[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 26, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E191-E192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN RECOGNITION OF THE CAREER OF NCIS DIRECTOR MARK D. CLOOKIE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 26, 2013

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to 
Special Agent Mark D. Clookie, Director of the Naval Criminal 
Investigative Service, NCIS, who has announced his retirement from NCIS 
effective March I, 2013, after nearly 31 years of highly distinguished 
service.
  Mr. Clookie joined NCIS in 1982, and during his tenure he has served 
in a variety of organizational assignments and mission areas, both 
within the United States and overseas. As a Special Agent, Mr. Clookie 
served overseas in both the Kingdom of Bahrain and in Japan. 
Domestically he held leadership positions in Newport, RI, and at NCIS 
headquarters in Washington, DC. He also served in leadership positions 
in several overseas tours as NCIS Resident Agent in Charge in Bahrain, 
as NCIS Resident Agent in Charge in Okinawa, Japan, and as Special 
Agent in Charge of the NCIS Middle East Field Office, located in 
Manama, Bahrain.
  In August 2001, Special Agent Clookie reported to the Pentagon as the 
Chief, Joint Staff Support Branch, Joint Counterintelligence Center. 
Following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, he assumed duties 
as the Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Middle East Field Office in 
Manama, Bahrain. From there he directed all counterintelligence, 
counterterrorism, and criminal investigative operations throughout the 
Middle East, East Africa, and Southwest Asia. His primary focus was 
direct support to Navy and Marine Corps Forces Central Command and the 
Navy's Fifth Fleet.
  After more than two years in the Middle East directing the NCIS 
Global War on Terrorism mission, SA Clookie returned to NCIS 
Headquarters, where he served as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy 
Director for Management and Human Resources. In this role, he led NCIS 
modernization initiatives and subsequently, was promoted to Assistant 
Director for Human Resources.
  As Assistant Director for Human Resources, Mr. Clookie oversaw the 
creation and implementation of a leadership development program to 
identify and train future NCIS leaders.
  In October 2007, Mr. Clookie was promoted to the Senior Executive 
Service and assumed responsibilities as the Executive Assistant 
Director for Middle East and Pacific Operations where he built systems 
that have integrated the work of 44 offices across the Western U.S., 
Asia, Pacific, and Middle East.
  In April 2009, SA Clookie was reassigned as the Executive Assistant 
Director for Combating Terrorism. In this capacity, he developed and 
managed programs to protect U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps personnel, 
families, and property from global terrorist threats. He also 
significantly expanded NCIS engagement with foreign government 
counterparts.
  On February 14, 2010, Mr. Clookie was appointed Director of NCIS and 
became the agency's fourth civilian director. From the onset, Mr. 
Clookie established capabilities and realigned resources to meet the 
evolving requirements of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, while at the 
same time, reducing overhead and creating efficiencies. During his 
tenure, 100 percent of NCIS' programs and field elements were evaluated 
annually for quality and effectiveness by the executives overseeing 
operations and by teams led by Headquarters-based senior NCIS leaders. 
He institutionalized a collaborative and disciplined method to identify 
efficiencies throughout the agency, facilitating the reprogramming of 
over $10 million across NCIS to meet emerging mission requirements.
  During his time as Director, Mr. Clookie restructured the Naval 
Criminal Investigative Service to align the headquarters with the 
missions of man, train, and equip the workforce while transitioning 
operational oversight to field level supervisors, empowering lower 
level managers and resulting in quicker responses to changing 
priorities and threats.
  Under Director Clookie's leadership, NCIS has filled every validated 
Combatant Commander request for forces for Iraq, Afghanistan, and the 
Horn of Africa on a volunteer basis. NCIS personnel have also deployed 
to Kuwait, Djibouti, Guantanamo Bay, and other sites in support of 
contingency operations.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. 
Clookie for his 31 years of

[[Page E192]]

outstanding public service and to wish him fair winds and following 
seas as he begins the next chapter of his life.

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