[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 52 (Thursday, March 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E507-E508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING REAR ADMIRAL (RADM) HEWITT FOR HIS SERVICE IN THE U.S. COAST 
                                 GUARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2012

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a fellow 
Oregonian and leader for his extraordinary service in United States 
Coast Guard. Rear Admiral (RADM) Ronald T. Hewitt served his country 
for 34 years in the Coast Guard and on April 6th, RADM Hewitt will 
retire as the Assistant Commandant for Human Resources at Coast Guard 
Headquarters, a position he has held since May 2009. We all owe him a 
debt of gratitude for his commitment to service and to our country.
  His efforts were pivotal to improving the Service's readiness while 
providing advancement, professional development and quality of life 
enhancements for all Coast Guard personnel. He established a 
comprehensive strategy to enhance diversity within the Coast Guard, 
developing and leveraging important partnerships with Congress, the 
Administration, academic institutions, and key outreach and affinity 
organizations, setting new heights

[[Page E508]]

for the number of women and minorities accessed into and retained in 
the Coast Guard.
  Demonstrating exemplary stewardship, RADM Hewitt implemented rigorous 
internal controls over financial reporting, enabling the Service to 
accurately value and track over $7 billion in pay and medical accounts. 
In response to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake and Deepwater Horizon Oil 
spill disasters, he guided the strategic resourcing of Coast Guard 
personnel, including Reserve forces, for these herculean first 
responder events, expertly balancing immediate needs with long-term 
workforce sustainment. His unwavering advocacy and commitment to Coast 
Guard personnel and their families was evidenced through expanded child 
care services and subsidies, initiatives improving government owned 
housing, and enhancements to work-life programs. These accomplishments 
are remarkably significant and representative of RADM Hewitt's 
distinguished 34-year career in the service of his country.
  A native of Sandy, Oregon, in my Congressional district, RADM Hewitt 
is a 1978 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy where he 
earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. In 1982, 
he earned a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from 
Purdue University. In 2000, he received a Master's Certificate in 
Information Technology Project Management from George Washington 
University and is a certified Project Management Professional.
  RADM Hewitt and his wife Ann married in 1979, and they currently 
reside in Arlington, Virginia with their son Michael, a high school 
sophomore who was born during their assignment in Boston. Their 
daughter Laura, a recent college graduate, was born while they were 
stationed in Virginia during an earlier tour of duty. RADM Hewitt's 
parents are Wallace and Irene Hewitt of Sandy, Oregon.
  RADM Hewitt's other Flag Officer assignments include Commander, Coast 
Guard Maintenance and Logistics Command Atlantic in Portsmouth, 
Virginia, and Assistant Commandant for Command, Control, 
Communications, Computers and Information Technology in Washington, DC, 
where he was detailed to the Department of Homeland Security as their 
acting Chief Information Officer. Earlier assignments included serving 
as Project Manager for the ``Rescue 21'' and the Marine Information for 
Safety and Law Enforcement systems; serving as Commanding Officer, 
Electronics Support Unit Boston; serving as Executive Officer, 
Communications Area Master Station Pacific; serving as Project Engineer 
at the Omega Navigation Systems Center and at the Electronics 
Engineering Center in Wildwood, New jersey, and in his first assignment 
out of the Coast Guard Academy, serving as Operations Officer on the 
USCGC Bittersweet.
  Rear Admiral Hewitt's personal military decorations include multiple 
awards of the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Coast 
Guard Commendation Medal, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, and the 
Commandant's Letter of Commendation.

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