[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 92 (Thursday, June 18, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6794-S6795]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF JOE CONNAUGHTON

  Mr. KAUFMAN. Madam President, I have spoken here a few times already 
about Federal employees and the great work they perform. I am honored 
to be in a position to come here and do it again. I enjoy sharing 
stories in this Chamber about excellent public servants.
  These stories are only but a few pieces in the vivid mosaic of our 
Federal workforce. The stories are exemplary, not exceptional. These 
are regular people doing a great job.
  The real story of our Federal employees--that of their dedication, 
their talents, and their important contributions--needs to be told.
  Service in government is characterized by sacrifice. Many of our 
Federal employees wear a uniform and sacrifice on the battlefield. 
Others work in civilian jobs but still make great sacrifices by working 
long hours and foregoing opportunities in the private sector, such as 
substantially better pay and bonuses. Their bonus, as I have said 
before, is the satisfaction of having served their country.
  Today I wish to speak about a man who risked his life during wartime 
and then spent nearly three decades working as a civilian engineer for 
the U.S. Army Missile Command.
  Joe Connaughton, a native of Tuscaloosa, AL, had already 
distinguished himself during the Second World War. He served as a 
navigator and bombardier on 47 missions in both the European and 
Pacific theaters. Joe was decorated with three air medals and four 
battle stars, and his unit received the Croix de Guerre for support 
provided to the French Expeditionary Force during the Allied offensive 
in Italy.
  After returning home, Joe took advantage of the GI bill to pursue a 
bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University 
of Alabama. He began working for the U.S. Army Missile Command near 
Huntsville in the late 1950s.
  For 27 years, Joe worked for the Army Missile Command's Research, 
Development, and Engineering Division at Redstone Arsenal. He and his 
engineering team helped develop and perfect weapons systems critical to 
maintaining our military edge during the Cold War. This included the 
Lance, Hellfire, and THAAD missile propulsion systems.
  When Joe and his colleagues were working on the Hellfire missile, 
which is carried primarily by the Apache attack helicopter, there was a 
problem when the TV-based guidance system encountered difficulties in 
smoke and bad weather. A missile whose own propulsion method gives off 
a smoke plume cannot be accurately directed if the smoke hinders its 
guidance system. The engineering team on which Joe worked developed a 
smokeless propellant, which greatly enhanced the missile's accuracy.
  For this achievement, Joe and his team earned the Army Missile 
Command's Scientific and Engineering Award in 1980.
  When the Hellfire entered service in 1984, it was intended for use 
against Soviet tanks in a future Cold War conflict. But with the 
collapse of communism in Europe just a few years later, some began to 
doubt whether its development--and that of similar systems--was worth 
the cost.
  However, with the laser guidance and missile propulsion system 
developed by the civilian engineers at Redstone Arsenal, the Hellfire 
proved its worth during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
  In that conflict, the Army and Marine Corps used the Hellfire to 
disable the Iraqi air defenses in its initial strike, quickly gaining 
air supremacy. Apache helicopters launched Hellfire missiles against a 
myriad of targets,

[[Page S6795]]

demonstrating the usefulness and effectiveness of this new weapon.
  This guided missile system, perfected in Alabama by Joe and other 
Federal employees, helped spare civilian lives in Iraq and ensured a 
rapid coalition victory. They continue to play a major role today, as 
Predator drones carry Hellfire missiles on missions over Afghanistan.
  Our military depends on countless civilian engineers just like Joe. 
Without their hard work and important contributions, we could not 
maintain the military strength we have today. They are all--every one 
of them--Government workers, and they work on bases and in research 
facilities throughout the country, including at Redstone Arsenal in 
Huntsville.
  These men and women wake up each day and go to work knowing that they 
directly participate in keeping America safe. The technologies they 
develop remain at the forefront of our fight against al-Qaida and other 
extremist groups.
  We must never forget that they, along with the rest of our civilian 
government employees, enable the military to do its job.
  Some give their lives for our country. Others give their lives to it. 
All of them demonstrate this greatest hallmark of patriotism; which is 
sacrifice.
  Joe could have made more money in the private sector. Doubtless, he 
could have moved from the Army Missile Command to work for a private 
military contractor, the same people he worked with on a daily basis in 
developing these systems. But he didn't. His priority was making a 
contribution, not making money.
  In some ways, we have lost sight of this sense of purpose, which is 
the engine of our American spirit. I am greatly encouraged that 
President Obama has called for a new generation to take up the torch of 
public service through careers in government. He has called on us, once 
again, to make sacrifices in order to ensure the future safety and 
prosperity of this country we all love so dearly.
  Our Federal employees, like Joe, feel a sense of duty to serve this 
great Nation. It is what sustained him--a 20-year-old airman from 
Alabama--over Italy, France, Yugoslavia, China and Japan. It is what 
sustained him as an engineer when he returned home to Alabama and 
worked to build America's defenses. It is love of country. It is 
service above self.
  Joe embodies this spirit, and I know he has passed it on to the next 
generation. I can see it firsthand, because his son, Jeff, is my chief 
of staff--a great Federal employee and a great person.
  Families across America will gather this Sunday to mark Father's Day 
and to celebrate the important bond between fathers and their children. 
On this occasion I am reminded of my own father--who spent most of his 
career as a government employee--and the important lessons he taught me 
about the value of public service.
  I also think about fathers throughout America who have chosen--along 
with so many mothers--to dedicate their careers to serving the public. 
They are powerful role models, not only for their own daughters and 
sons, but for all young Americans who want a chance to shape this 
country's future.
  I hope all my colleagues will join me in honoring the sacrifices and 
the achievements of all our Federal employees.
  I want to wish Joe a happy Father's Day, and I extend the same well 
wishes to fathers across the country, and especially to those serving 
overseas or with a loved one serving overseas.
  Madam President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. KAUFMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Begich). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. KAUFMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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