[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 125 (Thursday, September 16, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1663-E1664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN RECOGNITION OF MR. ROBERT J. WINCHESTER ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 
         RETIREMENT AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO THE U.S. ARMY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SILVESTRE REYES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 16, 2010

  Mr. REYES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a fellow 
Army veteran, Mr. Robert J. Winchester, who has served his Nation, the 
U.S. Army, and the military intelligence community with unwavering 
commitment and professionalism. This Friday, September 17th, his 
friends, colleagues, and fellow soldiers will gather to recognize 26 
years of exceptional service to the Army.
  Mr. Winchester began his distinguished public service career in 1969 
as an Army intelligence analyst stationed in Vietnam. Honorably 
discharged as a staff sergeant in 1971,

[[Page E1664]]

he went on to attend law school and continued his military service as a 
JAG officer in the Army Reserves.
  Later, Mr. Winchester joined the Central Intelligence Agency, where 
he was recognized for his significant contributions across an array of 
issues in his capacity as legal counsel. During his time at the Agency, 
Mr. Winchester dedicated much time re-establishing a relationship 
between the Agency and Congress, as well as coordinating legal 
initiatives to protect covered Intelligence Community personnel and to 
provide death benefits to the families of CIA personnel killed in the 
line of duty.
  His talent for cultivating relationships across the Intelligence 
Community and on Capitol Hill led Mr. Winchester back to the Army 
family in 1984, when he served as Special Assistant for Legislative 
Affairs to then-Secretary of the Army Jack Marsh. Later he transitioned 
to the Army Office of Legislative Liaison and was responsible for 
managing the Army's intelligence programs and policies.
  Most notably, throughout his 26 year tenure as a Senior Executive 
Service officer at Legislative Liaison, Mr. Winchester has fostered 
many important partnerships between the Intelligence Community and 
Congress. His tireless dedication to advancing the Army's intelligence 
mission and supporting the warfighter has earned him a great deal of 
respect and a great many friends on the Hill.
  As he retires, Mr. Winchester will receive the National Intelligence 
Distinguished Service Medal and the Army's Decoration for Exceptional 
Civilian Service to commemorate his accomplishments and exceptional 
public service career. More important, though, than these accolades, is 
the legacy that he leaves behind.
  Bob Winchester is one-of-a-kind. The Army will have a hard time 
finding someone to fill the hole he leaves; but I know that his 
contributions will endure and his achievements will continue to serve 
as a solid foundation for the Army and its intelligence mission. The 
Nation is safer and the Army stronger as a result of his service. For 
that, I thank him, and I wish him great happiness in his retirement.

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