[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 156 (Tuesday, October 18, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6656-S6657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING THE ARTHUR D. SIMONS CENTER

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I want to talk about education that is 
occurring at Fort Leavenworth, KS. I want to call my colleagues' 
attention to the important work that is being done in our Nation's 
heartland to educate the next generation of military leadership at the 
Command & General Staff College. The CGSC is the intellectual center of 
the U.S. Army and has trained

[[Page S6657]]

many of our Nation's legendary leaders: Generals Marshall, MacArthur, 
Patton, Eisenhower, Arnold, and Bradley. Today, the college continues 
to prepare a new generation of leaders who are tasked with protecting 
our country from threats here at home and abroad, around the world.

  The 21st-century national security challenges we face are often 
complex and require the cooperation of several Federal agencies. It is 
not uncommon for officials from the Department of State to be working 
alongside the Department of Homeland Security or Department of Defense 
on the same project. From the provincial reconstruction teams in 
Afghanistan to responding to hurricanes or manmade disasters, the 
capability of agencies to work together is vital to the success of this 
mission. By working together and learning from previous mistakes, our 
government will become better prepared to keep our country safe and 
secure.
  To improve coordination within agencies tasked with our national 
security, the Command and General Staff College Foundation, under the 
leadership of retired COL Bob Ulin, established the Arthur D. Simons 
Center for the Study of Interagency Cooperation at Fort Leavenworth in 
Kansas. Thanks to a very generous financial gift from Ross Perot, the 
center was created last April and named after Mr. Perot's good friend, 
retired COL Arthur ``Bull'' Simons, who led a rescue mission of U.S. 
Special Forces to free American prisoners in Vietnam in 1970. The 
Simons Center focuses on generating solutions to challenges often 
encountered when government agencies must work together. By drawing on 
real-world experience, the Simons Center works to facilitate broader 
and more effective cooperation within our government at the operational 
and tactical levels through research, analysis, publications, and 
outreach.
  The center is also actively engaged in working with Members of 
Congress. Most recently, the center has been working with the Senate 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, of which I am a 
member, and on legislation to help facilitate better communication and 
coordination among personnel in the national security and homeland 
security fields.
  The Interagency Personnel Rotation Act is scheduled to be considered 
in committee tomorrow and would give security professionals the 
opportunity to work alongside one another in a different agency for a 
period of time. The bill reminds me of the old saying ``Before you 
judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes.'' By giving staff the 
opportunity to work within another agency--to walk within his shoes--I 
imagine perspective will change and cooperation will increase. If the 
legislation is approved by Congress, the Simons Center will play a role 
in implementing these policies.
  In addition to offering policy recommendations, the center also 
partners with several organizations to host conferences focused on how 
to improve interagency coordination. For example, the center recently 
cohosted a symposium on interagency transitions in Iraq, Afghanistan, 
and beyond with the Combined Arms Center and the U.S. Institute of 
Peace. Conferences such as these help provide senior government 
officials a helpful forum to further analyze ongoing challenges and 
develop practical solutions.
  I wish to thank the center's executive director, Ted Strickler, who 
joined the center after a 30-year career in the State Department, for 
his hard work over the past year to get the center up and running. I 
also wish to recognize retired COL Bob Ulin of the Command and General 
Staff College Foundation for his ongoing dedication to this important 
initiative. Under the colonel's leadership, the foundation has 
successfully supported our country's oldest and largest military staff 
college in its mission to educate the next generation of our military 
leaders.
  Finally, I urge my colleagues to take a closer look at the valuable 
work taking place at the Simons Center. We all recognize the importance 
of improving our government's ability to harness the strength of its 
various agencies. By promoting interagency cooperation, the Simons 
Center is helping to strengthen our national security capabilities so 
that our country and its citizens are better prepared for their future.
  Mr. President, I note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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