[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 19 (Tuesday, February 8, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING MARTIN D. FINK

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 8, 2011

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exemplary 
career of one of my constituents, Martin D. Fink, who recently retired 
after working for the United States Navy for 52 years. As a research 
and development engineer, Mr. Fink helped improve existing technologies 
and develop new capabilities that increased the safety, functionality, 
and efficiency of various Navy vessels. Mr. Fink's fine work earned him 
the Meritorious Civilian Service Award (1990) and the Superior Civilian 
Service Award (1994), the second highest civilian award that the 
Department of the Navy can bestow. Over the course of his career, Mr. 
Fink patented several inventions for use by the Navy, including a 
``Method for quantifying parameters for a ship roll simulation system'' 
(2004), a ``Vertical motion compensation for a crane's load'' (2003), 
and an ``Integrated and automated control of a crane's rider tagline 
system'' (2000). Mr. Fink retired on December 31, 2010.
  In 1958, Mr. Fink began his work for the Navy while still in school 
through a cooperative education program at the David Taylor Model 
Basin-Naval Ship Research and Development Center in Bethesda, Maryland. 
Mr. Fink earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering 
from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1963 and a 
Master of Science degree in Engineering Administration from The George 
Washington University in 1972. During his 18 years of service at 
Carderock, he worked on developing the performance and acquisition 
requirements and documentation for the ground-breaking JEFF(A) and 
JEFF(B) Amphibious Assault Landing Craft (AALC) air cushion vehicle 
test craft and was an integration engineer for the two design 
fabrication contracts. In 1976 Mr. Fink transferred to the Naval 
Coastal Systems Center (NCSC) in Panama City, Florida to continue his 
work on the AALC project and to help establish the AALC Experimental 
Trials Unit. Mr. Fink's work was critical to the development of the 
acquisition documentation for the current Landing Craft Air Cushion 
(LCAC), which evolved out of the AALC project and currently provides 
the Navy's rapid deployment capabilities for troops and equipment.
  In 1981 Mr. Fink was selected to serve as manager of the Merchant 
Ship Naval Augmentation Program/Strategic Sealift Research and 
Development program at the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), then in 
Arlington, Virginia. While there, he improved the military utility of 
commercial ships in support of Naval fleet requirements by undertaking 
the acquisition, integration and installation of more modern Navy and 
commercial equipment on government-owned merchant ships. From 1992-
2000, Mr. Fink worked in the Strategic Sealift Program Office in 
NAVSEA, where he oversaw, among other projects, the development and 
acquisition of new hardware to expand and improve naval sealift 
capacity. In 2000 Mr. Fink joined the Program Executive Office, Ships 
as the Acquisition Program Manager for the development of the Maritime 
Prepositioning Force. From 2007 until his retirement, Mr. Fink served 
as Principal Assistant Program Manager for Research and Development/
Small Business Innovation Research and Future Platforms.
  Martin Fink has made numerous substantial contributions to the 
Department of the Navy over his 52 years of diligent and innovative 
service. From aiding in the design, development, and testing of 
military vehicles such as the Landing Craft Air Cushion, the 
development of shipboard cargo handling and seabased operational 
logistics support systems, Mr. Fink has helped improve existing 
capabilities and provide the Navy with vital new tools to support our 
sailors and marines.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the long and productive career 
of Martin D. Fink and the contributions he has made to our Navy and 
extend our gratitude and appreciation to him for his outstanding 
service to our country.

                          ____________________