[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 119 (Monday, August 1, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          HONORING VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ADAM SMITH

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 1, 2011

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
General James E. Cartwright for his forty years of accomplished 
military service. His unparalleled dedication to our troops and his 
visionary leadership in defense of our national security have left an 
indelible mark.
  We have been extremely grateful over the past five years to have 
benefited from his thoughtful and candid advice and recommendations, 
and are grateful for his testimony at many Congressional hearings on 
our nation's security and the future of our Armed Forces.
  General Cartwright hails from Rockford, Illinois. He graduated from 
the University of Iowa in 1971 and was commissioned a second lieutenant 
in the United States Marine Corps shortly thereafter. The General 
served as a Naval Flight Officer in the F-4 and as a pilot in the F-4, 
OA-4 and the F-18. His flying career also included command of the First 
Marine Aircraft Wing in Okinawa, Japan.
  After an assignment as the Director for Force Structure, Resources 
and Assessment (J-8) on the Joint Staff, then Lieutenant General 
Cartwright was promoted to General and became the first Marine Corps 
officer to lead United States Strategic Command.
  During his dedicated tenure as head of STRATCOM, General Cartwright 
led the development of strategies to counter a changed security 
environmental and rapidly emerging new threats, particularly in the 
critical areas of nuclear proliferation, cyber, space, and missile 
defense. His vision and leadership were essential to ensure that we are 
able to successfully and reliably meet the new challenges of a post-
Cold War era.
  We are grateful for his service during the last four years as the 
eighth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The General's 
leadership also contributed directly to the integration of technologies 
that enabled, as an example, the destruction of a failing satellite by 
a missile for the first time, and the successful and historic raid 
against Osama Bin Laden.
  He reduced the loss of American lives in combat by facilitating the 
rapid delivery of much-needed new capabilities to the battlefield. 
Specifically, I would like to recognize his contribution to leading the 
MRAP program which resulted in a remarkable fifty percent decrease in 
deaths attributed to Improvised Explosive Device attacks. General 
Cartwright has been a bulwark in honoring the dedication and sacrifice 
of the 2.4 million active, guard and reserve members of the Armed 
Forces and their families, has steadfastly advocated for our wounded 
warriors, and kept the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice 
on our battlefields in our hearts and minds.
  General Cartwright's vision, dedication and invaluable leadership 
will prove a lasting legacy for the Armed Forces and for our country.

                          ____________________