[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 23 (Thursday, February 5, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1676-S1677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO JAMES PITCHFORD

  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, today I would like to pay tribute to a staff 
member who left over the recess to pursue new opportunities.
  James Pitchford--known to all of us as Pitch, is a hard-charging 
marine who will never cease and desist until told to do so when he is 
on a mission. And his mission is and always has been to serve his 
country, the men and women in the military, and his family.
  As a former Wisconsin Air National Guardsmen, naval aviator, marine 
aviator, and current naval reservist, I am still trying to figure out 
when he's going to sign up for the Army and put a check in the final 
square.
  Pitch served on my staff for 10 years. In that time, he was a 
tireless, and I do want to stress tireless, advocate for the men and 
women in uniform and the retirees and veterans that have served this 
Nation so valiantly.
  He helped me establish a counterimprovised explosive device center at 
Fort Leonard Wood. This facility has saved lives and will continue to 
do so by providing critical training to Army personnel for countering 
explosives hazards and providing countermine working dogs that were not 
previously available.
  He was a lead staffer on the National Guard Empowerment Act, a top 
priority for Senator Leahy and me as cochairs of the Senate National 
Guard Caucus. Provisions were enacted that strengthen the Guard's 
position within the Pentagon and its decisionmaking power.
  He worked to improve health care for the Nation's service members and 
veterans, particularly those suffering from ``invisible injuries'' such 
as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.
  He worked to keep the F-15 and F/A-18 lines in operation, for the 
benefit of the Air Force, Navy, and St. Louis workers.
  He was a strong advocate for military families, our heroes here at 
home, and particularly the Heroes at Home Program.
  There is much more to Pitch's credit legislatively and in fighting or 
prodding the bureaucracy, depending on which was appropriate at the 
time.
  In addition to Pitch's innumerable legislative endeavors, he was also 
a leader on the staff.
  He took an interest in each and every staff member and mentored all 
of the young staff with whom he came into contact.
  He actively recruited people to work in the office, and once here, 
actively recruited them to be members of the Armed Forces.
  He took an interest in the personal lives of staff members and 
volunteered his time as office liaison to the Senate Chaplain's Office.
  We are also grateful to Pitch's children, his son Benjamin and 
fraternal twin daughters, Olivia and Kate, of Wisconsin, who endured 
long separations from their father while he worked to serve the State 
of Missouri and the Nation as well as U.S. forces and military 
veterans.
  Pitch feels strongly, and I agree, that small business owners should 
be encouraged to bring their innovative technologies to our Nation's 
service men and women to reduce their risk of injury or death as they 
carry the fight to America's enemies. In his new life, he will continue 
to pursue this high priority in the private sector.
  We are sorry to see Pitch go, but we thank him for his many years of 
service and wish him all the best in his many endeavors.

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