[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 164 (Wednesday, December 19, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1971]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING LIEUTENANT COMMANDER TOM G. WEILER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT J. WITTMAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 19, 2012

  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr Speaker, I rise today to recognize those men and 
women who have served this great Nation with honor, men such as 
Lieutenant Commander Tom G. Weiler, United States Navy.
  For the past year, Lieutenant Commander Weiler, a proud submariner 
and graduate of the University of Notre Dame, served on my staff as a 
Congressional Defense Fellow. During his assignment, he served as a 
senior member of my staff responsible for defense, veterans, foreign 
affairs and intelligence matters. Lieutenant Commander Weiler executed 
his work as a liaison to the constituents of the First District and the 
numerous defense installations in the First District with distinction. 
Furthermore, he provided exceptional support to me as my staff liaison 
to the House Armed Services Committee in my role as a Subcommittee 
Chairman and as the Co-Chair of the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus.
  Lieutenant Commander Weiler directly contributed to my goal of 
providing excellent constituent service to the people of the First 
District. He was responsible for bringing numerous constituent 
inquiries to a successful conclusion and he was able to leverage his 
personal and operational experience to respond to the most challenging 
inquiries.
  In addition to his efforts on behalf of the First District, 
Lieutenant Commander Weiler took on projects with regional, state and 
national implications, demonstrating his ability to view a challenge 
from many angles and develop innovative solutions often requiring 
collaboration across many levels of government.
  Lieutenant Commander Weiler's work ethic, duty to mission, and 
commitment to servant leadership is without equal. I believe that his 
personal drive to achieve excellence in his work has and will set a 
very high standard for his peers.
  I would also like to thank Lieutenant Commander Weiler for the 
service and sacrifice he has made, and continues to make, for our 
Nation and our great Navy. His keen sense of honor, impeccable 
integrity, boundless work ethic, and loyal devotion to duty earned him 
the respect and admiration of my staff and the First District of 
Virginia. After spending eight of the last eleven years stationed in 
Hawaii, which included multiple patrols in the Western Pacific and a 
12-month deployment to Germany, Lieutenant Commander Weiler is headed 
to the England as the only U.S. Navy submarine officer to participate 
in the Royal Navy Submarine Command Course in Portsmouth, England in 
2013. Following this distinguished opportunity to train with the 
British Royal Navy, Lieutenant Commander Weiler will embark on his 
journey to become an Executive Officer of a United States Navy 
submarine and attend the Submarine Command Course. After this intense 
course of instruction Lieutenant Commander Weiler will return to sea 
and to leading Sailors as he goes back into harm's way to execute his 
trade as submariner in the ``silent service'' of this great Nation. I 
have no doubt that Lieutenant Commander Weiler will continue to serve 
the United States Navy honorably and with distinction.
  I wish him the best of luck as he continues his Naval career. It was 
an honor and a pleasure having him serve on my staff. We all can sleep 
soundly at night knowing that men and women like Lieutenant Commander 
Tom Weiler are members of our all-volunteer force and they stand ready 
to defend our country and take the fight to our enemies; far away from 
their families and the comforts of the United States of America.
  Lieutenant Commander Weiler, thank you. Best of luck to you and God 
bless you, your family, and all the Sailors you are charged with 
leading. Fair winds and following seas . . . and GO IRISH!

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