[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 105 (Thursday, July 15, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S5959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO COLONEL ALVIN B. LEE

 Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I wish to acknowledge the service 
of COL Alvin B. Lee as he relinquishes command of the New Orleans 
District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Colonel Lee, the New Orleans 
District's 60th commander and district engineer, took command on July 
20, 2007, and has served in that position for the past 3 years.
  The New Orleans District is the largest district within the Corps of 
Engineers. The complexity and magnitude of the issues dealt with in 
this command are staggering. In addition to the normal operating budget 
of $550 million, this district includes the $14 billion hurricane and 
storm damage risk reduction system, HSDRRS, program for the Greater New 
Orleans Metropolitan area. No other colonel in the Corps of Engineers 
is given responsibility even remotely close to this.
  Previous to his service as commander, New Orleans District, Colonel 
Lee served in other key command and staff positions which include: 
Company Commander, 317th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 24th Infantry 
Division, Mechanized; Commander, Alaska Projects Office, Cold Regions 
Research Laboratory; Battalion Executive Officer of the 10th Engineer 
Battalion, and the Engineer Brigade Operations Officer, Third Infantry 
Division, Mechanized. Colonel Lee also served in Afghanistan during 
Operation Enduring Freedom as the Deputy Commander for the Afghanistan 
Engineer District. This resume serves as a testament to the character 
of Colonel Lee.
  While it is no secret that I do not see eye-to-eye with the Army 
Corps of Engineers as an organization, I can say that I greatly 
appreciate the efforts of Colonel Lee individually. Colonel Lee earned 
the respect of many within the local Louisiana communities over the 
past three years through his strong leadership and hard work. He is a 
fine officer who has given much in service to the Nation. I wish him 
well in future endeavors.

                          ____________________