
the mission of combating weapons proliferation across the Department of 
Defense and in guiding agency support to the global war on terrorism. 
The integration of Department of Defense missions in both fighting 
terror and WMD proliferation has allowed both agencies to share 
valuable resources and seek common purpose in our efforts on both 
important fronts.
  Jim has been a tireless champion of international efforts to curb the 
proliferation of nuclear weapons, and his understanding of the threat 
of weapons of mass destruction to our nation and U.S. interests abroad 
is unparalleled. This expertise and dedication manifested itself in a 
leadership role for the agency in the establishment of regional and 
global nonproliferation partnerships. Working closely with the 
Department of State, Dr. Tegnelia has been a vocal advocate of the 
President's Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, a program 
designed to prevent terrorists and dangerous regimes from threatening 
the United States and its allies with the world's most deadly weapons.
  I have had the opportunity to travel extensively with Dr. Tegnelia 
and the experts at DTRA to Nunn-Lugar dismantlement sites all over the 
world. I remember fondly a trip we took just 2 years ago. He joined Sam 
Nunn and I in celebrating the 15th anniversary of the program on a trip 
to Russia, Ukraine, and Albania. We enjoyed good conversation on the 
program's significant contributions to international security and Nunn-
Lugar's future prospects in countries outside the former Soviet Union. 
Jim has been an immensely successful leader and colleague in the fight 
to keep the United States safe and secure against the threats of 
weapons of mass destruction. We are indebted for his service and honor 
his commitment to this country.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing him good luck in his future 
endeavors and thanks for a job well done.

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