[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 2, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         IN RECOGNITION OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL MICHAEL L. OATES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DUNCAN HUNTER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 2, 2011

  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of 
Lieutenant General Michael L. Oates, the Director of the Joint 
Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), who will 
retire from service on July 1, 2011.
  LTG Oates has honorably served his country for more than three 
decades. Since graduating from the United States Military Academy at 
West Point in 1979, LTG Oates has commanded troops from Company to 
Division level. He is a veteran of Desert Shield and Desert Storm and 
served three tours in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, 
serving as the Chief of Staff to the Deputy and Chief Operating 
Officer, Coalition Provisional Authority, as the Deputy Commanding 
General (Operations) 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the 
Commanding General, 10th Mountain Division/Multi-National Division-
Center. Among his many decorations, LTG Oates has been awarded the 
Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star 
Medal.
  As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have supported 
LTG Oates' mission to provide the necessary training, equipment, and 
analytical capabilities necessary to protect our service men and women 
from the threats posed by IEDs. Having served in both Iraq and 
Afghanistan myself, I have experienced firsthand the dangers that IEDs 
pose to our troops. Under Oates' leadership, JIEDDO has made 
significant strides to combat those dangers by not only reducing the 
effectiveness of the IEDs, but also by helping to eliminate the enemy 
networks that seek to use these devices to harm our troops.
  His approach on Capitol Hill brought a high degree of candor, 
integrity, and focus. Few missions are as important as JIEDDO's efforts 
to defeat the IED as a weapon of strategic influence and LTG Oates 
carried out that mission superbly, executing our counter-IED (C-IED) 
support to the Afghanistan surge and significantly reducing the 
effectiveness of IEDs. Also under his leadership, JIEDDO improved its 
processes and control measures to reduce wasteful spending, improve 
transparency to Congress, and demonstrate a greater level of 
accountability.
  I have gotten to know Lieutenant General Michael Oates well during 
his tenure at JIEDDO. He is an inspiring leader, a teacher, and a 
Texan. The philosophy he instilled in his staff and demonstrated by 
example in his daily work come from James P. Owen's book, ``Cowboy 
Values.'' As he concludes his military career and rides off to face 
even tougher endeavors, he takes Owen's ``Code of the West,'' with him:

     Live each day with courage.
     Take pride in your work.
     Always finish what you start.
     Do what has to be done.
     Be tough, but fair.
     When you make a promise, keep it.
     Ride for the brand.
     Talk less and say more.
     Remember that some things aren't for sale.
     Know where to draw the line.

  I am proud to share in the celebration of LTG Oates' military career, 
recognizing both his extraordinary leadership of JIEDDO and his 
distinguished military service.

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