[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 120 (Tuesday, August 2, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5240-S5241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO GENERAL JAMES E. CARTWRIGHT

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to GEN 
James E. Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who 
will retire tomorrow after 40 years of distinguished service to his 
country.
  General Cartwright is one of America's most respected four-star 
generals. His leadership and dedication to the security of this country 
will be sorely missed and I wish him all the best in his future 
endeavors.
  On a personal note, I will miss the detailed briefings, insightful 
discussions, and honest assessments that I have come to expect from 
General Cartwright.
  Simply put, he has had a notable record of achievement throughout his 
career.
  As head of the U.S. Strategic Command, STRATCOM, General Cartwright 
led the effort to develop new strategies to tackle cyber, nuclear 
proliferation, space, and missile defense issues.
  He transformed Strategic Command from an organization largely 
dominated by its mission with respect to nuclear weapons and nuclear 
doctrine to being the true center in the U.S. military for all 
strategic issues.
  Of special note was General Cartwright's interest and action on 
cybersecurity and the use of cyberspace. He saw this as a major 
emerging threat and responsibility of the Department, and put STRATCOM 
on a footing to deal with cyber as a major strategic issue.
  He distinguished himself as one of those special leaders who is able 
to foresee and understand the constantly evolving national security 
environment rather than getting stuck in the old ways of seeing the 
world and doing things.
  Based on his notable record of service, on June 28, 2007, President 
Bush nominated General Cartwright to succeed ADM Edmund Giambastiani as 
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
  General Cartwright was confirmed by the full Senate on August 3, 2007 
and was sworn in on August 31 as the eighth Vice Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff. Recognizing his exceptional leadership, General 
Cartwright was confirmed for a second term on July 31, 2009.
  He has, not surprisingly, used his capacity as the second most senior 
military officer in the Pentagon to make the Armed Forces a more 
strategic and more nimble military.

[[Page S5241]]

  As the Vice Chairman, General Cartwright has helped guide the United 
States through many pivotal moments in our history: notably, the end of 
the military mission in Iraq, the implementation of a new strategy for 
the war in Afghanistan, and securing ratification of the New START 
agreement with Russia which will reduce the number of deployed 
strategic nuclear warheads by 30 percent.
  I spoke with General Cartwright many times over the course of the 
treaty negotiations, and during the Senate's debate that ultimately led 
to ratification and signing New START.
  He never failed to provide me with his frank and honest assessment 
and I greatly appreciated his clear and persuasive support for the 
treaty.
  He recognized, as I do, that if we are to convince other nations to 
forgo acquiring nuclear weapons, it is imperative for the two nations 
that possess more than 90 percent of these weapons to take meaningful 
steps to reduce our stockpiles.
  General Cartwright knows that lowering the number of nuclear weapons 
in the world and stopping their spread will enhance our national 
security, not diminish it. And we will still maintain a robust arsenal 
for our defense.
  As he stated:

       I think we have more than enough capacity and capability 
     for any threat that we see today or that might emerge in the 
     foreseeable future.

  General Cartwright's commitment to providing his honest and blunt 
assessments go beyond nuclear forces and extend to all security threats 
facing our nation, and the best way to prepare and respond to them, 
even when it was not popular to do so.
  In his recent book, ``Obama's Wars,'' Bob Woodward describes General 
Cartwright as committed to providing the President his candid advice. 
Woodward quotes General Cartwright as saying ``I'm just not in the 
business of withholding options. I have an oath, and when asked for 
advice I'm going to provide it.''
  He certainly has come a long way.
  General Cartwright grew up in Rockford, IL, and joined the Marine 
Corps in 1971.
  After numerous operational assignments as both a naval flight officer 
and naval aviator, the pinnacle of his Marine Corps operational 
aviation career came as the Commanding General of First Marine Aircraft 
Wing in Okinawa, Japan, from 2000 to 2002.
  After a tour with the Joint Staff, in 2004, General Cartwright became 
the first Marine Corps general to lead the United States Strategic 
Command, STRATCOM.
  As always, the security and defense of our Nation has been his top 
priority. That, along with his commitment to the active, guard, and 
reserve members of the Armed Forces and their families, is probably his 
greatest attribute and lasting impact.
  I wish General Cartwright all the best as he retires from 40 years of 
service to his country and, on behalf of the people of California and 
all Americans, I offer him my most sincere and heartfelt thanks and 
gratitude.

                          ____________________