[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 32 (Monday, March 8, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S1259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL EMERSON GARDNER, JR.

 Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, today I wish to thank LTG Emerson 
Gardner, Jr. for his outstanding service to our great Nation and to 
congratulate him on the occasion of his retirement.
  Lieutenant Genera Gardner hails from the great State of Maryland and 
next week he will retire from the U.S. Marine Corps after 37 years of 
faithful and superb service. Duty, honor, country--the Marine Corps 
motto--are not just words to him. I am so proud of General Gardner's 
accomplishments and service and would like to share a bit more about 
this great marine.
  Lieutenant General Gardner is a 1973 cum laude graduate of Duke 
University. He was named an Olmsted Scholar in 1978 and studied history 
and political science for 2 years at Goettingen, Germany. He is a 
graduate of The Basic School, Defense Language Institute, Marine Corps 
Command and Staff College, Armed Forces Staff College, the Norwegian 
Defense College and the National Security Leadership Course at the 
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse 
University.
  As a distinguished naval aviator, Lieutenant General Gardner served 
as a helicopter pilot in all three Marine air wings. He was hand-picked 
to serve as a White House liaison officer and Presidential helicopter 
command pilot for President Ronald Reagan. As commanding officer of 
HMM-261, Lieutenant General Gardner led the Raging Bulls in Operation 
Sharp Edge, the evacuation of Liberia, and into major combat operations 
during Operations Desert Shield and Storm. It is also important to note 
that during his career, he has accumulated more than 4,300 flight hours 
in most of the aircraft currently in the Marine Corps inventory.
  Lieutenant General Gardner also served as one of seven Marine 
Expeditionary Unit commanders in the world. As the commanding officer 
of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable, he 
led Operation Silver Wake, the noncombatant evacuation, NEO, of 
Albania, Operation Guardian Retrieval, contingency support for a NEO of 
Kinshasa, Zaire and Dynamic Response, the first employment of SACEUR's 
Strategic Reserve into Bosnia.
  Lieutenant General Gardner has served as G-3 current ops officer with 
the 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade in Okinawa, deputy G-3 for II Marine 
Expeditionary Force and as the J-3, operations officer, for the 
Standing Joint Task Force, MARFORLANT. He was also the assistant chief 
of staff for operations and logistics at Allied Forces Northern Europe 
at Kolsas, Norway and at Allied Forces Northwestern Europe, in High 
Wycombe, England. Soon after this assignment, he served as assistant 
deputy commandant for aviation at Headquarters Marine Corps, 
Washington, DC. His tour as the deputy commander of U.S. Marine Corps 
Forces, Atlantic included extended temporary additional duty as the 
deputy J-3 for current operations at U.S. Central Command in support of 
Operation Enduring Freedom. General Gardner served as the director for 
operations, J3 at U.S. Pacific Command, the deputy commandant for 
programs and resources at Headquarters, Marine Corps and currently as 
the director for cost assessment and program evaluation for the 
Secretary of Defense.
  With such an honorable and distinguished career, it is only fitting 
that I share with you his long list of military awards and decorations 
which include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, multiple awards 
of the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense 
Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Navy 
Commendation Medal and the Presidential Service Badge.
  Under Lieutenant General Gardner's guidance, the Marine Corps 
expanded its personnel and strengthened its readiness. He led the 
Marine Corps' efforts to acquire MRAPs and other vital equipment so 
needed by our marines, soldiers and airmen in Iraq and Afghanistan. As 
a result of his work, the force has never been stronger and it is his 
honesty and integrity which both his subordinates and superiors admire. 
Anyone who knows General Gardner knows of his commitment to lead and 
mentor young marines, his dynamic and persuasive personality, his 
careful, thoughtful and precise preparation of all things--mission or 
brief--and of course, his steadfast and unwavering dedication to the 
men and women serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.
  The history of our great Nation is comprised of men, just like 
General Gardner, who have so bravely fought for the ideals of freedom 
and democracy. It is humbling for those of us who, far from the dangers 
they have faced, live our lives in relative comfort and ease. Today our 
country owes General Gardner, as well as his wife Vivian, and children 
Phil, the oldest Nick, a corporal in the Marine Corps who served in 
Iraq, Christian, a lance corporal who will deploy to Afghanistan in 
June as a Marine Corps sniper, and Marc who wants to be an engineer, 
our warmest of thanks and deepest appreciation for all that they have 
done. I offer my sincerest gratitude for his decades of service and I 
salute LTG Emerson Gardner as he retires from the U.S. Marine Corps. 
Semper Fi!

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